ITCareerCoach Training - Coaching » career success tips http://www.it-career-coach.net How To Take Your Career To The Next Level Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:09:27 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Which Software Development Life Cycle Is Best? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/09/23/which-software-development-life-cycle-is-best/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/09/23/which-software-development-life-cycle-is-best/#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:58:46 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3284

Your Guide To Software Development Methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, SDLC, Extreme ...)

Your Guide To Software Development Methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, SDLC, Extreme ...)

Models like Agile, Extreme Programming, Scrum or Waterfall are used by project managers, business analysts, software developers or quality assurance analysts to describe how a project is managed or a software product is built.

The software development life cycle determines how risks are managed, business requirements documented, resources estimated and allocated, stakeholder expectations or customer feedback is managed and when software / quality assurance testing is performed.

Each software development model recommends a set of guidelines or best practices for developing software.

It is then up to an adopting organization to follow these guidelines from the inception of their project.

Choosing the right Software Development Life Cycle is important because it helps your project team reduce or eliminate the risks of project failure which occur as frequently as 60% of the time.

Software Development Life Cycles are also important because they help deliver a better product or user experience.

In a nutshell, software development practices like Agile, Extreme Programming, Waterfall, Lean Software Development, Rational Unified Process (RUP), Scrum will help your project team meet or exceed customer or business requirements, deliver products on time or under budget.

Meeting Business Requirements

Software Development Life Cycles help with clarifying when or how software requirements will be gathered and analyzed in a software development project.

In software methodologies like the Waterfall model, business requirements are collected, analyzed or documented extensively at the beginning of the project.

In other software models like Agile or Scrum, requirements are gathered or analyzed multiple times during the life cycle of the project.

While opinions differ as to which software model helps you gather better software requirements, each model still offers the benefit of a formal plan for gathering, analyzing or documenting business requirements.

Engaging the Best Minds or Resources

Some Software Development Life Cycles like the Waterfall model are more traditional with their “top down” team structure or project management approach.

Other software models like the Agile or Scrum models are flatter in their team structure or more self organizing and independent.

The benefit of following a software development model is that it helps with organizing or structuring the project team’s roles, responsibilities or communication style.

Reducing or Eliminating Time or Budget Overruns

Statistics show that as much as 60% of Information Technology (IT) projects fail for various reasons including time or budget overruns.

This is where choosing the right software model can be helpful.

Each software development life cycle offers a set of best practices for estimating project resources, planning project deliverables or product features and monitoring timelines or milestones.

While some software models like the Waterfall emphasize time, budget or resource estimation at the beginning of the project, others like Agile or Scrum emphasize time, cost or resource estimation & planning throughout the life cycle of the project.

Managing the Software Development Process

Each Software Development model divides separates the development process into a set of activities which makes the project more manageable.

While some Software models are sequential, others are iterative.

Software development models separate your development cycle into phases which helps with project planning, resource utilization and progress monitoring or control.

Creating Better Software Products

Software development life cycles can help with meeting or exceeding customer expectations as well as creating better software products.

Your software development model will provided guidelines for creating test cases or mapping test cases to requirements or product features.

Software models provides guidance for quality assurance analysts or software testers, on when to execute tests, record bugs or defects and measure or report on the quality of the software product.

How To Adopt A New Software Development Life Cycle

An organization may be incapable of taking advantage of a software development model in-spite of the merits of the model.

Here is my advice on adopting a new software development model

  1. Evaluate your Company Culture: consider the flexibility or willingness of your company to change or adapt.

    I have seen organizations with a top-down management culture fail at agile models because they were not ready to give up some control to an agile, self-organizing team.

  2. Take Small Steps: don’t try to change too much, too soon, when adopting a new software development model.

    Over-committing at the early stages of your project raises a red flag because it means that your project team is being expected to run before it has learnt how to walk!

  3. Get Executive / Organizational Commitment: get someone with senior management or executive authority to back the adoption of the model or it may not survive corporate politics.

Sometime ago, I functioned as the Information Technology Director of a re-manufacturing plant in the Ozarks.

One of the goals I set for my team and employer was to get them to adopt a formal software development model.

Before I started running with the implementation of that model, I spent time coaching the CEO, the quality assurance and product development directors, and other senior managers on the benefits as well as potential challenges of the new software development model.

Because I had strong organizational commitment and backing, the software model was finally adopted without any incidents.

Which Software Development Life Cycle Is Best for Your Project?

With all that has been said in mind, i have prepared a downloadable study guide that will help you with choosing a software development model for your project!

The study guide which you can download below covers answers questions like:

  1. What is Agile, Scrum, Waterfall?, Lean Software Development, Extreme Programming …
  2. What are the advantages, disadvantages, challenges or benefits of adopting a software development model …
  3. How does Agile compare to Waterfall … And More ….

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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/09/23/which-software-development-life-cycle-is-best/feed/ 1 Can Certifications Take the Place of Experience? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/17/can-certifications-take-the-place-of-experience/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/17/can-certifications-take-the-place-of-experience/#comments Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:10:29 +0000 Russ Woodward http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3265

Certifications Or Experience Which Is Better?

Certifications Or Experience Which Is Better?

I have been in business development / sales side of the Financial Services Industry for the past 15 years.

I have worked as a VP for several Fortune 500 companies.

Due to the market downturn and layoffs, I find myself looking to other industries for stability.

I want to get into Software / Network Sales and wanted to know what is the best way for me to break into the Information Technology industry

Should I get A+ certified, get a masters in I.T.?

Since I don’t have years of experience selling I.T., what are hiring managers looking for?

Can a certificate take the place of experience?

Thank you

Russ

Can a Certificate Take the Place of Experience?

  1. What does a certificate prove to hiring managers?

    Just like a college degree, certifications also prove that you are knowledgeable on a subject.

    Just like self study or taking a training class, a certificate also proves that you have taken the time to study, learn or master a subject.

    A certificate proves that you have mastered the information or knowledge you need for a job.

    And a certificate proves that you will not be studying textbooks on the job or asking questions about how to do your job.

    However, Information Technology managers are not really looking for your knowledge but for the ability or skills to perform … and having knowledge is not the same as having the skills or ability to perform.

  2. What Is The Best Predictor Of Performance?

    In the Information Technology (IT) Industry, you are hired for your ability to perform or get the job done.

    And as far as hiring managers are concerned, “your past performance is the best predictor of your future performance“.

    So, when it comes to finding a job in the Information Technology (IT) Industry, your experience will always count more than your certifications because it is a better predictor of your performance.

  3. What Is The Value of a Certificate?

    A certificate measures your ability to retain or recall information and it is important from the perspective that it assures hiring managers that you have really studied the material you need for your job.

    But what a certificate does not measure is your real-world ability to get the job done or perform.

    When it comes to the Information Technology (IT) Industry, hiring managers take your past performance as the absolute best measure of your future performance … hence the principle behind hiring is: “Can you perform, prove it“.

    If you want to get hired for a job … any job, don’t focus on certifications because that is a distraction, instead focus on proving your ability to perform on the job.

    4. How To Prove That You Can Perform

    The real question that you should be answering is” “How do you prove to hiring managers that you will perform if you are hired“. Here is the answer to the real question:

  4. Make Your Past Experience Count

    The real reason why you have been successful in business development or sales is your ability to perform on the job by bringing in sales.

    And what information technology hiring managers want from you is that same ability to bring in sales.

    Don’t cloud issues for yourself by focusing on your certifications.

    The ability to bring in sales does not depend on your certifications or education but on your past successes as a sales / development Vice President.

    What you have to do is simple: document your past sales & business development successes clearly on your resume and work on identifying those sales, marketing & business development strengths, experience and skills which will help you perform in any job, even when you change industry.

  5. Rewrite Your Resume – Prove That You A Top Performer

    Your resume is one of the most important documents along the path of changing careers.

    Hire a professional resume writer to clearly identify and document tangible sales results that you’ve achieved in your past jobs.

    Document things like the size of business you brought in or how many millions of dollars in revenue, sales or profit are attributable to your efforts.

    Document things like the sales training you attended, the sales quota you achieved or exceeded, the conferences you attended, the c-level businesses executives you networked with, the size of the budget you managed, the divisional or corporate sales goals or objectives that you achieved and how they mattered to your company’s bottom line.

    At the end of the day, your resume must highlight you as a superstar, top-performer and show clearly how hiring you made a difference to the profit, sales, revenue, strategic and tactical goals of the companies that you worked for as a Vice President of Sales & Business Development.

    Just remember this, you success in getting hired will depend on how well you can prove that you are a top performer and not on anything else.

  6. Ace your Job Interview – Prove That You Are A Top Performer

    The goal of your resume is to get you into as many job interviews as possible. But your resume alone will not get you a job, you must wow your clients at the job interview to get a job!

    And yes, the job interview is really a presentation. So prepare and rehearse your presentation and what you will say or you will not succeed.

    You may want to take some time to read more advice on “How To Slam Dunk Job Interviews” – http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=841

    Finally, you must be confident in your abilities and convey that self-confidence at your job interview.

    Remember this, the Information Technology Industry is a performance driven industry and no-one would hire you, if you first don’t believe in your own abilities.

    So, take the time to discover your own strengths, talents, abilities and then learn how to believe in yourself so that you will be able to convince others at your job interviewer, that you are a top performer!

Follow the strategy that I outlined in this post to change careers and get an information technology job.

Remember that Certifications are helpful because it helps you learn or master a topic.

But focusing on a certificate as a way of getting a job is not a high value strategy because that is not what hiring managers are really looking for.

Hiring managers are hiring for your ability to perform or get the job done!

You gain that ability to perform through rigorous real world problem solving or on the job experience.

You can prove your ability by highlighting your past successes which are the best predictors of your future performance or creating situations where you can grow and develop your experience through practical challenges.

[Ask IT Career Coach] is a Career Advice Column for Information Technology (IT) professionals looking for answers to their most challenging career situations …

Submit questions about your career using the [Ask IT Career Coach] service and I will answer it for you just like I am answering the question in this post …


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This post was submitted by Russ Woodward.

]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/17/can-certifications-take-the-place-of-experience/feed/ 1 Oracle Or Microsoft Access, Which Is Better? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/17/oracle-or-ms-access-which-is-better/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/17/oracle-or-ms-access-which-is-better/#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:14:10 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3105

Oracle Or Microsoft Access, Which Is Better For Me?

Oracle Or Microsoft Access, Which Is Better For Me?

Are you matching your strengths to your opportunities or are you just being ideological … interested only in following your own ideas even when they won’t get you any results?

Here is a situation that illustrates the challenges of being ideological versus being results oriented. It is a situation that illustrates the challenges of learning an enterprise software like Oracle compared to a poor man’s database like Microsoft Access.

Are you wondering about who this situation involves? You are safe my friend because today, I will mainly be talking about me :-)

When I started out in the industry, my first priority was to get my foot into the door.

My goals were:

  1. To transition my career without incurring a lot of additional debt
  2. To learn a marketable skill so that I could get a job quickly
  3. To get myself into a position where I would be in high-demand by delivering excellent results

There were a number of career paths that looked promising and I looked into them all. Here a few of them:

Business Analysis

The business analyst career path was mostly available to systems analysts or management consultants people or poorly defined.

By poorly defined, i mean that it depended on the whims of hiring managers (it was subjective and depended on the employers needs or definitions) and so, there was no very clear or direct path to becoming a business analyst (this was in the ‘90s).

Network Administration

I had worked in network administration in an internship job right after college. My duties entailed helping support a Lotus CC:Mail/ Novell Netware Network

Based on my own first-hand experience, I ruled out computer networking primarily because I realized that I was not passionate about that industry.

Systems Programming

While in college, I had tried to learn C/C++ and I also decided that it wasn’t my thing because it took a long time to develop a fully functional software using C/C++

Based on experience, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to master C/C+ in a few months or get a job easily.

My finding was that it would take a number of years to become really expert or highly skilled at C/C++.

I was also certain, that even when I became highly skilled, I still won’t be able to deliver stellar results based on C/C++.

In case you’re interested, read my thoughts on choosing C/C++ as a programming language here…

Enterprise Database Software

I investigated getting an entry level job in SAP / Oracle / IBM or some other enterprise software since that is where it seemed that the big bucks where being made. In the 90’s, the major database players included IBM, Oracle, Microsoft.

Oracle was very popular in the enterprise database computing circle. However, learning Oracle was no small feat.

I mean that installing Oracle on your own local computer for learning purposes was not an easy proposition even for experienced oracle professionals because companies hired senior / experienced Oracle consultants just to install and setup Oracle correctly on their servers.

In addition to that, Oracle was targeted at the enterprise buyer which meant that purchasing a full-featured Oracle license for an individual like me without corporate sponsorship … was simply beyond my budget!

In addition, even if I raised the money to buy an Oracle License, I would have to spend additional weeks installing Oracle correctly by myself or else hire an Oracle database consultant to install it (Oracle database consultants billed anywhere from $60/hr. to $120/hr.)

And assuming that I overcame the hurdle of buying an Oracle license and then installing Oracle, I would still have to figure out one more thing about Oracle … how to learn Oracle!

You see, Oracle was one of those complex enterprise software application that had a really high learning curve.

The chances that I was going to learn or master Oracle in time enough to get a job was very low because professionals who had been working with Oracle for years where still struggling to understand it … it was that complex!

So, tell me, what will you have done if you were in my shoes?

Did I fixate on learning Oracle … even though I knew professionals that worked with Oracle for years were still struggling to get to a comfort level with it?

Absolutely not! One of the Oracle professionals that I was personally acquainted with had started working with or learning Oracle while we were still in college.

By the time I was evaluating learning Oracle, this professional (a lady based in the United Kingdom) was just getting comfortable with Oracle … and that is after working with it for 8 to 10 years!

So, I decided that the Oracle database and many of the other popular enterprise software applications available at that time had too high a learning curve!

Yes, I know that everyone’s situation is different and yes I understand that “what is good for the goose is not always good for the gander“.

But my situation was that I was married and I had to pay my bills.

Even though my wife was willing to support me, I wasn’t okay with asking her to take care of all the bills while I went on a multi-year learning trip.

Not only that,I had been out of college for a few years and didn’t want to risk taking another 8 to 10 years to learn a new career!

And I definitely didn’t want to start a career that would require such an expensive re-training that I would have to go deeply in debt!

Put yourself in my shoes and tell me what you would have done if faced with my situation keeping in my objectives which were:

  • To learn a marketable skill in a short time: I had to learn a marketable skill so that I could easily get a job and get out of unemployment.

  • To be prudent or save money: I had to pay my bills and account for all sorts of living expenses, while paying for my own re-training.

  • To get into a line of work where I could easily become competent: I needed to learn a skill that I would become an expert at in a reasonable short time.

What will you have done in my shoes … because I choose Microsoft Access!

In those days, a lot of professionals looked down on Microsoft Access as a sort of poor man’s relational database even though Microsoft Access had a lot going for it at that point in time.

Low Cost of Learning

Microsoft Access was available as part of the Microsoft Office family of products.

The cost of a Microsoft Office / Access license was as low as $300. And I budgeted an additional $100 for buying Microsoft Access textbooks from the local seller … Barnes & Noble. I would never forget the price that I paid for my very first Microsoft Access Book … just $49.50.

So, for less than $500, I was guaranteed that I would learn or master Microsoft Access … which was great news for me as an unemployed newbie IT professional!

Low Learning Curve

It took me between 30 and 60 days to study or master Microsoft Access from textbooks. After which I spent my remaining time, taking Microsoft Access practice tests and building relational databases.

In my first job interview test administered by a local staffing agency in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I scored above 90% and got hired into the systems / data analysis department of a local e-commerce firm with a starting salary of $15/hr.

Accelerated Time To Market

By my third month of working with Microsoft Access, I had completed a project that was estimated to last about 6 weeks in 2 weeks.

Because I could achieve those sorts of results, the IT Manager called a recruiting firm without my knowledge or permission and advised them to find more challenging work for me … which they did!

By my third month, I was billing $76,000/yr. and my billing rate continued to increase with time!

Dear Friend,

What I have learnt is that the only thing that stops us from achieving the results we want is our limiting belief systems or self-imposed mental boundaries.

So, what works and what doesn’t?

  1. Don’t hang your career on getting a recognized certificate or diploma

    That is so old school! The only thing that matters is your ability to perform on the job … and no accredited degree or diploma or program can confer that to you.

    In other words, you either learn or know how to get the job done or you don’t.

  2. Don’t get stuck learning any vendor’s software

    Because I got my foot in through the door, I have since had the chance to learn or work with Oracle and IBM enterprise databases at the employer’s expense!

    Learning Microsoft Access first actually made it easier for me to learn or work with SQL Server, Oracle and IBM databases later on.

    Remember that you are the one that makes the job work and not the software, vendor or qualification.

    I have seen professionals who want to become business analysts get stuck on learning an enterprise requirement management software like IBM Rational RequisitePro.

    These good folks forget that many employers can’t afford the licensing costs of the same software that they are hung up on and they also forget that requirements management is first and foremost a set of principles or techniques and not a software!.

    If you learn requirements management techniques you can for example document requirements using Microsoft Office or your employer can purchase any of the myriads of requirements management software in the market.

    So why are you so hung up on learning IBM Rational RequisitePro as if that makes you a business analyst?

  3. Learn a marketable skill

    One of the biggest challenges facing professionals is the right choice of a career. I know that because I get asked that question every day

    I’ve seen professionals get stuck with programming skills that are not marketable like mainframe programming or C/C++.

    In one instance, a C/C++ programmer with a computer science college degree after being unemployable for 3 years got the very first job he interviewed for … after I coached him on C#, ASP.NET and .NET Framework.

    His mistake that of failing to learn a marketable skill. The good news is that it only cost him a few months to rectify that mistake. And, once he fixed that, his career was back online again!

Here is my last advise to you on this point, make sure that you are pragmatic and not ideological about your career choices.

If it is looking like you are getting stuck on the path you are on, carefully evaluate all the other alternatives available to you.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/17/oracle-or-ms-access-which-is-better/feed/ 6 A Day In The Life Of A Data Analyst http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/12/14/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-data-analyst/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/12/14/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-data-analyst/#comments Tue, 14 Dec 2010 21:30:05 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3035

Data Analysis: Profiting From Numbers

Data Analysis: Profiting From Numbers

Data Analysts have the opportunity to work in several different domains or sectors, for example as banking data analysts, retail data analysts, telecommunications data analysts and as marketing data analysts.

The marketing data analyst role is one of the more common ones and a marketing analyst may be found analyzing databases of prospects, leads and customers for the marketing department.

In this post, we will take a peak into the day of a marketing data analyst…

First – Collect and Store Data

Your first challenge may be to collect and store your data so that you can analyze it. However, if you are lucky, your Information Technology (IT) Department will collect the data for you in a database.

If that is not the case, you may be able to get them to build you a data entry form otherwise, you will have to enter the data yourself or perhaps build a desktop client for collecting data using Microsoft Access or a web-based database data-entry form using a software development environment like ASP.NET and SQL Server

Second – Analyze Data

Perhaps your marketing department just finished a campaign where they advertised on three different channels (Billboards, Direct Mail, Radio and Internet Blogs). You may be tasked with finding out how each of your segments responded.

To accomplish this, you may use a relational database like SQL Server or a spreadsheet like Excel to find the top performing marketing groups, for example, your best customers may have been referred from blogs that are based in Western Europe.

Third – Report Data

You typically have to present your findings to your manager or marketing department in a form that they can digest easily.

This will usually be in the form of a report but bear in mind that your reports must be customized for the target audience and that there is no one-size fits all solution.

For example, your marketing department may prefer tracking statistics in the form of ratios or as pie charts / bar charts or they may prefer that you compare one group to another or one time period to another.

Regardless of their preferences, go over your results and make sure that they are accurate. Ensure that you understand what is causing the results or trends and make sure that your recommendations are as actionable as possible.

Last – Execute or Take Action

Finally, you may summarize your analysis and make clear recommendations or calls for action. Granted that not all your findings are actionable but after a while, if no-one is taking action then something may be wrong.

Either your organization is paying for insight which they are unwilling or incapable of executing or no-one believes you or your calls for action are not clear enough.

However, if you are detail oriented, you like to working with numbers and you have logical /critical thinking skills required, it may not be long before you have the ears of management and a good ride to the top!


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/12/14/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-data-analyst/feed/ 1 How to Start Business Analysis After a Career in Computer Programming http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/08/17/how-to-start-business-analysis-after-a-career-in-computer-programming/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/08/17/how-to-start-business-analysis-after-a-career-in-computer-programming/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:30:35 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2975

How To Start A Business Analyst Career

How To Start A Business Analyst Career

Identifying your transferable skills is the first step towards successfully transitioning, changing or starting a new business analysis career.

Though this article is written for those starting a business analysis career after having worked as a computer programmer, the principles presented here are helpful to anyone interested in starting any new career.

The first step in starting a new career is building self-confidence by recognizing that the career you are transitioning to has some relationship or similarity to the jobs you have performed in the past.

It is important to take this first step of identifying your transferable skills because it instills self-confidence, reduces anxiety and helps you bridge the gap to a new career.

We like what we are familiar with and we feel more tense, anxious or uncertain about unfamiliar or new environments because we are not sure that we can cope or succeed in them.

So, taking this first step of identifying your transferable skills will do wonders for your self-confidence and career success.

Identify Your Transferable Skills

Did you realize that the skills you develop as a computer programmer go beyond purely coding skills?

As a computer programmer, you perform a number of tasks or roles at different points in your career which will assist you in starting a new business analysis career.

Start by making an inventory of your current skills and then identify those that will assist you in bridging the gap between your computer programming and business analyst career.

Some of these transferable skills may include:

  • Networking
  • Requirements gathering
  • Requirements documentation
  • Technical writing
  • Oral and written communication
  • Leadership
  • Critical thinking and analytical skills

Here are additional pointers to the role of transferable skills in starting a new business analysis career.

Transition your Leadership Skills

The typical software developer is a heads-down coder who focuses on specific tasks and does not think in terms of the big picture or pay attention to it (not a big picture thinker).

However, if you have been a technical or team lead, then you are comfortable with thinking and working on the big picture and at the same time, managing all the smaller details that accompany developing software such as:

  1. Estimating, planning or assigning tasks with project managers
  2. Gathering or validating requirements for the developers with business analysts
  3. Planning iterations, releases or builds with release managers
  4. Hiring new team members with IT Management
  5. Validating high-level business cases, user stories, vision and scope documents with the business team (directors, senior management, power users, customers and business analysts).

In this leadership and big-picture role, you would have learned how to delegate tasks, solve human problems as opposed to purely coding issues and worked with all sorts of professionals: customers, IT / project managers, business team etc.

This ability to work with, relate or communicate with different types of corporate users is a skill that you will transfer to your new business analysis career.

Transition your Technical Writing Skills

Technical writing is a skill that is frequently practiced or exercised by senior software developers and technical or team leads.

This is because from time to time you are asked to write software manuals, create help files or document the internal workings of software systems with Use Cases or UML.

Even in companies where there is a full-time technical writer, you may be asked to assist with documenting the procedures, business processes, architecture or business requirements because the technical writers cannot keep up with the volume of work!

So, you have probably practiced or exercised written communication skills which are transferable to your new career in business analysis!

Transition your Software Requirements Gathering Skills

Many developers have had to gather, analyze, validate and document software requirements at some time in their careers because their team lacked enough dedicated business analysis resources.

In this role, you would have had to identify the critical stakeholders or customers, elicit and analyze their requirements, document and validate the requirements with your software development or management team.

In this role you would also have practiced critical thinking and analytical skills, developed or managed professional relationships and exercised vital oral communication and networking skills.

Here is the main takeaway from this post for you

  1. Take an inventory of your skills
  2. Identify your transferable skills
  3. Bridge the gap to your business analyst career using your transferable skills

This post discusses how to start a new business analyst career. Follow the steps outline in this post to instill self-confidence in your abilities or bridge the gap between your current occupation and your desired career in business analysis.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/08/17/how-to-start-business-analysis-after-a-career-in-computer-programming/feed/ 12 Career Tip for Senior Business Analysts: Become The Lead Business Analyst! http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/06/10/career-tip-for-senior-business-analysts-become-the-lead-business-analyst/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/06/10/career-tip-for-senior-business-analysts-become-the-lead-business-analyst/#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:49:48 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2929

Career Tip For Senior BAs: Become The Lead BA

Career Tip For Senior BAs: Become The Lead BA

This post answers questions received from senior business analysts asking about how to carve out an upwardly mobile career path in their company or organization.

The answers in this post are presented as tips, solutions or ideas for business analysts looking towards a better career path.

If you have a question about your business analyst career, be sure to post it as a comment on this post and I will be glad to answer it for you.

Here are the tips for business analysts looking for a better career path:

Should Business Analysts Test Software Applications?

In my department, analysts are mainly used for testing applications.

I know that there is more to this than testing applications.

What skills sets would you suggest I gain in order to become a top notch analyst?"

Should Business Analysts Test Software Applications?

    • While business analyst are not full-fledged software testers, some organizations do require business analysts to test their software applications, oversee the testing process or collaborate closely with the QA / Software Testing Team.
    • When business analysts test software applications, they usually perform a form of testing known as Usability Testing, Functional or Acceptance Testing.
    • Business Analysts are sometimes asked to test software applications because they are the custodians of the customer, project or software requirements and so as such, need to confirm that the product or solution meets documented requirements.
    • However business analysts are sometimes asked to test solutions (and not just software components) because their company is short on QA staff and are merging both the QA / Software Testers duties into that of the business analysts!
    • Note: there is a lot more to the art of software testing than usability, functional or acceptance testing. These other other forms of testing may require scripting or automated tools and are not usually required of business analysts.

What Is The Future For Senior Business Analysts?

The toughest challenge facing me is the transition from Senior Business Analyst to Lead Analyst.

The Future / Career Path for Senior Business Analysts:

There is a real career path for senior business analysts. This career path comes with new titles, additional duties / roles or recognition (formal / informal) depending on the organization.

To start with, there is no common way of showing the seniority or lead position of a lead business analyst

In some organizations, the lead business analyst is the most senior or experienced person on the team and not necessarily the most educated.

The position of the lead business analyst is sometimes given informally when a manager refers other business analysts to the lead and / or identifies the BA as such.

  1. If you are intent on being the lead business analyst, strive to distinguish yourself over a period of time by the quality of your work, the depth of your knowledge and expertise and your commitment to delivering excellent business results.
  2. Study the lead business analyst and start learning whatever it is they bring to the table that you presently don’t.
  3. In many organizations, the title of lead business analyst is earned over time because the lead business analyst has to have a strong understanding the business / organization. My advice is this: Be patient and hunker down for the long haul.

Remember the Kaizen principle, which is used to achieve an outstanding result by delivering smaller but consistent, qualitative improvements over a longer period of time.

  • Start identifying the issues that your users have. Demonstrate to your manager that you have the analysis skills to take on the lead business analyst role.
  • Increase your output when it comes to problem-solving on the project. Make yourself available and visible to users instead of shying away from contact with them.
  • Get as much additional training as you can afford and channel all your efforts to becoming a better business analyst by learning everything that you can about business analysis.

If you gain new skills or demonstrate additional abilities on the job, you will position yourself for more responsibility … even that of the lead business analyst.

Finally, becoming a lead business analyst has a lot to do with demonstrating outstanding leadership skills.

It is not just what you know (knowledge alone is not enough for this role) but how well you can step out of your box to help your fellow business analysts, team or company.

Learn how to demonstrate exceptional leadership, communication. coaching and mentoring skills in addition to your traditional business analysis skills and you will stand out from other senior business analysts or your peers!

What Is The Career Path for IT Business Analysts?

I need help. My company is considering creating specialist areas for the Business Analyst in IT.

Is there a model or any existing categorization of Business Analyst role in IT?

I am only aware of roles like Senior/Junior Business Analyst.

The Roles / Models for IT Business Analysts:

There are several possible career paths for IT Business Analysts depending on the size of the organization or the diversity of tasks performed by your business analysts.

Assuming that your company has a legitimate need to start putting business analysts into silos, here are some options, categories or specialized roles:

  1. Usability / UI / User Experience Business Analyst

  2. Web Business Analyst

  3. E-Commerce Business Analyst

  4. Marketing Business Analyst

  5. Business Process Analyst / Process Engineer

  6. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Business Analyst

Use this list to elicit more careers centering on specialized functions performed by the business analysts on you team.

This post presents tips, strategies or solutions for advancing your business analysis career. If you enjoy reading this post, be sure to … Share It with Friends


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/06/10/career-tip-for-senior-business-analysts-become-the-lead-business-analyst/feed/ 9 What Does It Take To Learn Business Analysis? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/05/21/what-does-it-take-to-learn-business-analysis/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/05/21/what-does-it-take-to-learn-business-analysis/#comments Fri, 21 May 2010 12:55:42 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2918

Highly Paid Business Analyst

Highly Paid Business Analyst

You are reading this post because you are interested in learning or mastering business analysis for a number of reasons like

  • You may have read the US Bureau of Statistics report which predicts that the business analyst role will be one of the fastest growing occupations through 2012

  • You are a computer programmer or software tester who is getting burned out on the monotony of coding or testing

  • You may be interested in learning business analyst because you will gain more visibility by interacting with users and managers

  • You feel that gathering requirements for software projects would be a better fit for you than your current IT position

What Does It Take To Become A Successful Business Analyst?

You may also have read a few business analyst job descriptions or observed successful business analysts at work and because of that, you feel that you can easily succeed at business analysis.

What do you assume that business analysts do or what do you think that it takes to become a business analyst?

Do you assume that business analysts just gather requirements, or that business analysts are essentially MBA graduates or that knowledge of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) or even Quality Assurance makes you a business analyst?

There is more to business analysis than having a knowledge of the software development lifecyle (SDLC) or a college degree like an MBA, or even learning how to gather software requirements.

Business Analysis is really not like computer programming and it is not equivalent to project management or having an MBA.

Business Analysis is a specialized profession just like Law, Medicine or Engineering.

Here is more information on what it takes to become a successful business analyst:

So, What Does A Business Analyst Do?

Computer programming and business analysis while being related, are still worlds apart.

Programming is a wholly technical discipline while business analysis focuses on the business side of managing software or project requirements.

A business analyst does more than just ask users what they want from a software system, type up the requirements in a pretty document and hand it off to the developers.

Business analysts liaise between stakeholders to understand business problems and the requirements for a successful solution using strategic thinking and excellent communication skills.

The business analyst also has to follow best practices for planning, gathering/eliciting, managing, modeling and validating user requirements.

So, you need to thoroughly understand the business analysis profession if you want to make the leap from programming (or any other career) to business analysis.

Business Analysts Don’t Just Gather Requirements!

You do not need an MBA to become a business analyst and getting an MBA is not the same thing as learning business analysts … the two disciplines are separate!

To start learning business analysis, you will need technical skills, business skills, industry knowledge / domain skills and analysis skills.

In addition to the following: Requirements Elicitation, UML, Use Cases, Requirements Modeling and Facilitation skills.

How Do You Demonstrate Business Analysis Skills?

There is no such thing as a new IT career without new IT skills. In the same way, you can’t become a successful business analyst without learning business analysis skills through training and hands-on experience.

If you have been applying to business analyst jobs without any response from potential employers, here is the reason: Your resume does not show that you have real-world business analysis skills.

Many project managers or business managers have been in the situations where they hired persuasive candidates only to regret the lack of understanding of the business analysis role or the lack of BA skills needed to get the job done.

  • The bad news is that too many managers have been burned, so the chances of getting hired without real business analysis skills are not as high as one may assume.

  • The good news is that as we head out of the recession, there is a demand for professionals who have the business analysis skills required to successfully take an IT project to completion.

So, the first and most important step towards a successful business analyst career, is making sure that you have the required business analysis skills.

Yes, there is a real shortage of good business analysts. If you will simply take the time to get trained and get hands-on experience, you can go places in your career!

How Do You Gain Business Analysis Skills?

The traditional way to gain skills in other careers is to get a college degree. But does having a business degree qualify you for a business analyst career?

What if you have a family and can’t take the time off work to go through another two to four years of college?

The problem with traditional college degrees is that they keep you on the theoretical path of learning, where you may spend two to four years in college and still lack the skills, experience or insight needed for a successful business analyst career.

In addition, traditional college degrees are extremely costly. If you’ve worked in the IT industry for any length of time, you would have met successful business analysts or computer programmers who couldn’t afford to go to college and yet succeeded at each of their professional careers.

What Are Your Options For Learning Business Analysis?

There are several alternatives to traditional business colleges. For example, many training companies squeeze the business analyst training program into a few (three to five) days.

You fly or drive in to the location, sit for a few days and then get back to work the next day!

The problem with these three to five day training programs is that you simply will not retain or understand new technical information that is crammed in a short period because real life professional skills are not learned in a hurry!

If you’ve ever crammed for an examination, you know that once the exam is over, most of the information is gone from you because you only studied to pass the examination!

The challenge with short term business analyst training is that you will not retain, understand or apply the information effectively on your job.

You need to learn business analysis concepts in a way that helps you retain it or use it to advance your career.

Learn Business Analysis – The Effective Way

This is how you learn business analysis at the Business Analyst Boot Camp

  1. Mentoring / Coaching: The Business Analyst Boot Camp is designed more like a mentoring / coaching program.

    You get case studies that allow you to practice the real-world business analysis skills before using them on the job.

  2. Skill Building / Career Focused: The Business Analyst Boot Camp is designed like a series of examinations.

    You are quizzed or examined on concepts, skills or ideas so that you are able to think creatively / of the box.

  3. Natural Learning Pace: The Business Analyst Boot Camp is designed to walk you through beginner to advanced business analysis topics in a series of steps.

    You are not expected to learn or master business analysis in three days but over weeks, so that you have time to internalize, understand, appreciate or learn business analysis material in a paced, natural or productive way

The Business Analyst Boot Camp is designed to provide practical training or real-world skills for the IT Business Analyst role and it can be accessed through our online Learning Management System (LMS) from any location and at any time by registered business analysts!


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/05/21/what-does-it-take-to-learn-business-analysis/feed/ 26 The Database Administrator (DBA) Job Description http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/04/15/the-database-administrator-dba-job-description/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/04/15/the-database-administrator-dba-job-description/#comments Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:40:02 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2876

Database Administrator (DBA)'s Job Description

Database Administrator (DBA)'s Job Description

In this issue, I will be answering a question submitted by a reader on “The Roles, Responsibilities or Job Description of Database Administrators (DBAs)“.

You can Ask IT Career Coach your toughest or most pressing questions and I will answer it fully just as I am answering this reader’s question below!

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Here is the reader’s question::

About The Database Administrator’s (DBA) Job Description

I am a final year BE student interested in developing a career in DBA

Can you tell me the future prospects for DBA jobs and do i need to have a good knowledge of programming like C,C++,java,.net etc to be a DBA?

And I have also heard that getting jobs in DBA as freshers is very tough and companies don’t prefer DBA as freshers.

The Duties, Roles And Responsibilities of Database Administrators (DBAs)

The Database Administrator (DBA)’s job comes with a lot of responsibility and because of that, a lot of experience is usually required for the job.

This is the reason why Database Administrators tend to be seasoned database professionals and not entry level database professionals.

With that in mind, your first goal should be to learn database development first and then get a job where you can work your way up to becoming a DBA by first proving your competency as a database developer first.

Does A DBA Need To Know Scripting Languages?

DBAs are not computer programmers so they do not need to master every facet of programming with C/C++, C#, Java, .NET, etc.

However DBAs also need to write scripts for database maintenance jobs in a specific programming language.

For example, DBAs importing data into a SQL Server database may need to know enough of the Visual Basic scripting language (VBScript) to write some of the Extraction, Transform and Load (ETL) or Data Transformation Services (DTS) tasks required for the Extraction, Transformation or Loading (ETL) process.

Does A DBA Need To Know SQL Programming?

Though DBAs are not required to master computer programming, the normal day to day DBA duties may involve extensive programming in SQL.

For example, a DBA may have to write fairly extensive programming solutions in the SQL Language as part of stored procedures or some other database script.

It’s important to note that each relational database platform has its own native programming language (T-SQL, PL/SQL, Access SQL, etc.)

Introducing The DBA’s Job Description

Here is a quick overview of the database administrator’s (DBA) job description.

The database administrator or DBA is responsible for maintaining the database, applying the patches and upgrading the database.

The DBA is also responsible for maintaining the security of the database.


Here is some additional information on the roles and responsibilities of a DBA:

  • The DBAs responsibilities includes installing the database on a production system.

  • The DBA role tends towards supporting production, staging or quality assurance databases and rarely sandbox or developer databases.

    Supporting Sandbox or developer databases are usually part of the database developer’s job description.

  • The DBA is also responsible for maintaining the uptime or availability of production databases.

    DBAs have to monitor production databases regularly or respond to any database issues by bringing down the database or taking the database offline.

  • The DBA’s roles, responsibilities and duties also includes monitoring or optimizing the performance, security, backup, recovery or integrity of database management systems.

This post was written in answer to a question submitted by a reader on “The Database Administrator’s Job Description.

If you have a question, be sure to post it here as a comment on this post or submit it to: [Ask IT Career Coach].

How To Become A Database Administrator?

The first step in becoming a database administrator is to learn SQL Query Writing, master relational database design and development and study advanced sql topics.

Database Administrator’s tend to be highly skilled database developers and are usually promoted from within. What that means is that in all likelihood, you would start out as a database developer, gain a lot of experience and then move up the ranks or get promoted to a database administrator (DBA).


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/04/15/the-database-administrator-dba-job-description/feed/ 13 Is a Project Manager or a Business Analyst Career, a Better Fit for You? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/04/12/is-a-project-manager-or-business-analyst-career-a-better-fit-for-you/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/04/12/is-a-project-manager-or-business-analyst-career-a-better-fit-for-you/#comments Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:25:22 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2893

How To Choose the Right Career?

How To Choose the Right Career?

The following question was submitted by a reader who needs help with choosing between a business analyst and a project management career.

If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to submit your question as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering this reader’s question below!

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Here is the Reader’s Question: Should I Change Careers To Business Analysis Or Project Management?

Hello,

I am interested in making a career change from working currently in customer service in a bank to becoming a business analyst or a project manager.

My educational background is a degree in Banking and Finance and I have over 8 years experience working in the Treasury department of a bank.

Can you advise which would be my best choice?

Here is the Answer: How To Decide Between a Business Analysis and a Project Management Career

Hello,

I can certainly help you understand the differences between a project management and business analyst career.

You will be able to decide on your ideal career, after weighing all the pros and cons that I will list in the rest of this article.

The Roles and Responsibilities of a Project Manager

The Project Manager is often considered to be the first point of contact for the project and is solely responsible for the project’s success or failure.

Please note that this is an important distinction between the project manager and business analyst’s duties, roles or responsibilities.

This distinction means that you have to be wired a certain way or learn to take full responsibility for the outcome of your projects without making any excuses!

  • This also means that as the project manager, you will be responsible for overseeing all the phases of a software development or information technology project unlike a business analyst who is tasked with gathering requirements at the inception or beginning phases of a project.

  • Another important distinction is that, as the project manager you will also be responsible for establishing time-lines or ensuring that your projects are completed on time and under budget.

  • Finally, the Project Manager allocates resources to a project, monitors significant milestones as the project progresses and manages risks and costs to ensure that there are no budget overruns.

To achieve these goals, the Project Manager works with a correct or comprehensive set of customer requirements provided by the business analyst.

This last statement means that the Project Manager has to collaborate or depend on the Business Analyst’s requirements elicitation and management skills.

If this collaboration works out well, then the correct and complete set of project requirements are provided to the software development or information technology project team … if not, then the project is doomed from inception!

The Roles and Responsibilities of a Business Analyst

  1. Like the Project Manager, the Business Analyst also spends most of the time working with end users, stakeholders or management.

  2. Unlike the Project Manager, whose attention is all over the phases and tasks of the Project, the business analyst focuses mainly on the requirements for the project.

  3. Because the business analyst is tasked with gathering requirements, he or she ends up focusing on the minute details of what the end user wants, documenting requirements with very detailed reports that measure goals and outcomes, validating requirements or communicating requirements in precise ways to developers using tools like User stories, Use Cases and UML

In essence, the Business Analyst ends up bridging the technical or business communication gap between the software development or project implementation teams and the management, executive or business teams.

What are the similarities and differences between a Project Manager and a Business Analyst’s Job?

There is a good deal of speculation and confusion on the 2 roles leading to the assumption in some circles that project managers can gather requirements or that business analysts can manage resources!

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Each of these is a rigorous, methodical discipline that may share some body of knowledge with the other, but are functionally, completely different.

  1. Project Managers manage all the resources assigned to project and they carry the final authority on who does what. They usually have the ability to hire or fire resources and for delegating tasks or responsibilities.

  2. Business analysts on the other hand, manage the business, end-user, customers or stakeholder requirements and in reality, they report to the project manager, just like the software developers, testers or any other resource assigned to the project.

  3. Both business analysts and project managers understand the software development life cycle, both of them serve as points of contact for the project and both of them communicate with management or stakeholders.

  4. Both of these are also responsible for accurately defining the scope of the project.

However, even here, there is still a qualitative difference … while the business analyst is concerned with the minutiae of the requirements, the project manager is focused on the big picture, and on delivering a project that fulfills the requirements under schedule and on budget.

On this last point, I would like to stress that in an ideal world, there would be no adversarial relationship between a project manager and his/her business analysts because like any successful leader knows, “war is worn by wise counsel” and the business analyst is the project manager’s wise counsel.

Another key difference between these 2 roles is that at the onset of a project, the business analyst implements feasibility and cost/benefit analysis studies before the project manager is even hired!

Finally, I would also like to add that, while the business analyst is concerned with the quality of the finished product … the Project Manager is concerned with managing the process of producing the product.

Is a Project Manager or a Business Analyst Career, a Better Fit for You?

So how do you decide which of these two (project management or business analysis) is the better fit?

If your personality type is such that you have a singular focus on completing projects with a “big picture” view of the process from beginning to end, then the Project Management career may be the better fit for you.

If on the other hand, you enjoy working on details with business users, customers or management, analyzing problems or defining solutions, documenting or communicating problems and solutions, then a Business Analyst career may be the better fit for you.

This post was written in answer to a question submitted by a reader on how to decide between becoming a project manager or a business analyst.

If you have a question, be sure to post it here as a comment or submit it to: [Ask IT Career Coach].


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/04/12/is-a-project-manager-or-business-analyst-career-a-better-fit-for-you/feed/ 39 Why Microsoft .NET Jobs for COBOL Mainframe Programmers? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/03/17/why-microsoft-net-jobs-for-cobol-mainframe-programmers/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/03/17/why-microsoft-net-jobs-for-cobol-mainframe-programmers/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:33:25 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2878

Cobol Mainframe Programmers Changing Careers!

Cobol Mainframe Programmers Changing Careers!

COBOL Mainframe Programmers switching careers have to overcome several challenges including the fear of learning new programming languages.

In addition, cobol programmers have to pick the right programming language which is not an easy task considering the range of possibilities (C#, Java, C/C++, PHP, Python, Visual Basic, Perl, etc.).

Cobol programmers also have to brand their resumes to look like that of modern, object oriented software developers.

Considering these challenges, one is not surprised whenever a cobol programmer decides to stick with legacy programming skills.

That is why I am dedicating this post to helping cobol mainframe programmers transition their skills or careers.

How To Transition Cobol Mainframe Legacy Programming Skills

I will start by answering a question which is at the core of the challenges faced by many cobol programmers.

Here is the question submitted by a cobol mainframe programmer from Stafford, Texas.

I am a Cobol programmer but I have been out of the business for more than 5 years due to layoff.

I have been driving an 18-wheeler for 6 years and I want to get back into programming.

What is the best route to take?

I am planning to take A+ Certification class at Houston Community College in the Summer.

In the meantime, I need to stop driving.

Changing Careers For Mainframe Cobol Programmers

I would advice that you start with learning the Microsoft .NET suite of programming languages.

Learning Microsoft .NET is not a small undertaking, but it currently presents the best career path for modern, object oriented computer programmers.

Learning Microsoft.NET includes learning the following family of programming languages or platforms:

  • .NET Framework
  • ASP.NET

  • C# or Visual Basic .NET … I recommend C#
  • SQL Server for database Development

I don’t recommend that you start with A+ certification because that is taking an in-direct route to a programming career.

That path will take you to a desktop support job and you may actually end up getting lost in that role … which is okay if that is what you really want!

If you really want to become a computer programmer, then you need to learn Microsoft .NET

Here is why learning Microsoft .NET will be a better option for you:

High Demand For Microsoft.NET Programming Skills

  • There is such a high demand for Microsoft.NET programming skills in the current economy, that you’re virtually guaranteed a job, as soon as you’re skilled or competent at programming with .NET Framework.

Shorter Training Time For Microsoft.NET

Here is why I advocate that you learn Microsoft.NET instead of Java or C/C++.

It has a shorter learning curve or training time because the language is easier to master and Microsoft provides you with a Rapid Application Development (RAD) environment which allows you to write full-featured applications in a shorter time.

These RAD tools have intelligence built-in which presents you with tips on the programming syntax as you code.

This reduces the challenge of memorizing .NET Framework programming syntax and it also reduces the time it will cost you to create complete, working business applications.

More Career Options for .NET Developers

Becoming a .NET Developer opens up your career to the corporate computer programmer career path.

  1. As a .NET Developer, you have more career options because Microsoft.NET is designed to work with other Microsoft products. This makes your skills more portable and it opens up a bigger programming market for you.

  2. If you’re a .NET developer, you may also get a job creating websites or work as a database developer or focus on developing MS Office applications.

  3. You can also work as a windows developer or as a mobile developer.

  4. You can even work on enterprise business applications like Commerce Server, Sharepoint or Reporting Services.

Since you have some previous programming background (even though it was as a cobol programmer) and you are still interested in computer programming, I would advice you to jump into learning .NET Framework immediately and not to waste your time on other pursuits!

Finally I would like to mention that we are running a special discount where you can get trained on both the Microsoft .NET Framework and SQL Server database development.

All you really have to do is, place an order for both the Software Developer Boot Camp and the SQL Boot Camp and this special discount would be applied to you.

Here is what you need to do to be fully enrolled as a Microsoft .NET Framework Developer … enroll for both the SQL Boot Camp and the Software Developer Boot Camp at the same time using the links below:

  1. Click here to Add the Software Developer Boot Camp

  2. Click here to Add the SQL Boot Camp Training

Once you add both the SQL and Software Developer Boot Camp, you will get the on-going special discount for the Microsoft .NET Software Developer Training Track.

In this post we discussed the challenges facing legacy cobol mainframe programmers and suggested the best path for those interested in changing careers.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/03/17/why-microsoft-net-jobs-for-cobol-mainframe-programmers/feed/ 14 Cowboy Coder Or Agile Programmer? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/26/cowboy-coder-or-agile-programmer/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/26/cowboy-coder-or-agile-programmer/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:21:56 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2845

Cowboy Coder Or Agile Programmer

Cowboy Coder Or Agile Programmer

Are You A Cowboy Coder Or Agile Software Developer?

Software Developers facing a new programming project sometimes start coding before thinking through or planning an approach.

Coding without first planning or thinking through is a programming method known as cowboy coding.

Cowboy coders approach work with the mindset of coding without estimating or planning.

And they are at a complete lost when the results achieved by their cowboy coding tactics does not meet expectations.

Cowboy Coding Is Dead, Long Live Cowboy Coding

While many programmers publicly ridicule cowboy coding, they privately practice cowboy coding because it is the easier thing to do.

Look around you for cowboy coders. They exhibit some of the following tell-tale signs:

  1. They do not estimate the work required for a software development project before coding because that is too difficult or unnecessary for them

  2. They hack away at code instead of taking time to find the best algorithmic or coding approach for solving a programming challenge

  3. They frequently under-estimate the complexity of software development projects and so they work late nights, weekends or even holidays in a bid to catch up with late deliverables

  4. They dislike working with system architects, business analysts and project managers because the only work that matters to them … is that of writing code

  5. They can’t find time to sharpen or improve their programming skills because all their time must be spent on coding

  6. They get stuck in their code or hit dead walls because they under-estimate the complexity or difficulty of working with technology

  7. Cowboy Coders get frustrated because their programming projects always seem to take a longer time to market than they estimated.

    Unable to see the complexity of their code ahead of time, they are stumped when their efforts fail to produce working software on time or under budget.

  8. Cowboy Coders bite off more than they can chew by embarking on projects that are too large for such tactics.

    Since they do not take time to understand the complexity of their code, they are also likely to under-estimate the time or effort required.

  9. Cowboy Coders develop poorly designed, buggy, unreliable software because of a lack of proper architecture and a lack of a software development methodology

  10. Cowboy Coders produce poor quality software because of a lack of unit testing skills or good co-ordination with other software testers or quality assurance professionals

We Are Cowboys

Despite the superiority of iterative, agile or even Waterfall software development, Cowboy Coding is very much alive and well … and here are the reasons why:

  • Software Developers resort to cowboy coding because structured software development including Agile or Waterfall methods requires more thinking and planning skills from the developers.

  • Formal software development practice is more of an art than a science.

    And it requires additional formal training, education or discipline beyond that of just learning a programming language.

  • Agile or waterfall software development methods places an initial burden or responsibility on the programmer to think or plan their work first before coding.

    This goes against the natural habit of undisciplined cowboy coders.

  • Asking cowboy coders to go Agile hurts their feelings because it suggests that they cannot instantly, easily or intuitively come up with the best code for a programming challenge

  • Agile and Waterfall software development methods require more planning, design and architecture skills which are harder to come by or less intuitive than simply coding before thinking or cowboy coding.

Developers Go Agile!

Why the Waterfall model may seem like the next step up from Cowboy Coding, I recommend that developers bite the bullet and go agile for the following reasons

  1. Faster Time To Market:

    Agile developers work for their clients or customers.

    Agile Software Development helps you get the most important features to market first knowing that about 60% of software features are never used.

  2. Customer As King:

    Agile software developers work for the customer and not for the development process.

    They are empowered to focus, respond and adapt to the customer’s needs with the end goal of giving the customers what they want!

  3. Agile Project Management:

    Agile project managers focus on the current iteration or use it to make better estimates for the next one.

    Agile software developers have better, more realistic or more accurate project plans to work with because they are only tasked with producing working software for the current iteration and not for the entire project at once!

  4. Agile Software Testing:

    Agile software testers work with software developers to produce high-quality software a the end of each iteration instead of waiting for the entire project to complete before testing!

    Testing for bugs at the end of each iteration, reduces the chances of producing unreliable, buggy software at the end of the entire project unlike the waterfall model.

Case Study: An Agile Developer Breaks The Cycle Of Unemployment

Here is a real-life case study of how I helped a C/C++ programmer break the cycle of un-employment using Agile Programming techniques.

Un-employed C/C++ Programmer

Sometime ago, I was approached by a C/C++ programmer with a college degree who had been unemployed for a couple of years.

Transition From C/C++ Programming

Instead of just re-writing the programmer’s resume, I counseled the C/C++ programmer to learn a new programming language and database platform from scratch.

Agile Hands-ON ExperienceFor acquiring hands-on experience in the new programming language, I gave the C/C++ programmer an iterative software development project to build from scratch.

I also tasked the programmer with building a working release of the project very early in the lifecycle and then presenting that to hiring managers immediately.

Guess what happened, including the agile development experience in a resume, got the developer hired in the very first job interview and with only 1 month of software development experience in a new programming language!


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/26/cowboy-coder-or-agile-programmer/feed/ 7 The Healthcare Data Analyst Job Description http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/09/health-care-data-analyst-job-description/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/09/health-care-data-analyst-job-description/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:02:59 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2808

healthcare data analyst job description

healthcare data analyst job description

Data Analysts interested in learning about the right tools, techniques or skills for their job, should read this.

I am going to address the challenges facing a data analyst” starting a healthcare data analyst job.“

If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to ask for help by posting a comment because I will answer it fully … just like I am answering this data analyst’s questions below!

How To Start A Healthcare Data Analyst Job?

Here is the challenging data analyst career situation:

I am working in a hospital and I have finished two years of college.

What’s the first step I need to do if I want to start out with a data analysts job in health care?

Thank you.

How To Start A Healthcare Data Analyst Job

  • Multiple Career Paths for Data Analysts

    You can choose to start in healthcare, marketing, pharma, etc. Or you may specialize in data analysis with SAS, SPSS, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, SQL Server.

    But regardless of the tool, data analyst career path or skill you choose, resist the temptation to master every single data analysis tool out there … as this would be futile.

  • The Data Analyst Job Description

    You need to start by getting a good understanding of the data analyst’s roles, duties, tasks and responsibilities or the techniques and principles commonly employed in the healthcare data analysis domain.

    So, let’s start by reviewing the healthcare data analyst job description.

  • The Healthcare Data Analyst Job Description

    The healthcare data analysts’ job description includes importing, cleaning, transforming, validating or modeling healthcare data with the purpose of understanding or making inferences for decision or management purposes.

    The job description also includes presenting data in charts, graphs or tables, designing and developing relational databases for collecting data or building and designing data input or data collection screens.

    Finally, the healthcare data analyst may have to write Data Definition Language or Data Manipulation Language SQL commands, be responsible for improving data quality or designing and presenting inferences made by analyzing data using statistical techniques within Microsoft Excel, SAS, SQL Server, SPSS

  • Are you Tool or Technique Minded

    Keep in mind that data analysts tend to work in diverse domains including healthcare, social sciences, pharmaceutical, marketing and sales.

    For example, some data analysts have backgrounds in technology, information management, relational database design and development, business intelligence, data mining or statistics.

    That is why data analysts sometimes have a tough time convincing hiring managers that they are suited for the job.

    Hiring managers typically have a specific view of what a new data analyst hire would look like and your job is to fit into that mold!

    Here is where I would like to offer a tip …. don’t be a tool minded data analyst.

    By that I mean don’t seek to be a data analyst who is fixated on a specific data analysis tool like SAS or SPSS!

    What is important is not any specific data analysis tool like SAS or SPSS but the investigative mindset or technique that you bring to the table.

    For example, if you understand how to analyze data, you can setup a spreadsheet like Microsoft Excel or a database like Microsoft Access or even an enterprise database like SQL Server to run your analysis!

  • How To Ace Data Analyst Job Interviews

    I have been talking about the data analyst’s skill set, background and technique. Now, let me address how you can get into a healthcare data analyst job.

    Strive to convey mastery of data analysis concepts at the job interview, so you can direct your technical interviewers to a favorable conclusion.

    For example, let’s say that a healthcare data analyst job description stresses SQL Server Reporting Services and you only have knowledge of Microsoft Access Reporting.

    What you may do, is let the technical interviewer know that you have strong relational databases skills and because of that, will be comfortable working in a SQL Server Reporting Services environment.

    Next, you can support your claims, by talking about the data analysis knowledge areas you’re skilled in (data validation, data modeling, data transformation, etc) .

    Be sure to support your claims with concrete examples of related hands-on experience.

    You can support your claims by mentioning that you also know how to analyze large healthcare datasets similar to the volume of data you will be working with using an enterprise database like SQL Server.

    Finally, you may emphasize the strengths or advantages of your data analysis background or training and present to the hiring manager, specific examples of how you will benefit the company when you hired!

How To Start A Healthcare Data Analyst Job

So, start by getting a solid understand of the healthcare data analyst job description, get some strong data analysis training and then learn how to market yourself to healthcare employers !

FYI: The Data Analysts Boot Camp is an Online, Web-Based, Hands-On, Beginner to Advanced Data Analyst Video Training that covers that provides you with the background required for data analyst jobs.

And: “For a limited time, you may take advantage of the convenient, online data analyst training available at a fraction of traditional costs.

Click here to get started now:


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/09/health-care-data-analyst-job-description/feed/ 6 Harvard Business Review: How To Get A Job Without Experience http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/01/02/harvard-business-review-how-to-get-a-job-without-experience/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/01/02/harvard-business-review-how-to-get-a-job-without-experience/#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:31:24 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2746

Finding Jobs for College Graduates

Jobs for College Graduates

Whether you’re launching your career or trying to change its direction, you can get around the Catch-22 issue (“You can’t get a job without experience, and you can’t get experience without a job.”) with humility.

The solution is to get some humility because today’s shifting job market requires everyone incuding young job seekers and older workers with years of experience to continously reinvent their careers in order to stay marketable in a competitive global economy.

The lesson is that careers, skills and workplace environments will continute to transition and there is nothing we can do about that because what is marketable and in-demand today may not be wanted tomorrow.

However, we can succeed if we learn how to transition our skills or careers with humility.

In an interesting post on Harvard Business Review, Larry Stybel (co-founder of the global career management firm Stybel Peabody Lincolnshire and Executive in Residence at the Sawyer School of Business at Suffolk University) writes on how staying humble helped him transition his career and become a business consultant.

In reading about Larry’s career transition, you will see that he did not just:

  1. Keep sending resumes out hoping that he will get lucky

  2. Ignore or hope to beat the requirement for experience

Larry, offered his skills for nothing in exchange for getting the required hands-on experience in his industry.

He humbly offered his skills for nothing by working two days a week for two months, in exchange for experience.

His advice: “You’re too proud to offer your services at no charge? Get over it. If you choose the right opportunity, you’ll gain industry or functional experience that has immeasurable value – and will ultimately lead to a real paycheck.”

Click here to read Larry’s Post: How To Overcome the Catch 22 Dilemna

After reading the post, here are some exercises that will help you overcome the Catch 22 Dilemna

  1. List companies that have good ideas in your industry and need help with executing them

  2. List how much personal time you can invest on helping others achieve their goals

  3. List the skills that you will offer to executives, companies or employers in excange for hands-on experience

  4. Take action by approaching the companies or executives that you listed and offering your time for paid or non-paid work in exchange for hands-on experience


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/01/02/harvard-business-review-how-to-get-a-job-without-experience/feed/ 0 Career Spotlight on Microsoft Access Database Developers http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/12/15/career-spotlight-on-microsoft-access-database-developers/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/12/15/career-spotlight-on-microsoft-access-database-developers/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:33:02 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2739

Microsoft Access Developer Career

Microsoft Access Developer Career

The Microsoft Access Relational Database has been around for a while and it is used in many businesses, Information Technology (IT) Teams and organizations.

Microsoft Access is commonly used in building desktop software applications, data analysis programs and corporate databases where the number of records are as few as 2 billion records or the number of users who access the system at any one time are as few as ten concurrent users.

The ease with which Microsoft access database developers create functional relational databases, add data entry forms, build reports and distribute their database projects to multiple users creates a market for skilled Microsoft Access Relational Database developers.

However, Microsoft Access database solutions are not well suited for web, distributed, enterprise or large database development projects leading. Because of this, Microsoft Access database developers have to transition their skills to enterprise database development systems like SQL Server and Oracle at some point in their career!

This series of articles reviews the the merits and demerits of Microsoft Access database development and offers a transition plan or career path for updating Microsoft Access Database Development Skills.

The Case for Microsoft Access Developer Careers

  1. Easy of Use – Microsoft Access is one of the easiest relational database platforms used in business because of it’s intuitive graphical user interface (GUI).

  2. Office User – Microsoft Access is also popular with business or power users. It is relatively easy to install, configure and use on a desktop, laptop or home computer which makes it a winner for many.

  3. Low Support Costs – Unlike enterprise databases like Oracle or IBM DB2, Microsoft Access databases do not need dedicated database administrators.

    The Microsoft Access developer (you) in this case is also the Microsoft Access Database Administrator unlike enterprise databases where there tends to be a split between the duties of the database administrator and the database developer.

  4. Data Entry Forms – Microsoft Access is a unique database for office environments because it comes with a set of forms for building data entry (entering, editing, deleting, updating) forms.

    This feature eliminates the costs and complexity associated with typical software development projects based on Oracle, IBM DB2 and other enterprise databases.

  5. In-Built Reporting Capability – Microsoft Access also incorporates the ability to generate simple or complex, customized reports.

    However, the Microsoft Access Reporting feature is not a full fledged reporting tool like Crystal Reports or SQL Server Reporting Services.

    The ease or simplicity of designing and building reports in Microsoft Access eliminates some of the complexity or costs associated with building external reports using enterprise reporting tools.

  6. In-Built Application Development Environment – Microsoft Access is a flexible database software that allows you to customize or write full-blown software programs using the popular and easy to learn programming language known as VBA or Visual Basic for Applications.

    Many database developers actually use the VBA feature of Microsoft Access to jump start their programming careers by learning VBA and then transitioning to other programming languages like Visual Basic!

  7. Graphical SQL Query Building – Writing SQL is made easy in Microsoft Access because of it’s Graphical Query Designer which allows you to join tables and add filters or clauses to them.

    You can also see or modify the generated SQL query using a a flavor of SQL known as Access SQL or Microsoft Access’s in-built Query Wizards.

  8. Data Analysis Tool – because Microsoft Access allows you to build tables, data entry forms and reports quite easily, it is commonly used as a Data Analysis tool.

    Using Microsoft Office Access, you can for example, design a survey, create a table to store the data, build a simple data entry form, build a report and then give multiple users access to your reports or application.

  9. External Database Access – database developers who are unfamiliar with enterprise databases like Oracle or SQL Server access them through a Microsoft Access database

    This is partly because the Microsoft Access database developer can connect, query or modify the data in an enterprise database without having to leave the safety and comfort of the familiar Microsoft Access environment!

  10. Multi User Access - Microsoft Office Access supports a limited number of users accessing or modifying it’s data at the same time.

    It is sometimes seen as a better choice for data analysis projects where multiple users have to update, edit, delete or work with the same information while retaining each individual’s ability to rapidly prototype, build or extend it using forms.

As you can see, there are many reasons why the Microsoft Access Database Development tool is common, popular and frequently used in all sorts of database development, reporting, data analysis and software development projects.

To get started, there are many situations that Microsoft Access is not suited for.

Microsoft Access database developers are sometimes not comfortable with enforcing proper database design practices or writing complex subqueries, complex joins within Microsoft Access.

That is why database developers frequently resort to taking strong SQL Query Writing + Database Development Classes (like at the Data Analyst Boot Camp) after first falling in love with Microsoft Access.

Microsoft Access still limits database developers despite it’s powerful, and flexible relational database engine.

Hence the need to upgrade or transition to enterprise relational databases.

In the next article, I will discuss both the limitations of Microsoft Access as database development tool and the reasons for upgrading to an enterprise database like SQL Server.

If you are interested in becoming a better database developer by mastering relational database and SQL query writing, you can enroll Online at the DataAnalystBootCamp.Com


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/12/15/career-spotlight-on-microsoft-access-database-developers/feed/ 7 How To Get Computer Programming Experience http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/21/how-to-get-computer-programming-experience/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/21/how-to-get-computer-programming-experience/#comments Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:00:34 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=555

Be Wise ... Get Experience

Be Wise ... Get Experience

In the computer programming industry, experience is King.

Real world, hands on, practical programming experience is valued more than computer programming certifications, software development diplomas or even programming job titles.

What you know is much more important than how you obtained the knowledge!

The next time you read a computer programming job description and you feel overwhelmed by the list of degrees or certifications required, just remember that the job market for computer programmers is not really that formal.

How To Get Computer Programming Job Experience

Now, you know that raw, hands on computer programming experience is valued above programming degrees, job titles or programming certifications, here are tips on how to increase your programming experience.

  • Open Source Projects

    there are various open source projects that you can join and contribute code to. Before you join an open source project, take some time to learn the code, use the application, get to know the team members and become familiar with the code review or code commit processes.

  • Non Profits

    you may get programming experience by helping a non-profit organization that needs with building a database, a website or a software application.

    Be sure to let the non-profit organization know that you are doing the job to get more programming experience.

    You need to be truthful and upfront about your level of expertise or you may run into problems by taking on more than you can handle.

    When you committee to working for a non-profit organization, you may be required to work at the pace of other senior, more experienced team members.

    Also, the non-profit may be racing towards meeting some important deadlines.

    So, even if you are offering free help, the non-profit organization needs to understand that you may introduce additional delays to the timetable.

    If this is not acceptable then you and the non-profit organization are not a good match.

  • Personal Use Software Applications

    You may get computer programming experience by building a software application that provides some services or benefit to you.

    For example, an employee I managed built a price watching software applications in his spare time.

    The application was a web crawler that would go to specific websites and monitor the bids and prices of products he was interested in.

    You can get some really cool programming experience that way because you are your own customer, you are not going to stress yourself over deadlines and you understand the needs you are trying to meet.

    The downside is that software development managers do not rank this type of programming experience as high as that gained by working for non-profit organizations or open source projects

  • Professional Computer Programming Experience

    You may get computer programming experience from a professional software development organization.

    This involves having a software development company assign programming projects to you, review your code and mentor, coach or train you on your weak spots.

    This method is preferred because hiring managers value programming experience derived from professional mentors above those from self study or non profits or other sources of programming experience.

    The reason is that a professional software developer can critique your code or database design while you or a non-profit may not review or critique your own code.

How to get professional software development experience

The Software Developer Boot Camp provides you with professional software development experience.

You are given hands on, practical, real world projects to work on.

Your computer programming code or database design assignments are reviewed by course instructors and you are given feedback that helps you correct your weak spots.

You are assigned additional projects as you progress along the course and as you complete your training, you build up your portfolio and programming experience.

What Next After Getting Programming Experience?

If you don’t already have a programming job, you need to make the best efforts towards putting together a professional computer programmer resume, sending out your resume to hiring managers and preparing rigorously for your technical interviews.

If you gain relevant, real world programming experience, prepare a resume that highlights your programming experience and contact a lot of hiring managers, you will secure technical programming interviews.

All you need to at the technical interview is to put your best foot forward and get the job you want!

The Demand For Computer Programmers In A Recession

The demand for software development professionals is high inspite of the state of the economy.

I receive unsolicited job postings for SQL programmers, business analysts or computer programmers all the time.

Remember that computer programming skills are still in-demand even with the state of the job market.

So make sure you do not hesitate to improve your real world, hands on, computer programming experience.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/21/how-to-get-computer-programming-experience/feed/ 3 Deciphering the Business Analyst Job Description http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/17/deciphering-the-business-analyst-job-description/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/17/deciphering-the-business-analyst-job-description/#comments Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:08:52 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=483

business analyst job description

decipher ba job descriptions

You can find out “what employers look for in a job candidate” by browsing business analyst job descriptions.

However, you will notice that some business analyst job descriptions are poorly written!

A weak business analyst job description does not provide enough information for you to compare your skill set against the requirements posted on the job posting.

A Well Written Business Analyst Job Description Is An Effective Hiring Tool!

Here is an example of a weak or ineffective business analyst job description:

We are seeking a senior level Business Analyst (5+ years) with strong systems knowledge for a six month + contract.

They will need to have a strong background working with tech leads, working with end-users, gathering requirements, and creating BRDs.

This person will not have to create technical specifications, but will need to have the technical knowledge to help guide the decisions.

The right candidate will need to be the type of person to take control of a project and create direction where there isn’t any.

In order to be considered, the candidates must produce examples of past BRDs he/she has created.

This position has potential to run for the entire year.

A Guide To Business Analyst Job Descriptions

Here are my thoughts on why this business analyst job description is ineffective.

  • Is the employer looking for anyone who has worked in a business analysis capacity in for five years and can put together a good-looking Business Requirements Document? From reading, it would seem so.

  • Is putting together a Business Requirements Document (BRD) the hallmark of a successful business analyst?

  • What does the wording “create direction where there isnt’ any” refer to? Is the employer asking for project management skills as well?

  • What sort of technical knowledge is the employer asking for? What depth of technical expertise is need?

A Better Business Analyst Job Description

Here is a better worded business analyst job description:

Position: IT Business Analyst

Description:

  • The Business Analyst is a crucial role in creating and maintaining the strategic partnership between Business needs and Technology delivery in an Agile development environment.

  • The Business Analyst will be responsible for developing business requirements and related business rules based on Business Group needs.

  • The Analyst will work closely with the Business Partner and Business Subject Matter Expert(s) in the definition, testing, training, implementation, and support of functional requirements.

  • The Analyst will identify requirements via industry standard analysis techniques such as data flow modeling, workflow analysis, and functional decomposition analysis. The Analyst will solicit requirements through interviews, workshops, and/or existing systems documentation or procedures.

In general, the role will include the creation/revision of the following analysis artifacts and deliverables:

  • Process Maps
  • Business Requirements
  • Business Rules
  • User Stories
  • User Flows
  • Acceptance Tests

The Analyst will participate in daily stand-up meetings with both Technology and Business Partners to facilitate the understanding, clarification, and implementation of requirements in an Agile development environment.
Requirements:

BA/BS Degree, in a technology related field or other degree preferred.

4-6 years experience in building and specifying mission critical business applications, at least 1 of which is in a client/server environment.

Strong verbal and written communication skills. Must be able to communicate effectively and confidently with users, team members and management.

Must be flexible and willing to undertake a wide variety of challenging tasks.

Strong facilitation skills. Must be able to elicit requirements from various personalities across organizational and geographical boundaries.

Proven experience at driving consensus across multiple stakeholders.

Process driven analysis skills and a background in various requirements elicitation methods.

Proficiency with Agile SDLC processes

This business analyst job description is much better than the first one because it includes details and is specific about the tasks the business analyst will be performing.

How To Write A Good Business Analyst Job Description

For an employer to get the best business analysts applying to their position, they need to create job descriptions that allow business analysts to use their full range of unique skills, tools and techniques.

Writing better job descriptions is important because it assures the business analyst reviewing the job description that the organization has a good vision for their roles abd will put it to good use.

Business Analyst Job descriptions have to show an understanding of the value that BAs bring to the organization by briding the gap between business and Information Technology (IT).

Write business analyst job descriptions in a way that demonstrates you know how to put a good business analyst to work!

For example, a good business analyst should not be expected to run around just putting out fires wherever they flare up. Because a good business analyst would want to get to the root cause of the fire and create long lasting solutions that address the root causes.

A good business analyst doesn’t want to just “gather and document requirements”, he/she would rather “have expertise in a variety of requirements elicitation techniques such as interviews, focus groups, surveys, workshops etc, and choose the right technique for different elicitation situations.”

Your Business Analyst Career Development Plan

Browsing good business analyst job descriptions is a must because it shows you where the market is going and what skills are hot or not in-demand.

Don’t get so caught up in your current business analyst job that you miss the boat on new skills in the industry.

Browse or read good business analyst job descriptions that will help you create a career development plan that keeps you on the leading edge of the business analysis industry.

Once you figure out “what employers are hiring for“, evaluate how strong you are in skill sts that are hot in the marketplace.

The skill sets you are lacking will show you the areas to get additional training or coaching on.

Have you ever read a business analyst job description that was not very clear?

Do you have questions on the skills posted on job descriptions?

Post your comments or questions on the business analyst job descriptions you have been browsing on this page.

References


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/17/deciphering-the-business-analyst-job-description/feed/ 17 HOW TO OVERCOME PROCRASTINATION IN 8 EASY STEPS http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/01/02/how-to-overcome-procrastination-in-8-easy-steps/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/01/02/how-to-overcome-procrastination-in-8-easy-steps/#comments Thu, 03 Jan 2008 02:03:38 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/01/02/how-to-overcome-procrastination-in-8-easy-steps/

How To Overcome Procrastination

How To Overcome Procrastination


The Procrastination Problem

As a career coach, one of the biggest hurdles I have to overcome when working with my clients is procrastination. An example is a client that I will call Ryan. Ryan acknowledges that even though he has a degree in Information Systems, he is stuck in a dead end job in Help Desk Support.

Ryan would love a great new job as a computer programmer. I have worked with him to create a plan of action that includes updating his skill set while simultaneously putting his resume out there to see if a potential employer will nibble on it.

However, no matter how many pep talks and reminder emails I send Ryan, I can’t get him to take any action beyond putting the plan on paper. Why? Ryan is a master procrastinator just like many of us out there who just can’t seem to get started on the projects that mean so much to us and our future.

If Ryan does not overcome this problem, he will never gain the fulfillment of moving into a new career, nor will he enjoy the benefits of doubling his salary which becoming a computer programmer will undoubtedly give him.

So, What Makes Us Procrastinate?

Why does Ryan or anyone else procrastinate? There are different reasons, but the most common are:

  • A perception that a task is unpleasant or overwhelming

  • Fear of the Unknown

  • Fear of Change

  • Perfectionism

  • Fear of Failure

  • Disorganization

The Cost of Procrastination

While procrastination seems to be a benign human fault, it can eat away at the quality of your life with devastating results. Like my client, Ryan, huge benefits that are just at your fingertips will slip away from you. Opportunities to be all that you can be will pass you by.

Not “getting round” to your annual medical or dental check up can result in death if beginning symptoms of a deadly disease are overlooked. Not “getting round” to balancing your checkbook can result in huge overdraft fees and ruin your credit report.

Not “getting round” to purchasing life insurance can leave your young children destitute if anything should happen to you. Not “getting round” to your car’s oil change can shave years off the life of your car and result in major repair costs or constantly having to purchase a new vehicle. The list goes on and on.

What’s on your “Put It Off List”?

A New Year is a good time to dig out all the things you have left undone and begin to tackle them right now. The good news is that with this article in your hands, you will have proven strategies for success in actually completing these tasks. Here’s your very first task.

Right now, before going on, make a list of five things that you’ve been planning to do, but haven’t. DO IT NOW. Just grab a pen and paper and make a list of five things that you’ve been putting off. Then read the rest of the article. You will be able to start applying these tips to accomplish them right now.

How to Overcome Procrastination

Step One: Visualize the End from the Beginning

First, create a vivid image of what it is like to have completed the project. Bring all your faculties of imagination to bear on it. Visualizing the completed task ? the benefits you are reaping, the feeling of success or the admiration of your spouse will help you anticipate the achievement you are striving for.

After visualizing the completed task, visualize the process of actually working on the task. Imagine sitting at your desk and turning your computer on, opening up your textbook and reading the assigned chapter, gathering notes for your article, purchasing the tools for building your deck etc.

This visualization will change your attitude toward the task and invigorate you with the energy you need to overcome any inertia you feel.

Step Two: Count the Cost

When procrastination sets in, sometimes it is because we have bitten off more than we can chew. One of my clients once set a goal of studying for her IT certifications so that she would be ready to return to work when her children started school the next year.

As time went on, I noticed that she was not making much progress with her study and was on the verge of giving up. On further investigation, I discovered that she was trying to study while her two toddlers were at home with her in the same room! I finally convinced her to accept the cost of hiring a baby sitter for a few hours twice week so she could study.

She completed her certifications with flying colors and went on to get the job she wanted at the salary she wanted.

Before putting a task on your list, be realistic about the time, cost, interest and expertise that the task will require. You may need to hire a professional or ask for help or raise more money to complete a task.

Step Three: Brainstorm

If you feel like you are stuck on a project or task, brainstorming is a great way to introduce new energy and break the “block” that is facing you. Sit down with a blank piece of paper and a pen and simply write down all your ideas and possible steps for the project.

Browse through books and magazines related to your project and glean ideas from them. Don’t criticize any of your thoughts and don’t stop until all your possible thoughts have been put on paper.

Step Four: Make a Public Commitment

We tend to improve our performance when we know that we are being watched. Tell your spouse or your boss what you plan to achieve. Sometimes telling your enemies or catty friends can work to motivate you because you’ll do whatever it takes to avoid failing with them watching.

Step Five: Gather Material

Buy a box and begin tossing in any and everything that it related to your project: Books, articles, news clippings, tools, fabric, color swatches etc. This process will give you the feeling of having gotten your project underway. You will have also overcome another project-killer: disorganization.

Because you have all the material for your project together in one spot, it will be easier for you to find what you need when you need it instead of stalling because of an itty-bitty item that has mysteriously disappeared.

Step Six: Break it down ? Do it One Step at a Time

Now you are ready to tackle your project, but wait, don’t dive in yet. You need to break down the entire process into small, simple and doable steps. Having these steps written down on paper creates a kind of automatic action trigger when you look at them.

You know that each day you work on your project, you only have to focus on one of the steps at a time. This will prevent procrastination from being triggered by the feeling of being overwhelmed by the sheer size of the project.

Step Seven: Sweat It Out For Ten Minutes

When you find yourself not working on a project and continually putting it off, a good way to get yourself jumpstarted again is to set a timer and work on the item with your full item for ten minutes. No matter how unpleasant or stressful you find the task, you can bear to do it for ten minutes at a time.

When your ten minutes are up, you can stop and go do something else. More often than not, you will find that just ten minutes of focused work will get you on a roll and you will want to continue the task to completion. For the days that you are still stressed after ten minutes, stop and proceed to another task and return for another ten minutes the next day.

Step Eight: Set the Bar Low

When an otherwise talented and ambitious person is also a chronic procrastinator, the cause is usually a deep seated tendency toward perfectionism. This perfectionism creates an expectation in the individual that he or she must do the job perfectly the first time around.

This expectation creates stress, anxiety and the fear of failure. The individual is likely to put the task off indefinitely so that he never has to evaluate his performance and can keep his imagined perfection rather than improving his actual performance. The solution to this is to set the bar low for the initial results of the project.

Remind yourself that you can revise your article as many times as you need to once you get your thoughts down on paper. Remind yourself that you can always paint a room over if you botch the job the first time.

Final Thoughts

Apply these steps to your to-do list and you will find that the things you’ve wished for are easier to obtain than you formerly thought. You will win more victories than defeats just by showing up. You will increase your performance and your ability to create excellence in your life and work.

You will decrease anxiety, stress and depression and watch your self-esteem rise. Overcoming procrastination will also earn you a reputation for being dependable and successful.

I wish you great success!

Kingsley Tagbo – IT Career Coach

http://www.it-career-coach.net


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/01/02/how-to-overcome-procrastination-in-8-easy-steps/feed/ 40 Learning C++ Programming Language Is Bad For Your Career … C++ Programmers Can’t Find Jobs http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/25/learning-c-programming-language-is-bad-for-your-career-c-programmers-cant-find-jobs/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/25/learning-c-programming-language-is-bad-for-your-career-c-programmers-cant-find-jobs/#comments Thu, 26 Jul 2007 05:41:07 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/25/learning-c-programming-language-is-bad-for-your-career-c-programmers-cant-find-jobs/

Learning A Marketable Skill?

Learning A Marketable Skill?

Hi,

Do you want to learn the C++ programming language or become a C/C++ computer programmer?

Have you ever asked this question? which programming language is the most complex and challenging?? and received the answer C++?

If you answered yes, you are not alone. About 13 years ago, I asked my mentors in computer programming which programming language is the hardest, toughest, most difficult to learn? and I got the same reply as you… C++.

I asked the question because I wanted to become a successful computer programmer.

So, I reasoned that if I could prove myself by conquering the hardest programming language, my success in computer programming would be guaranteed.

Do You Want To Learn The Hardest Programming Language?

Recently, a number of C/C+ software developers have been turning to me for help with their computer programmer careers.

You can do this by taking advantage of the developer coaching or training sessions available to computer programmers who enroll in the software developers boot camp.

So, what could go wrong with the career of a software developer who has conquered one of the meanest, hardest, most complex computer programming languages?

The real problem with learning C/C++ is not whether it leaves up to its reputation for being a tough guy, because it does!.

The challenge facing those who succeed in learning C/C++ is more subtle.

Continue reading and you will find out for yourself soon.

Is C/C++ Programming Good For Your Career?

A few months ago, I started mentoring a C/C++ computer programmer with real-world programming experience in C/C++, Microsoft Foundation Classes and Windows 32 API and a college degree.

He couldn’t get a computer programmer job, so he signed up for my coaching program to find out why he couldn’t get a job with C/C++ programming skills.

After he explained his situation to me, I presented him with a list of 3 hot programming technologies in high demand.

I told him that these programming languages were so hot that just having them on his resume would land him programming job offers, even though he had been out of work for 2 years!

Well, he acted on the information I gave him, took MASSIVE ACTION and in a FEW MONTHS learnt all he could about the 3 hot programming technologies!

Guess what? a few months after taking advantage of my software developer mentoring, he got the first programming job he interviewed for on the spot, after being out of work for two (2) years!

So, why couldn’t a C/C++ computer programmer with real world industry experience and a college degree get a programming job in the middle of a hi-tech boom?

WHY C++ PROGRAMMERS CAN’T GET JOBS

The simple reason why C++ programmers can’t get a job is that the C++ programming language is not suited for business or web applications development!

But, wait a minute, isn’t C/C++ also one of the fastest programming languages?

Yes C++ is one of the fastest programming languages. But the speed of C++ applies to the speed with which it executes on a computer and not to the speed with which you can code or develop software programs.

STOP! Think about what I just said. Don’t just read it, digest my last statement until you really comprehend it.

C/C++ is the wrong programming language for business or web programming because employers care more about the speed with which you code or develop software and care less about the speed at which your software program executes.

Why Employers Don’t Care About The Execution Speed of C++ Programs?

The reason is that the dramatic increases in computer processing speed and memory has made the personal computer faster and much more powerful.

So, the amount of processing power available on most personal computers makes the execution speed of any programming language sufficient for most business software development projects.

What Do Employers Care About?

Employers really want their software developers to code or write programs faster. And C/C++ fares badly at this, because it’s one of the meanest, hardest, most complex programming languages to either learn or develop real-world business applications with.

The problems of C/C++ does not stop with the difficulty of learning the language. It’s also harder, tougher and slower to develop web or business applications in.

This is the real reason why most employers will not hire C/C++ programmers for business or web application development.

Is C/C+ Dead?

Certainly not. C/C++ is best suited for software projects like writing operating systems, compilers, computer or video games, data mining applications, scientific applications or applications where the execution speed is critical.

Stop for a moment now and answer this question: do you really want to make money from programming computers quickly or easily?

If you answered yes, I recommend you go into an area of computer programming where the demand is hot and where there are lots and lots of jobs.

That area right now is in internet or web application programming which C++ is unfortunately not suited for.

Secondly, if you want to success in web or business applications development, learn a programming language which allows you to quickly create programs that meet business needs.

After 13 years, I realize that employers don’t care about the beauty of the C++ programming language.

Employers care about automating their business processes or making their businesses work better, quicker and faster.

Employers also want to hire programmers whose speed of development matches or outpaces their business operations.

The ugly truth is that C/C++ is not the right tool for achieving either of these results.

Dear friend, enroll in the Software Developers Boot Camp now and learn those programming languages that excel at creating business software applications easily and quickly and you will discover success in computer programming quickly and easily.

Finally, if you are a programmer needing help with career decisions, no matter how bad your situation is, sign-up for the Software Developers Boot Camp now and you will be personally coached on how to achieve success in your situation.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/25/learning-c-programming-language-is-bad-for-your-career-c-programmers-cant-find-jobs/feed/ 21 How To Become A Business Analyst http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/19/how-to-become-a-business-analyst/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/19/how-to-become-a-business-analyst/#comments Fri, 20 Jul 2007 01:42:34 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/19/how-to-become-a-business-analyst/

How To Become A Business Analyst

How To Become A Business Analyst

ON BECOMING A BUSINESS ANALYST – THE BUSINESS ANALYST JOB DESCRIPTION

A business analyst is an information technology worker who improves the efficiency and productivity of business operations.

The business analyst achieves this by closely analyzing the business processes in an organization for inefficiencies.

When inefficient business processes are discovered, the business analyst makes recommendations for business process improvements.

If the recommended solution is approved, the business analyst works with computer programmers, lead software developers, software managers and other information technology workers to implement the recommended solutions.

The business analyst works in a team, acting as a liaison between the business team and the software development team.

The business analyst is the information technology worker who lives in two worlds, one being the business world and the other being the software development world.

A business analyst needs to understand software development enough to discuss the details of the business process improvement project with computer programmers assigned to the project in a technical language programmers understand.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Business Analyst

The roles and responsibilities of a business analyst include:

Acting as a liaison between the software development team and the business team.

Writing feasibility studies, project briefs, cost analysis, testing schedules and user manuals for new business processes.

Analyzing business processes to identify problems and implementing solutions that improve the business process.

Communicating and presenting technical solutions for business problems to business stakeholders and owners.

Documenting or explaining complex business operations to software developers.

Career Outlook and Prospects for Business Analysts
 Like the other professions in software development, business analysts also have well-paying jobs. In 2006, business analysts in the United States earned an average of $68,579 annually, with bonuses amounting to $3,783. The total increase from the figures of 2005 is 3.1%.

Business analysts who become contract information technology workers can earn six-figure salaries.

I recommend that you read two of my previous articles on contracting if you are interested in becoming a contract business analyst. The first article is the how to become a contract business analyst. The second is Full Time Business Analysts Or Contract Contract Business Analysts.

Both articles will help you decide whether to be a full-time business analyst or a contract business analyst.

Skills and Requirements for a Business Analyst

In some organizations, the business analyst works with a team of computer programmers and does not need to master computer programming.

In other organizations, the line separating the business analyst and the computer programmer is fuzzy, therefore the business analyst must know how to code. In cases like this a beginner or entry-level mastery of computer programming is all that is needed.

Generally, a basic computer expertise in computer programming will help a business analyst perform their work better.

To gain this basic expertise in computer programming, an aspiring business analyst should have a solid understanding of SQL, data analysis, reporting, UML, Visual Basic programming, Microsoft Office Automation and a few other software packages.

Just bear in mind that this varies from organization to organization.

The ability to work in a team and to coordinate among people is also a skill that the business analyst needs to cultivate. Good writing skills and communication skills are also helpful in this career.

Comparing Computer Programmer Careers To Business Analyst Careers

1. Technology Skills: Computer programmers spend the majority of their time writing code while business analysts spend a minor amount of time writing code.

2. People Skills: Business analysts invest a lot of time interacting with business users a lot, so they need good communication and relationship skills.

Computer programmers tend to invest most of their time working on software that will be used by people. So communication and relationship skills are secondary to technical skills for software developers.

3. Entry level requirements: Business analysis positions tend to have lower entry level requirements than computer programming positions. Business analysis positions tend to pay lower than computer programming positions as well.

One of the advantages of learning computer programming is that you instantly have a lot of well-paying career options including software project management and business analysis.

The business analyst career stands out because it gently introduces you to the software development industry. It also provides you the opportunity to use more of your communication, relationship-building and data-analysis talents.

After more than a decade in software development, I’m convinced that many people don’t realize they have the option of becoming a business analyst. I hope that you do decide to become a business analyst if you are not really cut out to be a computer programmer.

If you want to become a business analyst or are looking for a business analyst job, begin by reading the series titled “The Business Analyst Job Description” to get the foundation or knowledge you need to succeed in business analyst jobs or roles.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/19/how-to-become-a-business-analyst/feed/ 63 The Job Of A Computer Programmer http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/18/the-job-of-a-computer-programmer/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/18/the-job-of-a-computer-programmer/#comments Wed, 18 Jul 2007 08:00:25 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/18/the-job-of-a-computer-programmer/

A few days ago, I granted an interview to a student writing a research paper on The job of a computer programmer. During the interview, I was given ten questions to answer about careers and jobs in computer programming. I’ve decided to post my replies, since a lot of people will benefit from it. You will find this entire interview interesting.

Please read it for your own benefit.

1. How did you get into the field of computer programming?

While studying chemical engineering in college, I observed that my friends studying computer science were having more fun than me. For example, they had part-time jobs working for companies; the entrepreneurial minded ones had founded small software development firms and were creating practical, useable, real world applications.

So, I befriended them and after college, a friend helped me interview for a technical sales job at a computer networking and software development firm.

2. What do you do on a daily basis?

On a daily basis, I do one of the following:

  • Design or Architect Software Applications, Websites, Databases.

  • Write code for both Intranet and Internet applications, Web Sites, Web Services and other software applications.

  • I document code or write technical documentation for existing or new software applications.

  • I train and mentor people who want to become a programmer or master computer programming.

  • I support or maintain existing software application code.

  • I write about my life and career as a software developer.

  • I analyze and document requirements for new software projects.

  • I plan and manage the development effort of software projects.

3. What is the average introductory salary for a computer programmer?

The average introductory salary for a computer programmer varies. It depends on your country and state of residence, the programming languages, programming experience, negotiation skills and whether you are a full-time or contract programmer. For Saint Louis, USA, I will say it is about $65,000 to $70,000.

4. What are the pros for a career in computer programming?

There are lots of pros. It will take a book to mention or discuss it all, but here are a few:

  • Top pay for computer programmers. Computer programmers can earn a high salary easily. This is because programmers are judged by their ability to get the job done. That means that if you are capable of pushing yourself to do hard study, you can earn six figures in no time. In so many other careers, you can’t up your earnings by $20k to $40 k within a single year because your remuneration is not tied to your performance but to your age, experience and other implacable factors.

  • High demand for computer programmers. There are thousands of jobs listed on job sites like Monster.com for computer programmers. There are jobs everywhere on local newspapers, job boards, and local recruiting fairs. There are so many programmer job vacancies that programmers from several nations are courted and recruited worldwide to work in countries like USA, Canada, Australia.

  • Self Actualization. The need for us to do meaningful work that fulfills us is core to what makes us human. Computer programmers have that opportunity because their work is highly creative and they are highly remunerated. Computer programmers also get to use their mind, personal vision, talents, creativity, skills and initiative at work every day. There are always bugs to quash, new software applications to visualize and develop as well as human and business needs to be satisfied. Furthermore because there’s no cookie-cutter approach to programming, your personal ability, creativity and hard-work will always be appreciated and rewarded.

5. What are the cons of a career in computer programming?<

The major con of being a professional computer programmer is that:

  • You spend a lot of time with computers and technology. If you don’t like working with technology that much, you may begin to dislike your career. Also, you may end up spending more time working with computers than talking to people. Again, some people can handle this and others can’t.

  • Another con is that computer programming is a fast paced career. New technologies and programming languages are being released yearly which make your current skills partially or completely obsolete. So you have to be constantly learning new technology or your career becomes extinct.

6. What are the recent trends for computer programming careers?

Some of the major trends I’ve noticed is a shift towards object-oriented programming, a shift towards web programming, a shift away from windows programming, a shift towards test driven development, a shift towards better software design and a shift towards mobile software application development.

7. What are the hours for a computer programmer?

A computer programmer typically works a full 9 am to 5pm, 40 hour week. Additional time needs to be set aside to study and stay abreast of technology.

8. Would you recommend a career in computer programming and why?

Read my earlier comments on the pros of a career in computer programming to see the reasons why I recommend a career in computer programming.

9. What is your advice for someone interested in a career in computer programming?

Don’t let the lack of a college degree, your age or the educational conditions existing in your country or state of residence stop you from becoming a computer programmer because none of these is a real barrier. Begin by reading how to master computer programming and get high-paying software development jobs easily to discover the steps you need to take to become a professional software developer.

Next, if you can, begin your programming career early in life, because your investment in programming skills and experience will work for you and before you know it, you are a top-paid consultant. Finally, don’t let anybody or anything deter you from pursuing your career in computer programming because, programming is not as hard as people make it to be. If the fear of the unknown, stops you from pursuing a career in computer programming, conquer your fear and discover a bright new world waiting for you as you begin a career in computer programming

.

10. Are there opportunities for advancement in a programming career?

Yes. You can start and become a mid-level programmer, senior software developer, software architect, software manager, IT director, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), etc. If you are a contract programmer, you can advance by increasing your billing rate, finding challenging work or contracting for new clients.

How To Learn Programming Easily and Get Hired Fast!
The Faster, Easier, Less Expensive Way To Learn Computer Programming and Get A Job.

If you enjoyed reading this post and will like to be notified when I publish another news article, please join my free computer programming career newsletter.

About the Author

Kingsley Tagbo is a Software Developer, a Computer Programming Coach and Author of How to Master High Paying, Highly Sought-After Computer Programming Skills Easily and Quickly. Kingsley’s book “The Street Smart Guide to High Paying Computer Programmer Careers” teaches you how to develop and leverage your ability to master high paying computer programming skills easily.


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