There is definitely some benefit in getting a certification … because if you work in a very competitive field and you already have handson experience, getting a certification may help you distinguish yourself from your colleagues who also have a similar certification …

However if your primary goals is to become a business analyst then you should first itemize the roles and responsibilities of business analysts and then go ahead to learn those first before learning SAP FI/CO otherwise, if getting a SAP Finance / Controlling Job is primary and becoming a Business Analyst is secondary then you may go ahead with your certifications.

Thanks and Best Wishes

Even though you will pass the examinations, you will find it hard to do anything practical with that type of learning if you only focus on passing examinations.

I recommend that you start building interesting personal java applications as you learn Java.

Start small and then graduate to building bigger java applications.

If you can’t think of any java application that you will like to build, find an open-source java project and volunteer your time …

When you do any of this, Java or any programming language for that matter will begin to make sense.

I find this website and your advice very helpful. Its a great place for anyone who is looking to jump into the BA field.

My question to you is similar to one of the posts you answered about a Banker moving onto the aviation industry. Even though my situation is a bit similar, I’ll add a few things. I am a recent graduate with a BBA (Management) degree. I’ve worked for a bank for the last 2+ years to pay for my education.

Now, to get to the point, I have reached a plateau at my job as it doesn’t have ANY potential for growth. I had planned my degree in a way that would help me get into business analysis. However, that hasn’t happened yet. I’ve been applying for jobs since March 2010 with no luck whatsoever. I also read your article about making a good BA resume and cover letter, and I have gathered some good tips from it.

My current job has nothing to do with BA and I would consider myself as a novice in the business analysis field. My question to you is, how helpful would it be if I were to do a certification in SAP Finance/Controlling for getting in to business analysis? Is there any benefit in getting the certification before I actually get into a position that uses SAP FI/CO or should I wait till I am in a position where it is actually required to get the certification?

I look forward to your advice on this. Your help is highly appreciated. Thanks.

Congratulations, I just answered your question in this post titled; 8 Tips for Business Analysts: How to Stand Out in a Crowded Job Market

Regards

I recently graduated from university with a BSc degree in Computer Science. I am now doing a Business Analyst Internship at an IT company in RSA. My contract with the company is expiring in the next four months.

My greatest concern now is how do I go about finding the perfect position that meets my qualifications,skills and experience. The other challenge is that hiring managers or companies themselves are looking for people who are highly experienced and I only have one year experience.

As I was reading some of the articles published here, I learned that you say people should not aim at getting Junior Business Analyst positions as employers are not really looking for Junior Business Analysts.

Now my questions are with the little experience that I have and still need more exposure in this field(IT Business Analysis) what kind of positions should I apply for? and which steps must I take in order to become the best business analyst and for me to be considered for Business Analyst positions?

Thank you for your time. Looking forward to your response

Regards

Please be sure to Tell your Friends about the post.

Thanks

First off, thanks for writing these articles. I’ve found them quite informative and insightful to a career in which I am very interested, but don’t know enough about.

I’ve searched through your articles, but did not find one related to my situation, so I’m hoping you can provide some guidance/suggestions.

I completed a bachelors degree in Computer Science (with a minor in Business Administration) and am now finishing up my masters in CS. I also have about two years of experience (through co-op and other work).

Although I completed a minor in Business Admin, I don’t have any real experience in business and am wondering what the best way is to present myself as someone who is ideal for a BA position.

Any advice regarding my resume, cover letter, recruiters, and other job search strategies would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I live in Toronto, in case that changes things at all (although I doubt it would).

Thanks in advance,

Anthony

I am sending this message with regard to my career.

I currently work as an IT-Intern on a project involving ODBC and Web-Application Development.

Since there is a rumor that the government may lay off 1000s people this upcoming year, I would like to know what would be the best option for me currently.

I will be attending an advance institution while working on the technical project as an IT-Intern.

My main goals are to further education and work at a technical venue to gain valuable experience.

What option must I decide as an IT-Intern. Please provide some input.

J.C

I will send your bonus gift in a separate e-mail

Please be sure to send this post to your friends using the Tell a Friend Button.

Thanks

Having come to be known about you as a pioneer IT Coach, I need some information from you if you can help me.

At present, I am reading a book Microsoft Office 2003 bible which includes all the basic and in depth functionalities of excel, word, powepoint, access, outlook, frontpage, etc.

It’s a huge book with 1200 pages. I’d like to know how I can memorize this book quickly and efficiently.

There are other books on programming to be memorized. in this age of information overload, everyday we are presented with lots of paperwork, reports and books to remember.

As an IT coach, could you please show me the techniques to remember this amount of information so as to get the job done on time and move along with the rapidly changing technologies.

Fahim, Dubai, U.A.E.

Thanks for posting those great articles regarding careers and job hunting.

I am an international recent graduate here. Obviously, this market is even tougher for us than for others.

In spite of all those resume related questions, two major challenges for me are:

1. Status. Requiring on H1 Visa sponsorship scares a lot great opportunities away.

2. Lack of experience. Because we’re all fresh. How can we make our resumes look appealing to hiring managers if we don’t industry experience?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Yue

I answered your question in this post titled: How Do I Transition Microsoft Access or Excel Data Analyst Skills?

Please use the “tell a friend” button to send this post to your friends.

Thank you

My toughest challenge I face today with my career is I am itching for a move within the company I work for. However, don’t know which direction to go and what course to take that will help to enhance my skill knowledge.

Currently, part of my roles and responsibilities include weekly data pulling (raw) and manipulating the data to build personalized reports for upper management.

I use Access (where i pull the data from), and Excel (where I transfer the data to and use multiple worksheets to compile the required reports needed for management).

Now my interest is becoming a Data Analysts, but I do not know what applications I need to focus my attention on, and possibly register for the courses (in class) to either know or advance my current knowledge and skills by December 31, 2009.

Your response is greatly appreciated!

That’s a great question … and I will be glad to answer it for you.

A Novice Programmer should focus on one programming platform at a time.

Examples of programming platforms:

1. ASP.NET, C#, VB.NET, .NET FRAMEWORK, SQL SERVER

2. PHP, MYSQL

3. HTML, XHTML, CSS

4. JAVA

It’s better to finish learning all the technologies in one platform before jumping to another because when employer’s or clients hire you, they will usually hire you for one platform skill set.

These skills work together in groups so, learning a bit of PHP and a bit of Java … doesn’t help that much.

Did I answer your question?

thank you

I wanted to ask if it was wise for a novice programmer to learn 2 different platforms eg. web programming (with php mysql) and desktop (with java)… instead of mastering one and graduating to the other because in a way they’re different

thank your

Please send the article to your friends using the “Tell a Friend” Button / Link.

Thanks

Am feeling like am am not thinking smart enough the way i used to. My interest now is in moving towards the business side of IT /management … leaving the technical world.

What procuder should i follow to move up

I answered you questions, click here to view it

Please don’t forget to recommend this article or any other that you like to your friends using the “Tell A Friend button”.

Read your answer here: How To Become A Freelance Programmer