The document discusses career development tips for business analysts, including: - Reviewing core business analysis skills and how to develop them. - Identifying possible career paths for business analysts that align with interests and aptitudes. - Understanding potential lateral career paths and additional skills needed. - Learning the skills and behaviors needed for senior business analyst positions. It provides an overview of typical business analysis career paths and competencies outlined by the International Institute of Business Analysis.

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Career Development Tips
for Business Analysts
Presented to IIBA Orange County Chapter – 26 May 2020
Rick Hefner, Ph.D.
Center for Technology and Management Education
California Institute of Technology
rhefner@caltech.edu
Classes at http://ctme.caltech.edu
-1Hefner

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 Review the core business analysis skills needed and how to
develop them
 Identify possible BA career paths and choose those which align
with your individual interests and aptitudes
 Identify potential lateral career paths for the BA and the
additional skills needed
 Understand what skills and behaviors are needed for a senior
BA position (and why you may not want one!)

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Typical Business Analysis Career Paths
-3Hefner
Reference: IIBA Business Analysis Competency Model

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Business Analyst Competency
 Competency: A
combination of skills and
knowledge needed to
perform a specific role
and the key behaviors
and abilities that
contribute to strong
performance in that role
 Competency Model:
Describes the knowledge,
skills, abilities and other
personal characteristics
required for a person to
be successful in a job and
to perform that job
effectively
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Business Analysis Competency Model, IIBA
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BABOK (Business Analysis Body of Knowledge)
Guide, IIBA
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Knowledge Areas

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BABOK Input/Output Diagram
Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
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BA Roles Mapped to Techniques
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Process Competencies – Partial Example
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BABOK Underlying Competencies
-10Hefner
Analytical Thinking and
Problem Solving
• Creative Thinking
• Decision Making
• Learning
• Problem Solving
• Systems Thinking
• Conceptual Thinking
• Visual Thinking
Behavioral
Characteristics
• Ethics
• Personal
Accountability
• Trustworthiness
• Organization and Time
Management
• Adaptability
Business Knowledge
• Business Acumen
• Industry Knowledge
• Organization
Knowledge
• Solution Knowledge
• Methodology
Knowledge
Communication Skills
• Verbal
Communication
• Non-Verbal
Communication
• Written
Communication
• Listening
Interaction Skills
• Facilitation
• Leadership and
Influencing
• Teamwork
• Negotiation and
Conflict Resolution
• Teaching
Tools and Technology
• Office Productivity
Tools and Technology
• Business Analysis
Tools and Technology
• Communication Tools
and Technology

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BABOK Underlying Competencies - Indicators
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Business Analyst Role Categories
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Where Do Your BA Strengths Lie?
 Some BA roles rely on specific domain knowledge
 Some BA roles rely on business analysis expertise
 Some BA roles rely on breath of knowledge
 Some BA roles rely on leadership abilities
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Single Roles
Generalist Roles
 Business Architect
 BA Project Lead
 BA Program Lead
 BA Practice Lead
 (Advanced) Business
Relationship Manager
 (Advanced) Strategic
Business Analyst
Specialty Roles
 Agile BA
 Business Process Analyst
 Business Rules Analyst
 Business Systems Analyst
 Functional Business Analyst
 Service Request Analyst
-14Hefner
Details in the IIBA Business Analysis Competency Model

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Hybrid Roles
Dual Roles
 BA/Project Manager
 BA/Tester
 BA/Developer
 BA/User Experience
Overlap Roles
 C-Level Executive
 Middle Management
 Product Manager (Marketing)
 Project Manager
 Database Analyst
 Enterprise Architect
 Information Architect
 Solutions Architect
 Systems Design Analyst
 Tester/ QA Analyst
 Usability/User Experience
Professional (UXP)
-15Hefner
Details in the IIBA Business Analysis Competency Model

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Five Dimensions of Work
 Skill variety - The degree to which the
work requires you to exercise a variety of
skills
 Task identity - The degree to which the
work requires you to complete a whole,
identifiable piece of work
 Task significance - The degree to which
your work affects others and contributes
to social welfare
 Autonomy - The degree to which you have
control over the means and methods you
use to perform your work
 Job feedback - The degree to which
carrying out the work itself provides you
with direct and clear information about
how effective you are
Richard Hackman & Greg Oldham, Work Redesign
Hefner-16

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Leadership Model
-17Hefner
Your Team’s Competencies
and Commitments
Your Leadership
Styles and Abilities
Your Trust and
Credibility
Your Organization’s
Mission,
Core Competencies
and Vision

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DISC for Understanding Behavioral Preferences
 Dominance: Direct, decisive,
independent and to the point; bottom
line and results oriented; often strong-
willed, enjoy challenges and
immediate results
 Influence: Optimistic, social and out
going; enjoy being on teams, sharing
openly, entertaining and motivating
others
 Steadiness: Team players, cooperative
and supportive of others; prefer being
in the background, working in a stable
environment; often good listeners and
prefer to avoid conflict and change
 Conscientiousness: Cautious and
concerned; focused on quality, details
and accuracy
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Each Personality Type has a Preferred Style
But your ability to lead is dictated by how well you use all the styles!
-19Hefner
Leadership
Problem Solving
Communication
Authority
Cooperation
Dominance
Conscientiousness
Influence
Steadiness

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You are in charge of your destiny!
 Know thyself – determine what you enjoy doing
 Understand your strengths and weaknesses
 Seek a mentor – somewhere who can offer objective, expert
advise
 Become a life-long learner – seek knowledge in classes and on
the job