Hi Kingsley,

What I liked about the article was that it is very well written and easy to follow.

The article gave me the precise information I am looking for to allow me to size up what to expect and what I need to do to make the transition into this speciality.

The article gave me hope that it is possible for me to pursue something I am passion about…that being solving business problems through information technology.

This is something I’ve studied all my career although recently.

I feel I’ve been pushed out of the field, yet this information will equip me to come back armed with new skills on top of a very strong back ground in information systems.

Finally, the flow of the article defined the two types of skills necessary; domain experience and knowledge of certain technical skills.

The article put an emphisis on domain skills which I have lots of…this was encouraging.

The sample resume with a followon commentary was also execellent preparation for going to market.

I am looking forward to the next article.

thanks kindly!

I just answered your question on how to start a CRM business analyst career here:
http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/09/29/how-to-become-a-crm-business-analyst-consultant/

I also sent you an e-mail with an e-book on how to plan your career transition.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

For example, if you have worked a lot with CRM solutions, you should be able to guide requirements of CRM function for any industry, and see through fulfilment of those requirements using custom development or standard CRM packages (Dynamics CRM, SugarCRM). You need to know business processes very well so that you don’t just capture requirements but also advise clients on process optimization. It is always an added advantage to know at least one standard package very well.

There is also a possibility for people having strong skills in particular business solutions like CRM, ERP, BI to develop themselves as Solutions BAs not focusing on any domain in particular. After Domain BAs, I observe there is lot of opportunities for Solutions BAs as well. IT BAs really need to work hard to catch up and create

As a presales guy I have been a generalist and as a business analyst I want to still remain generalist! It exposes you to so many aspects of business, it always feels new But I do agree industry values domain BAs much more than IT BAs as they do not find value in generalism. My answer is as a IT Business Analyst, one needs to be a “versatilist”, not a “generalist”. Which means, you should have demonstrated expertise in areas more than one – for example I can say I have a solid technical background and estimation experience over and above my ability to grasp and document business requirements.

Mature industries like healthcare, finance etc have many experts with domain knowledge and many solutions offered by leading industry leaders. Emerging industries or the ones that are not big like healthcare or finance suffer as they do not get due attention from a business analysis point of view. It is time software companies catering to such smaller and emerging industries grow up the the idea of business analysis and versatile IT Business Analysts is what they should look out for!

Question: I am currently working with six sigma training outfit. They are using SalesForce.com as their CRM

I’m a computer science engineer with MBA(marketing).

I am taking care of CRM implementation and marketing using CRM.

Can you please tell me the career opportunities that i can look forward to?

Also, what is the typical career progession for a CRM manager

Thanks in advance.

Answer: First, you need to look at where the entire industry is going.

Your CRM skills will be in demand because in the Information Technology Industry, as a CRM Consultant (if you have sufficient experience) and as a CRM Business Analyst and as a CRM Manager.

These are broad careers that you can transition into without much trouble because they draw upon your basic understanding of CRM Processes.

If you have vendor specific training like in Salesforce.com, you will also be sought after in the SalesForce CRM Market.

Finally, within your current company, opportunities will be dictated by how well your company adopts CRM and how well you are able to use it to boost your company’s Sales and Marketing activities!

Sometimes choosing only one option is not the best answer except when one alternative is much better than the other.

An MBA in marketing can offer you more flexibility as you can work in more industries.

However an MBA in marketing may not give you the pay or instant hiring benefits that a CRM Business Analyst Training would.

In the end, you have to decide which option is better or perhaps go for both if you can afford it or you have the money.

Thanks and Regards,
Srikanth P

I also got your e-mail asking for help on:

1. Technical/Data/Business Analyst

2. Business Analyst-Presale & Lead Generation

3. Business Analyst (SQL Server)

It is a really good question that you’re asking and the format of your questions shows that you’ve given serious analytical thought to the challenge facing you.

So, I will answer it for you.

Thanks for your interest in the BA CRM Job Market.

Before I write on how to break into the Business Analyst (BA) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Job Market … can you tell me why you are interested in this domain or what you’ve found out about it that makes you want to pursue a career in it?

Thanks

Regards,
Srikanth

Thanks