Career Track for Business Analyst

The Business Analyst Career Road Map defines the business analysis opportunities available to you. It designed to identify the many roles within the business analysis, and show your options based on your experience today.

IT Business Analyst

As a Business Analyst in his/her first few years of BA career should work in these 3 major types of organization.

IT services Org.

1. Product Org.
2. Client Org.
3. A BA should look forward for adding following skill sets

Sales/BD Role

In fact, it is also recommended to take up Sales/BD role for some time in IT Services/Product co. BA knowledge is limited to giving solution for the detailed requirements. And Sales knowledge will help you whetstone your skill sets in targeting, convincing and selling them the solution to the client.
Insight

you need to be smart enough and rebalance the portfolio of your skill sets from time to time. Every organization works differently going forward with these skill sets will help you to see yourself in leadership roles.

Sr. /Lead BA /SME

As a Business Analyst when you move ahead you can see yourself in Sr. /Lead BA role. In Later years after having sales experience, you should stay for some time in Client Org. You will actively help Sales team with solution approach and more information for client presentations.

Process Consulting

After adding a lot of domain knowledge it’s wise to diversify in terms of responsibilities by adding supporting knowledge around a domain
For example
1.       Processes knowledge
2.       Regulatory /Compliance
3.       Framework knowledge
From here you should take up these roles

1. Product Management

Here from an SME role, you will move to Product Manager role wherein you constantly talk to clients and in-house Sales team which will help you to build vision about your product and also will help build strategies where you want to take this product.  You will give inputs to your BA’s who will refine these requirements and see to it that they are incorporated.
2. Vendor Management

This role will require you to identify the need of the business and help them in choosing the right S/w Product. This role would require to float RFI/RFP’s check the bids made by the IT co.’s   The sales team will arrange a demo and BA’s/SME and Tech architects will present the solution. Here you will be continuously interacting with CIO, CTO’s of different organizations from here you will build a solid rapport with the Industry Veterans which will help you move ahead in your career.

From here you may end up moving to Consulting Role or CTO role

1. Consulting

Spending some of the best years in the industry by adding experience in different stages of a complete cycle of BA to Vendor management. You are in more demanding position as you have solid industry experience and can do contractual work and making a lot of money.

2. CTO

Yes, the company may promote you to be the face of the organization in an IT Services co.  Or you can become a CTO for a Business/Client Org.  For the future, IT needs of the Organization. From here you may move to board members or probably see yourself as a CEO 🙂