18 Sep - Creating a Top-notch Business Analyst Resume

Business Analyst ResumesBusiness Analyst Resumes

Cover this area with a picture related to your

A key tool for acceleratingp y

presentation. It can be humorous.

Make sure you look at th N t P f

accelerating your

businessthe Notes Pages for more information about how to use the template.

business analyst career

© International Institute of Business Analysis

career

22

IntroductionIntroductionLaura Brandau

IIBA® Career Center Product ManagerManagerBusiness Analyst Consultant / ContractorContractorBusiness Analysis Authory

Bridging-the-Gap (blog)How to Start a BA Career (eBook)How to Start a BA Career (eBook)

BA hiring manager (former)© International Institute of Business Analysis

Career Center Promotion33

Career Center Promotion

Limited Time PromotionU th d FALL 2009 tUse the code FALL-2009 to receive 50% off one 30-dayreceive 50% off one 30 day

job posting

Offer expires November 30 2009Offer expires November 30, 2009© International Institute of Business Analysis

44

Introduction: BA ResumesIntroduction: BA ResumesDescription:p

How to create a resume that reflects your unique BA qualificationsyour unique BA qualifications.

Desired Outcomes:Better sell your BA qualificationsBuild multiple resumes for targetBuild multiple resumes for target positions / career purposesD l t h bitDevelop career management habits

Ongoing career-management ongoing © International Institute of Business Analysis

55

Vision and MissionVision and MissionVi i The world's leading association forVision The world s leading association for

Business Analysis professionals

Develop and maintain standards for the practice of business analysis and Missionfor the certification of its practitioners

®IIBA® is an international not-for-profit professional association for


business analysts.

66

IIBA® GoalsIIBA GoalsStrategic Goals

Create and developOperational Goals

Ensure the long termCreate and develop awareness and recognition of the value and contribution of the role of

Ensure the long term viability of the organization

Enable sustainable growth to support thecontribution of the role of

the Business Analysis Professional

Define the Business

to support the establishment of IIBA® as a worldwide organizationEnsure financial viability to

t th i l t tiDefine the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK®)Publicly recognize qualified

titi th h

support the implementation and sustainment of IIBA®

operational and strategic priorities

practitioners through an internationally acknowledged certification program

Consistently demonstrate value of the organization to IIBA® constituents

Provide a forum for knowledge sharing


Words of caution77

Words of cautionResume writing is more art than gscience

You’ll need to determine how theseYou ll need to determine how these suggestions apply to you.

“ ”No absolutes…“it depends”.Avoid tips, techniques, and tactics.Avoid tips, techniques, and tactics.


88


Why create a resume?99

Why create a resume?Resumes fit into your career yprocesses:

Preparing to make a career changePreparing to make a career changeApplying for a specific jobOngoing career management


Preparing to make a change1010

Preparing to make a changeDefine short- &

long-term career goals

Define targetBegin job Define target positions

Begin job search

Create resume for each targetfor each target

position© International Institute of Business Analysis

Applying for a specific job1111

Applying for a specific job

Find job posting in

Prepare and Interview Considerposting in

a target position

and submit resume

Interview for job

Consider offer


Define your target position(s)1212

Define your target position(s)Responsibilities

Eli it tiCompany

SiElicitationAnalysisPl i

SizeIndustryStPlanning

Requirements Management

Stage Software DevelopmentManagement

Process Development

Development Process

DevelopmentUATEtc

Think of a Target Position like a scoping document for your next Etc.


career move.

Types of Resumes1313

Types of ResumesBA/PM blend BA/PM at

XYZ Corp.Emphasizing proactive

Business Process focus

communication, roll out planning

BA/PM at focus ABC Corp.

Emphasizing scope control and expectation setting

Enterprise Implementations

T il d f

Candidate


A resume for each Target Position

Tailored for each Job

ApplicationYour main Resume

Consider your reader1414

Your resume reader may You can

Consider your readerYour resume reader may.. You can…

Receive 100s of resumes, most of which do not represent qualified candidates

Make your resume easy to read and support quick decisions in your favor

candidates

Have preconceived notions about what a resume should be

Conform to standard expectations regarding resumesg g

Not fully understand the job (under-qualified HR rep or recruiter)

Use keywords from the job posting to show your qualified


Prepare your resume1515

Prepare your resumeFocus on…

Professional experiences that qualify you for your target positionyou for your target positionAccomplishments and achievements

MinimizeMinimize…Irrelevant responsibilitiesMaking the reviewer “guess”


Parts of a Resume1616

Parts of a ResumeObjectiveObjective

Summaryy

Key Accomplishments / Skills

Career History

Professional Associations

Ed ti


Education

Summary1717

SummaryThink of this as your elevator

hspeech.2-3 sentence profile of your unique p y qqualifications and experience.Talk about YOU in terms of the valueTalk about YOU in terms of the value you bring to an employer.A id l i i h t tAvoid explaining what you want.


Sample Summaries1818

Sample SummariesBusiness analyst position in a growing company that

supports employee career growth work life balance andsupports employee career growth, work-life balance, and will provide CBAP support.

Business analyst position in a company that will benefit from my hands-on experience with 4 different accounting

systems and managing two accounting system migrations.

Experienced business analyst with a track record of helping stakeholdersExperienced business analyst with a track record of helping stakeholders conceptualize solutions and creating alignment about project outcomes. Deep

experience in content-rich web applications and blending the perspectives of the customer service, marketing, and operations teams while working around the

t i t d b l tconstraints posed by legacy systems.

High-energy business professional looking for a dynamic company to benefit from my extensive technical and client support experience,


preferably in business analysis, project coordination, or similar role.

Key accomplishments / skills1919

Key accomplishments / skillsWhat is it? When to use it?What is it?

Bullet point list of key skills, accomplishments, or

When to use it?Tie together a spotty or sporadic career.

qualifications.Accomplishments

Focus on specific job

List key technical skills required for a position.Call out relevant project work

qualifications.Focus on key accomplishments (not just job responsibilities)

p jthat might otherwise be buried.Especially valuable for those with long career histories or short career historiesresponsibilities)

SkillsCall out technical skills from a job description

career histories.

j pArticulate depth of experience


Sell your experiences2020

Sell your experiencesWhat you did AND what impact it had AND why it makes you special.

Responsibility Possible achievementsElicited requirements •Aligned X stakeholders across multiple functional

departmentsdepartments.•Conceptualized the integration of 3 legacy systems.

Defined data mapping specifications

•Defined and implemented data sharing protocols among 5 development teams creating operational efficienciesspecifications development teams, creating operational efficiencies.•Led integration efforts with key partners, enabling our content to be available on the leading job sites.

Managed project •Implemented new portfolio management practices g p jportfolio

p p g pincluding ROI analysis, enabling the executive team to make informed decisions about a $5M budget spend.

Managed product •Helped a RUP team transition to agile by defining backlog requirements in user stories, designing a useful product

backlog, and defining a strategy for system documentation.


Career Management Practices2121

Career Management PracticesRecord all the positive feedback you

ireceive.Emails to your manager.y gNice things said by colleagues.

Keep a professional project listKeep a professional project list.What you did.What impact you had.What you learned.y

Maintain samples of your work.© International Institute of Business Analysis

Career History2222

Career HistorySupport your qualifications and the t t ll istory you tell in your summary.

Focus on experiences related to your p ytarget position.Use keywords from the jobUse keywords from the job description.

“Don’t overpower the


main dish with spice.”

Choose your words carefully2323

Choose your words carefully…Keyword AlternateU F ti l d i tiUse cases Functional descriptions

Work-flowsSoftware requirements document Requirements

ScopeScopeFunctional specification

Elicit requirements Gathered requirements from stakeholderssta e o de sModel requirementsElicit business needs

Business Architecture Current capabilities assessmentReverse engineer requirementsAssessed operational capabilities

Business Case Enterprise AnalysisR t I t tReturn on InvestmentProject PortfolioBusiness Needs


Job titles2424

Job titlesThe situation

You did BA work but did not have the titlethe title.

Examples from my resume:

Enterprise Solutions DirectorPossible solutionsList role / title

Enterprise Solutions DirectorBusiness Architect

S stems Anal stList role / titleTweak your title

Systems Analyst Business Systems Analyst

Use your role as your title© International Institute of Business Analysis

Career Management Habits2525

Career Management Habits

Look at job postings weekly.What skills are required?What skills are required?What terms are used?

Review BA LinkedIn profiles.What’s the competition doing?What new positions are peopleWhat new positions are people starting?


Wrap-Up2626

Wrap-UpYour resume is a marketing toolg

Focus on how employers perceive you as a potential employeeyou as a potential employee.Highlight your experience and qualificationsqualifications.Stay up-to-date with trends in your y p ylocal area.


Thank You2727

Thank YouJake Calabrese, CBAP (Vimstreet)

Selling yourself as a BA (Denver chapter meeting)chapter meeting)

Steven Gara, CBAP (SGbizservices)

Interview on Resume WritingLori ListerLori Lister

Interview on resumes for transitional roles


2828

Laura Brandau (Brandenburg)www.theiiba.org | blog.theiiba.org | [email protected]

Laura Brandau (Brandenburg)[email protected]@ p g yhttp://www.bridging-the-gap.comhttp://www twitter com/ClearSpringBAhttp://www.twitter.com/ClearSpringBA


Next WebinarNext WebinarThe Strategic Business Analyst - Using Strategy to Guide Project Decisionsto Guide Project Decisions

When: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. EDT (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)Wh K t J M D ld P MWho: Kent J McDonald, Program Manager

Discussion points:Learn how to make an organization's strategy accessible to projectLearn how to make an organization s strategy accessible to project teams.Learn how to use this accessible strategy to guide project decisions.Learn how to assess requirements based on their contribution to aLearn how to assess requirements based on their contribution to a project’s delivered value.

Register now at www.theiiba.orgg g

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18 Sep - Creating a Top-notch Business Analyst Resume