ITCareerCoach Training - Coaching » college education 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 What Is The Best Way To Choose A Career? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/11/30/what-is-the-best-way-to-choose-a-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/11/30/what-is-the-best-way-to-choose-a-career/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 07:57:07 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3352

How To Choose A New Career

How To Choose A New Career

After witnessing the challenges in the lives of professionals dealing with under-performance, under-achievement, stress, anxiety, career stagnation, anger, depression or financial failure; I decided to write this article on how to make better career choices.

Choosing the right career is important because you spend the major part of your day (9 to 11 hours) at work. If you make the wrong career choice, you will put yourself in a painful, challenging situation.

So, choosing the right career ranks as one of the most important decisions you will ever make in your life.

Here is my review of the right and wrong ways of choosing a career.

Recommendations

You may choose a career based on the recommendation of family members, friends, colleagues, college counselors, coaches or other professionals.

Recommendations from friends or family are usually well-intentioned but they are sometimes based on the individual’s limited experience, fears, personal interests or hearsay.

Some common examples include recommending a career because a brother, sister, father, mother or family friend is in that same profession.

Apart from career coaches or counselors, most people making career recommendations do not actually assess the strengths or weaknesses of the individual who they are making the recommendations for. Rather, they are solely focuses on what they perceive to be the opportunities in the industry.

However, you need to determine that the individual making a recommendation is knowledgeable about a wide range of careers or that they are not biased in their recommendations.

Personality Tests

You may decided to choose a career based on your personality type.

For example, If your personality leans towards that of an introvert, you may decide to choose a career in computer programming instead of project management.

On the other hand, if you are an extrovert, you may choose a career in technical recruiting, account management or sales.

Choosing a career based on your personality is effective because it factors in your strengths and weaknesses.

For example, if you train for a career that your personality is ill-suited for, you will find it hard to get a job or succeed at the job if you are hired.

If your personality does not match the profile required for the job, you will find it hard to convince employers to hire you, even if you have strong educational qualifications!

You may read more about personality types in this post titled: “What Is Your Personality Type?”

Self Interest Or Hobbies

You may choose adopt a hobby or a recreational pastime as your career.

For example, you may start programming as a hobby before deciding take up a formal, full-time computer programming career.

Turning a hobby into a full-time job is effective because you are choosing to build your life around “what you love doing or your passion“, instead of some other shallow reason!

Education

You may decide to pursue a career that is aligned with your college major or educational background.

That can be is okay as long as you don’t limit yourself to what you learn or did not learn in college.

Choosing a career based on a college major is not always effective because, what you get from college in some cases is a good theoretical education but not necessarily the strong functional education, knowledge or skills required by employers.

You may not be making an informed decision if you base your career choice on your college coursework because the two may not be closely aligned.

I get a lot of questions along these lines, for example; from MBA graduates who assume that the MBA course work is the same as that of business analysts!

Fact is, your college major or degree does not help, hinder, limit or restrict your career options.

You may read more in this post titled: “Stuck In A College Mindset After Graduation”

Financial Reward

A lot of professionals choose their careers based on the perceived financial reward, salary or compensation.

Here is what they miss; regardless of the career you choose, if you are a top performer, your income will grow and exceed the average salary paid to professionals in your industry!

If you are really good or exceptional at what you do, you will be paid well regardless of your profession or career.

So, while you may choose a career because for financial reasons, a better path may be choosing to become a top performer in a career you really love!

So, if earning more money is important to you, identify the factors that lead to high performance in your career and then work on becoming a top performer as quickly as possible.

You may read more about top performers in this post titled: “Can You Perform? Prove IT!”

Prestige

Do you know someone who is in a particular profession like medicine or law because of the prestige attached to that profession?

The problem with choosing a career because of it’s prestige is that what seems prestigious right now may not feel prestigious in a few years or when the glamor of that profession wears off and you are back to the daily grind!

Remember that getting a prestigious job may not make you happy or successful in the long run because your happiness is governed not by the prestige others attach to your career (an extrinsic factor) but by how much you enjoy doing your job (an intrinsic factor).

Lifestyle

Your lifestyle may dictate your choice of careers. For example, if you are a stay-at-home parent, you may not want to commute daily to work.

Keep in mind that certain lifestyles are more available in some careers than others.

For example, a freelancing lifestyle is more accessible to a computer programmer than say … a project manager.

And a technical recruiter or sales rep is more likely to spend time driving from office to office, meeting clients than say … a business analyst.

You may also have noticed that professionals in sales are more likely to travel for their work than computer programmers.

So, if you really must have a certain lifestyle, you have to do due diligence and choose the type of career that supports that lifestyle.

Mobility

Do you know someone that choose a career simply because that is what was locally available and that person has no intention of ever leaving his or her city to get a job?

If you cannot afford to relocate to a different city because of the associated financial costs, the cost of leaving your social / family network or the challenge of starting out in a new city, you may be limiting your career options.

Just remember that you don’t have to feel constrained to jobs or careers that are locally available.

Moving to a different city may bring much needed fresh perspective, energy and opportunity into your life!

Learning Curve

You may choose a career because it has a shorter or longer learning curve.

If you choose careers with longer learning curves (e.g. C++ programming career versus C# programming) you will have to wait for a longer time to get a job.

On the other hand, choosing a career with a shorter learning curve means that you will be ready for work sooner or faster.

If you do not realize that each career path has a learning curve attached to it, you may make the wrong career choice or fail at your career transition.

You may read more about “learning curves” in this post titled: “Oracle Or Microsoft Access, Which Is Better?”

Handicaps

If you discuss your career options in terms of “what you cannot do, what you are afraid of doing or worried about”, then you are motivated by fear or handicapped when it comes to choosing a career!

Don’t choose a career because of fear, worry, anxiety, worry, outsourcing, layoffs, recession or bad news.

Instead, choose a career based on what you love doing, your hopes, dreams, visions, goals, good news and other more positive factors.

You may read more about “passion” in this post titled: “Why Successful People Are Passionate About Their Jobs”

SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis allows you to compare your strengths and weaknesses, the threats, disruptive changes and opportunities in the environment.

SWOT Analysis is one of the most effective ways to choose a career because it helps you make an unbiased, fact-based decision by balancing your strengths and weaknesses (internal factors) against threats and opportunities (external factors) in your environment.

Why this list is not exhaustive, my hope is that you will use to evaluate your decision making process when it comes to choosing careers. That way, you will have a better, more fulfilling and happier life.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/11/30/what-is-the-best-way-to-choose-a-career/feed/ 0 How To Jump-Start Your Career When It Stalls! http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/11/14/how-to-jumpstart-your-career-when-it-stalls/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/11/14/how-to-jumpstart-your-career-when-it-stalls/#comments Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:54:41 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3340

How To Jumpstart A Stalled Career!

How To Jumpstart A Stalled Career!

It has been said that to “keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results is the very definition of insanity.“

On the other hand, “if you want something you have never hard, you must do something you have never done!“

So, if your career is stagnating, step back and take an honest look at your work.

Is your work everything you had hoped for?

If the smell of fresh-brewed coffee is the biggest reward after you walk through the office door each day, it’s time to truly perk up your daily grind and reboot your career.

Broaden Your Horizons

One way to jump-start your career is to volunteer for assignments that are outside of your comfort zone or take on additional roles that are valuable to your organization.

For example, you may take on some project management responsibility if you are in a more technical role, so that you can become a better-rounded candidate.

And as a project manager or a business analyst nothing stops you from getting more technical skills, because this makes you more hands-on than your contemporaries.

Adding more skills, both technical or management, can only help you in the long run.

Upgrade your Skills

One of the areas that all professionals need to stay on top of is; “their skill-sets!“

Like it or not, information technology skills are susceptible to losing their value because technology is always changing or evolving.

Read this post … “The Most Important Thing on Your Resume“.

Do What You Love

One of the reasons why your career is stagnating may be that you’re not doing work that you are passionate about. So, you’re bored, and it shows.

But your managers probably don’t realize the problem; and so, instead of working with you to get to the right place, they keep you in the same job, afraid to give new assignments and responsibilities to someone who, quite frankly, doesn’t seem to want to be there.

So the question to you is, “are you doing what you really want to do with your life?” If you find that you’re not, you need to figure out what makes you happy and do it!

Perhaps what you love to do involves working with a new technology, or on another team / company, or taking on a new role / career.

It’s likely that, you’ll need to re-train to learn the required new skills, but you should never let something like that stand in your way.

It may take time and effort to change your career, but it is likely that you will continue to under-perform or be unhappy until you start doing something you love.

Are You In The Right Place?

Studies have shown that, usually, a person’s workplace is not the reason they are not moving up – quite frankly, it usually has more to do with them, rather than the place where they work.

But some organizations are better suited for certain career paths than others.

For example, if you’re a computer programmer, your greatest challenge comes from developing new software applications.

If the work given to you is mostly that of maintaining software systems, you may find yourself getting bore as you repeat the same maintenance tasks over and over again.

Does your company have a technology focus?

That isn’t to say that your company needs to be a technology giant or software development company; because we can’t all work for companies like Microsoft, Google or Apple.

Rather, what you should ask yourself is, “does your company recognize the value of technology or leverage it extensively for the day to day operations of their business?“

Do You Have A Career Path?

Everyone wants to have the opportunity to grow in some way in their work.

Even if you don’t want to move into management, you may want to move into a project management role?

Asking yourself what it is you want to do long-term, and then examining whether or not your company is going to be able to help you get there is something everyone needs to do at some point in their career.

In the end, only you can determine what it is that will jump-start your career.

It might take new skills, or new responsibilities, or even a new job altogether, but there’s not much point in delaying the inevitable.

Other challenges may be phrased with questions like “how can I promote myself”, “what should I do in life”, “what career I should choose” because professionals frequently rethink or regret their choices in these areas.

Here are some of the tips for overcoming regrets and getting more control over your career.

BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE

If you have lost your confidence, you can take it back. Irrespective of your profession, you can regain your confidence any time.

Change your statements from “I can’t do it to I can do it or I can at least try“.

Change your statements from “I did wrong to I did better than before and I’ll do better again“

Change your statements from “Will this idea work? to No idea is bad“

You should replace your pessimistic thinking or talking with a more optimistic apprach or conversation.

Think of yourself as a professional in your department and your confidence will start growing.

THINK MORE ABOUT YOUR CAREER OPTIONS

Working at different jobs or roles will help you build a better understanding of your skills, experience or the opportunities out there.

Search for new opportunities and don’t restrict yourself to just one conventional or traditional career. Keep your options open and you’ll succeed at work.

Read this post … “Is Tunnel Vision Killing My Career?“.

Consider working as a volunteer to get different experiences as this will eventually help you decide the best career for yourself.

WORK ON YOURSELF CONSTANTLY

One of the best ways to boost your confidence is by updating your resume each time you complete a project.

The next thing is stay up-to-date with changes in your industry using the internet, journals, electronic papers, online classes etc.

If you are preparing for a job interview, first have an interview session with your self; answering questions like “why do I want this job“, or “why am I qualified to do this job“, etc.

Your answers should reflect a strong self confidence, positive mental attitude and personal competence.

Try to practice quick answers; lasting for not more than couple of minutes.

Talk with yourself in front of the mirror and give these answers.

This will surely help you in your interview and it will eventually increase your confidence as well.

PROMOTE YOURSELF

The only way to be successful in a competitive job market is to market yourself constantly.

People with strong marketing skills get the best jobs even when they are less qualified than others.

One way to market yourself is to make a personal, nice looking, business card which you can distribute.

Also, consider using a blog to showcase your skills and expertise.

Finally, join a local networking group that will help you meet people.

GET YOUR FAMILY TO SUPPORT

Many professionals faces obligations and responsibilities related with their family, culture, religion.

But they often find it difficult to spare more time for either their professional or family obligations.

If you are thinking of putting in the extra work that it takes to reboot your career, you should discuss it with your spouse or children in advance, to avoid creating a lot of stress.

Consider asking your spouse for support, because the extra work you may need to invest in your career, may place a burden on your family.

The sooner you can take an honest look at your career, make an objective assessment of your skills and prospects and make the necessary adjustments, the sooner you will begin to experience a more satisfying career.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/11/14/how-to-jumpstart-your-career-when-it-stalls/feed/ 0 Do You Want To Become A Consultant? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/10/14/do-you-want-to-become-a-consultant/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/10/14/do-you-want-to-become-a-consultant/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 22:01:30 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3318

Do You Want To Become A Consultant?

Do You Want To Become A Consultant?

Have you ever thought of becoming a consultant, contract worker, independent contractor, 1099 or freelancer and then dismissed the idea, because you thought it was too risky or because you were not qualified?

Think about it again because there are far more benefits and fewer risks to becoming a consultant than you may think.

Here is some advice on the risks and rewards of consulting, freelancing or independent contracting from someone who has actually done it!

What Does It Really Take To Be A Consultant?

Contrary to popular advice, you don’t need a lot of start-up capital or an advanced college degree to become a consultant.

What you really need to be a consultant (business analysis, computer programming, software testing, project management, etc.) is:

  • Strong research, analysis and problem solving skills
  • Marketable skills, experience, resume or career
  • Lots of personal initiative and a strong sense of responsibility
  • The willingness to adapt to changing times, technology, market conditions or customer needs

So, What Does It Mean To Be A Consultant?

Above all other requirements, a consultant must learn a marketable skill and stay ahead of the technology curve.

Consulting work is all about your skills. While you may be cut some slack in a full-time job, you will always be held to a higher level of performance as a consultant.

While corporate politics and / or favoritism can keep you longer on the job as a full-time employer, consultants are hired or retained based on their performance.

So, does this almost absolute dependency on skill or performance mean that consulting jobs are less secure than full-time jobs?

Absolutely not.

In the Information Technology (IT) Industry, both the consultant’s and full-time employee’s job security depends on their performance.

The difference is that full-time employees are usually given more time to correct their skill / knowledge deficiencies than freelancers or contract worker.

So, given that employers are more accommodating with full-time employees, why would anyone want to be a consultant?

  1. Compensation for Consultants vs. Full-Time Employees:

    Consultants or contract workers get paid a lot more than their full-time colleagues (business analysts, computer programmers, etc). Sometimes the difference can be as much as $30,000/yr or even more!

    The significant difference in compensation helps consultants take care of themselves during periods of unemployment such as when they are in between jobs.

  2. Medical Benefits for Consultants vs. Full-Time Employees:

    You may have heard that the benefits for consultants or contract workers are poor compared to that for full-time employees.

    That is not always true. Some staffing / recruiting agencies offer full-time medical or health coverage to their consultants.

    While some staffing / contracting agencies do not offer medical benefits, consultants are not at a disadvantage because they are expected to research each job offer before accepting it.

    Keep in mind that some consultants prefer to opt out of medical coverage and then bill the employer at a higher rate!

  3. Educational Qualifications for Consultants vs. Full-Time Employees:

    Full-time jobs generally have more stringent educational requirements than consulting jobs.

    While some employers may require college degrees for full-time jobs, consultants have more options because they are technically not employees!

    Consultants are hired through staffing agencies who can match each educational background or qualification to the client’s needs.

    What this means is that aspiring consultants should obsess over their skills instead of their educational qualifications.

  4. Skill / Experience Requirements for Consultants vs. Full-Time Employees:

    The consultant’s most important asset is his / her knowledge, skill level and experience.

    Highly skilled consultants in marketable industries (e.g. web developers) are in so much demand, that all they do is show-up at job interviews to get hired … easily!

    Some consultants are so valuable at their jobs that they retain the same jobs for several years just like their full-time counterparts.

    In recent years, the line between consultants and full-time employees has become so blurred that some organizations have found it necessary to institute policies that limit how many years a consultant can work to a specific term (e.g. 5 years).

  5. Job Security for Consultants vs. Full-Time Employees:

    The consulting mindset is an important asset in today’s economy because no job is really secure and the best security is your investment or self-confidence in your own skills.

    It is okay to be a full-time employee because you have a good job offer or because you like the job and employer.

    However, staying in a full-time job because you think it’s more secure than a consulting job is ill-advised … here is why I say that:

    Your job security really depends on your performance and not on whether you are in a full-time position or a consulting job.

    So, sooner or later, if you are less than absolutely competent, you will lose your job.

    However, if your skills are sharp and you lose your job due to no fault of yours (downsizing, corporate politics, etc.), you will be able to bounce back because you have the most sought-after qualification in today’s job market … your skills.

So, now you know the risks, rewards or benefits of being a consultant, what are you going to do about it?

Why not develop a consultant’s mindset?

  • Stay ahead of the technology curve at any cost because your skills are your most valuable assets
  • Always be learning. Study from books, blog posts, articles, video resources, seminars, discussion forums. Just get out knowledge at any cost!
  • Improve your real-world, on the job performance. Performance is a better predictor of success than educational qualifications, degrees or job titles etc.
  • Embrace change like a consultant. Be willing to adapt to changing times, technology, market conditions or customer needs
  • Become a leader in your community. Do something to make your world a better place with what you know today.
  • Become passionate and not passive about your work. Discover your passion, do the work you love and bring your passion to market!

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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/10/14/do-you-want-to-become-a-consultant/feed/ 0 The Secret to Success in a Nutshell http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/09/27/the-secret-to-success-in-a-nutshell/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/09/27/the-secret-to-success-in-a-nutshell/#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:25:33 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3299

The Secret To Success In A Nutshell

The Secret To Success In A Nutshell

As a career coach, I receive lots of emails (from business analysts, computer programmers, project managers, software testers, etc.) about how to be successful.

Here is the answer in a nutshell: Knowledge + Skills + Experience = Career Success!

Applied Knowledge

The key to getting results is deep, skill building, career-focused learning.

For example, if you read about “how twitter can help you get a job“, go to Twitter.com right away, create an account and start posting tweets on your area of interest.

Practice right away … the second you finish reading a tip, blog post, article, book, review, listening to a podcast or watching a video.

The Goal of Learning Is Action

If you gain some new information … any information at all from any study, coaching, training or educational program, the value will be lost and your time wasted if you do not put it into action.

Some people think that they can skip this hands-on step. They read, nod, and think they’ve stored away the knowledge for instant retrieval when they need it.

They’ve learned something new, they think.
And it will all come magically back to mind the next time they need it on the job, they say to themselves.

Or worse, they want to get hired for the knowledge they have stored up in their brains.

Yeah, no.

The brain doesn’t work that way. Read to learn — and make sure it sticks by reading carefully, re-reading, and immediately applying what you read to some hands-on assignment, problem, task or project.

Heck no!

Employers are of the opinion that your past performance is the best predictor of your future performance.

So, if you are not performing or doing something with what you know now … you are just playing!

Read, practice, sharpen your skills

Not just today, but for tomorrow, for the rest of this month, and for as long as it takes to master that technique.

And then do it some more …

Stick with a technique until you master it.

If someone tried to become a commercial pilot by reading books on flying without logging extensive flying hours, would you consider him / her a pilot by any measure?

Absolutely no!

You take it for granted that every commercial pilot has flown the same aircraft several times in some testing / training facility before flying a commercial airliner, right?

That’s why, fortunately for the rest of us, the folks who fly commercial planes spend extensive time in flight school, learning how to fly … until they have it down pat.

So don’t skim around your learning resources.

It’s great that you’re eager to learn. But learning without practicing and without making an extensive effort to develop a real-world skill is not going to help you!

This isn’t a game folks — this is business.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you a resume writer can somehow rewrite or put something on your resume that gets you hired.

And don’t think that heading back to college for a graduate degree or MBA will impress employers into hiring you.

My advice for you is: don’t go near that crowd!

Be one of the fortunate few and take the most direct approach. It brings the best results because it gives employers what they want.

#1: Become The Most Knowledgeable Person You Can Be

Your first job should be to learn everything that you can about your chosen career.

To start with, employers want you to be knowledgeable about your job.

They don’t want a shiny resume and they don’t want decorative college degrees. They want functional knowledge.

As a professional, the way to get functional knowledge is by doing some or all of this (the more the better):

  1. Read, follow, subscribe to blogs and leaders on your topics of interest.
  2. Buy and read books on your chosen career. You can never invest too much on textbooks.
  3. Take training or coaching to get ahead in your career. There are lots of dead-ends and you need to avoid them all!

Study using as many resources as you can afford.

This is a knowledge-based economy, so the best investment you can make is in yourself.

… it is really this simple

#2: Become Highly Skilled

Knowledge is different from skills. Skills are gained by taking lots of quizzes or practice tests.

Sharpening your skills by taking lots of practice tests achieves two (2) really powerful objectives:

  1. It gets you ready for the question & answer format of job interviews.

    In a job interview, your interviewer wants you to be factual, detailed, comprehensive or prompt in answering questions.

    The interviewer also wants you to demonstrate that you are highly knowledgeable / skilled in your subject.

  2. Practice Tests also sharpen your skills for the real-world and here is why:

    When you rehearse the answers to a question and then commit it to your memory, you arm yourself with the ability to recall the solutions easily when faced with real-world problems … and managers just love that.

And that my friend is how you bridge the gap to becoming a highly skilled, highly marketable, successful professional

The ability to recall solutions easily will make you stand out on your job and it will give you a lot of confidence

The increased self-confidence comes from taking the time to study, practice and prepare for real-world, on the job challenges.

That my friend … is how to become a superstar professional.

So many people cheat themselves and short circuit the process by focusing on certifications or educational degrees, etc!

They miss the point completely!

Today’s world is highly competitive and employers are hiring for razor sharp, finely tuned / honed skills and not general skills.

#3: Gain Hands-on Experience

The last but not least is hands-on experience.

Employers rate hands-on experience above certifications or advanced college degrees.

Why?

Because in the Information Technology Industry, the mindset of employers is: “Your Past Performance Is The Best Predictor Of Your Future Performance“.

What this means is that the more real-world experience you have, the more attractive you are to employers.

The point is not to fuss about how you gain the experience (through coaching / mentoring, volunteering, on the job, etc.) but just to get it.

That is it my friend … The Secret Recipe for Success In A Nutshell.

Resources


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/09/27/the-secret-to-success-in-a-nutshell/feed/ 0 Self Study or College, Which Is Better? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/07/27/self-study-or-college-which-is-better/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/07/27/self-study-or-college-which-is-better/#comments Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:25:23 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3243

Self Study or College, Which Is Better?

Self Study or College, Which Is Better?


Here is the question: can you study all the subjects that you are passionate about through self study (by using the internet and textbooks) and still learn more than someone who goes to college for the same purpose?

Consider both sides of the debate. Forking over $40,000 and 4 years of your life to college gives you something that you can hang on your wall, a certificate that both you and your employers can be sure off.

But what happens after you get your foot in through the door? Job descriptions change at such a rapid pace that what you learned after 4 years of college education may become obsolete in a heart beat!

What happens when your employer shifts your focus away from a task that you learned in college (like writing test cases) to a task for which you have no formal education like (analyzing and documenting business requirements)

Or what would you do when technology shifts emphasis from one platform like Mainframe Programming to another like Web Programming … would one go back to college and spend another 2 to 4 years and $20K to $40K on another college degree like a Masters or a Doctoral Degree?

However you look at it, there are not too many options for learning or studying new information after college … You may:

  • Self study or learn from scratch using textbooks and the internet …

  • You may enroll for another College Degree …

  • Or enroll in a training program.

In this post, I will only compare the pros and cons of self study compared to more college education.

How to self study or learn anything by yourself

Studying by yourself may work if you enjoy reading or if you are the kind of person that is not afraid of a challenge.

Self study is far cheaper than paying your way through college but at the same time it may require some form of external support or coaching just like a college education requires the external support of a university and college professors.

The first thing that you have to do is to create, get or buy a study / learning curriculum.

How To Study Using a Curriculum

The curriculum you get should be comprehensive and it should cover all the topics that you need to study in the right sequence or order.

In other words your self study curriculum should differentiate between beginner, intermediate or advanced level topics.

You can only create a curriculum after you have created a list of topics that you need to study or concepts that you need to master.

How To Create Study Lists of Textbooks and Internet Articles

Next research the study textbooks and internet articles that complement the topics or lessons listed in the curriculum.

Most of the topics listed on your curriculum will be covered by multiple textbooks or internet articles.

You are going to be doing a lot of personal study and you must get used to the idea of spending a lot of evening me on bookstores like Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com

However, do not expect that any one textbook, website or article will supply all the information you need.

When I was building my skills as an Information Technology consultant, I would visit Borders Bookstore at least once a week and spend up to $200 at any one single visit which means that I could spend up to thousands of dollars per year on study textbook alone!

How To Learn By Doing

Arrange for additional handson activities, quizzes or assignments that you can participate in to verify all that you have been learning.

Self study needs the presence of an online community which is a community of users, studying similar topics.

Your community is a forum or group that you can bounce questions against, answer the questions that they ask, discuss ideas with solve or troubleshoot problems with, exchange study lists (list of textbooks and articles), job interview questions, etc.

You will also need the help of coaches, group moderators or group sponsors who can help you answer the bigger questions or keep motivated just like a top performing, world class athlete needs a personal coach or trainer or help them get the best out of their abilities.

How To Get A Formal Education?

Alternatively, you may enroll for more formal education in college. Keep in mind that a college education may set you back by tens of thousands of dollars.

Evaluate your background

You also need to evaluate if you qualify, because getting the right prerequisites or educational profile for an advanced college degree like a masters or a doctorate may set you back a few months depending on whether you have the right background.

Do you have the right background or prerequisites

How will you manage the schedule?

Time is also something that you have to factor in. Before you finish 2 to 4 years getting a Masters or a Doctoral Degree, your job or your company may not be there and you may be left with an expensive education but without a job to match.

Scheduling may also be a pain. Some colleges may require that you attend classes during official working hours meaning that you have to choose between your job and your education or even have both suffer.

Also keep in mind, that Some colleges may be inaccessible to you because of their location or you will have to relocate before you can actually finish or complete the enrollment / degree requirements.

The best thing about a college degree is that you will have a certificate that you can hangup on your wall and say, I went to Princeton, Yale, Harvard or whatever school that is and you can feel really proud of your accomplishment!

How Does Self Study Compare To A College Education?

Here are some answers to this question …

  1. A college education is important because it allows the employer an objective assessment of your capabilities and skills. For that reason, you need to have at least a bachelor’s degree.

  2. Your first college degree will help you get your foot in through the door, but when it comes to keeping up to the demands of a fast paced, constantly changing workplace, you must learn how to advance your skills through self study

If you need more coaching, help or guidance with choosing self study or a formal education, let me know by posting your comment or feedback on this post and I will be glad to help you!


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/07/27/self-study-or-college-which-is-better/feed/ 0 Java, C/C++ or C#, Which Is Better? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/04/20/java-cplus-or-csharp-which-is-better/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/04/20/java-cplus-or-csharp-which-is-better/#comments Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:50:24 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3172

Java, C#, C++, Which Is Better?

Java, C# or C++, Which Is Better?

Sometimes, you have to look to the past to see the future. To see the future of our more popular programming languages including Java, C#, Visual Basic, C/C++, let’s first review their histories.

Is C/C++ the Best Programming Language?

The C programming language was standardized in the early 70s for the UNIX operating system (and not Windows) by Dennis Ritchie.

In the early 80s Bjarne Stroustrup at Bell Labs invented the C++ programming language as classes that extend the C language.

The C/C++ programming language is primarily used in writing operating systems, video games, device drivers, embedded systems and commercial, shrink-wrapped windows based software programs.

In the MS-DOS or Windows 3.1 era, C/C++ was probably the most capable compiler for developing windows based programs

Is Visual Basic the Best Programming Language?

The folks at Microsoft who were the sharpest minds in the software development business at that time realized that they were not catering enough to hobby or beginner programmers … keeping in mind that Bill Gates started his career as a hobby programmer without any formal computer science college education.

The issue was that working with C/C++ or most of the programming languages in existence at that time, required a strong computer science background or a formal computer science college education and lots of tedious, coding hours.

At that time, programmers had to repetitively code for mundane windows features or behaviors like detecting or responding to keyboard clicks or mouse movements.

So, in keeping with their founder’s (Bill Gates) history, Microsoft decided to do away with a lot of the repetitious, boring coding by developing Visual Basic (VB) 1.0 as a Drag and Drop, User Interface Driven, Rapid Application Development Environment.

VB 1.0 was introduced in 1991 to make computer programming accessible to everyone including hobby programmers, inexperienced software developers, beginners or anyone without a strong, formal, computer science background.

Visual Basic succeeded at making programming fun, less tedious or less expensive by giving programmers an easier, more productive coding environment.

A Paradigm Shift in Computing

Because of Visual Basic, millions of professionals without a formal computer science college education or background could learn how to program or get fun jobs without experiencing the drudgery or pain traditionally associated with programming languages.

Because of this paradigm shift, business owners could bring their windows software projects more quickly to market because the amount of time that programmers spend writing code had been dramatically reduced.

This paradigm shift also separated systems programming for which C/C++ was still the best from windows-based business software development for which Visual Basic was better suited.

What differentiated Visual Basic was its graphical, windows development environment which allowed inexperienced programmers to write less code by dragging or dropping pre-built windows features from a toolbox!

This meant that programmers no longer had to write thousands of lines of code before their software would receive user input in data entry forms, interact with back-end databases or detect and respond to mouse or keyboard actions from users.

Is Java the Best Programming Language?

While Microsoft was busy at work, the Internet appeared as if from nowhere and pulled the rug from other programming languages like Visual Basic and C/C++ which were not designed with the Web in mind.

The question no longer was “can you program in visual basic” but rather “can you program for the web or build a website?“

Sun Microsystems answered that question by releasing Java in 1995 with the intention that unlike Microsoft software, Java programs will run easily on web browsers and is portable to most hardware or software environments.

Java became very popular for many reasons. It was a superior object oriented programming language to Visual Basic which at that time was not object oriented.

Java was easier to code with than C/C++ and Sun designed Java programs so you could port or run them on all sorts of hardware systems unlike Visual Basic or C/C++.

Though Java became popular in the late 90s with experienced programmers, it still lacked Rapid Application Development features just like its cousin C/C++.

Today, Java still does not appeal to inexperienced software developers, beginner programmers or web developers without a strong, formal computer science education.

Java is also not the language of choice for writing web applications or designing websites! Web application development skills are currently more in demand than windows, systems, hardware programming skills.

Is C# the Best Programming Language?

Then Microsoft had another brainwave and released C# in February 13th 2002 which changed the web and windows programming industry again.

Here was a programming language that incorporated the object oriented programming capabilities of Java or C/C+ and the Rapid Application Development environment of classic Visual Basic and at the same time, provided a first-class web programming environment!

With all the facts in this article in mind, here are my recommendations for choosing a programming language.

  • Lower Learning Curves Is Good For You

    C/C++ has the highest learning curve (level of difficulty) followed by Java.

    C# is the easiest of the three (3) programming languages to learn because of its Visual or Graphical Programming features and language intellisense, which explains the meaning of programming commands as you type!

    C# also offers a large set of pre-built classes that save you from writing thousands of repetitious lines of code before you read, write or update databases or accept user input.

  • Acing Programming Interviews or Finding A Job

    Acing a programming interview or finding a job depends on your mastery of the programming language in question.

    Keep in mind find that mastering C# is easier than learning Java which in turn is easier than learning C/C++.

    Also, C# is preferred to either C/C++ or Java for building web applications.

    This means that if you want a web development career, you will do better to choose C# over Java or C/C++!

  • Bringing It To Market Matters Most

    The speed or ease with which you write code determines the time, money or effort required to complete a software development project.

    That is why it takes longer to build websites in C/C++ compared to Java. That is also why C# is easier or most productive for building web or windows applications compared to C/C++ or Java.

    Finally, software development managers are typically more concerned about the ease or speed with which you code than how fast your code runs, keep in mind that C/C++ is the the fastest or how portable your program is: Java is designed with portability in mind.

  • Code Potability or Processor Speed Is Irrelevant

    The amount of processing power available to Computer power has been dramatically boosted since the 90s.

    Software programs now run in 4GB to 8GB of memory instead of 256MB.

    Furthermore, computer processing power has grown from 16MHZ to QUAD CORE 2GHZ CPUs.

    So, the speed of your compiled software code is no longer a determining or driving business factor for most software development projects.

    The web / internet removes the need to address the question of code portability because HTML, XHTML and CSS is the native programming language for the web.

    Your Web Software is 100% portable if it emits pure or valid HTML, XHTML or CSS, so saying that Java is portable gets you nowhere!

Please answer the questions below. But before you answer the questions posted below, take a moment to read this article titled: “Is Learning C/C++ Programming Language Good For You?”

Discussion Questions

  1. Today, we live in a digital, information rich, mobile, internet era and my first question is: “how relevant is C/C++, Java, C# to the Web / Internet Age?“

  2. What is the difference between Operating Systems / Hardware programming and Business Software Application programming?

  3. No one programming language is best suited for every project. With this in mind, “what sort of software development project is each of these programming languages best suited for: Java, C#, C/C++?“

This post answers a question posted by Josh on the quickest way to get into a computer programmer career..


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/04/20/java-cplus-or-csharp-which-is-better/feed/ 5 Is College Worth The Money? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/22/is-college-worth-the-money/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/22/is-college-worth-the-money/#comments Tue, 22 Feb 2011 06:00:30 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3109

Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses

Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses

The answer to the question: “Is College Worth The Money?” is YES … so please go to the best college you can afford because there are doors in life that will be easier for you to open if you have a college degree.

That being said, there are pros and cons to attending college and a right / wrong mindset that you need to be aware of.

In a new book, “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses,” sociologists Richard Arum of New York University and Josipa Roksa of the University of Virginia, are of the opinion that “College Students in the US are not learning Much“

Reporting on a study of more than 2,300 undergraduates they discovered that 45 percent of students show no significant improvement in the key measures of critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing by the end of their sophomore years.

Based on the findings of the report, it looks like students who work hard, drain their personal or parent’s savings and take on a huge debt to go to college … are not getting what they paid for!

Click here to read the article titled: College Students Not Learning Much

I believe that college is worth the money, if you know how to get the best out of it.

Here is my advice on the matter:

  1. Go to college to expand your mind: Study a topic that you are really curious about and intellectually invested in.

    While you are at college, seek to understand or learn or acquire knowledge as a means to personal enlightenment and not as a means to making more money or finding a job.

  2. Go to college to study your passion: Study a science or art that you genuinely want to make a heartfelt contribution to.

    The process of trying to make a contribution to your industry will let you know if you are passionate enough about it or if you have the goods to succeed in that industry.

    If you can’t think of a way to improve the industry while you are surrounded by volumes of books and some of the smartest folks in the world, then you may be studying for the wrong career!

  3. Go to college to connect with your industry: Use your time in college to connect with or network with potential employers.

    Get a real-world part-time or full-time job and do something practical along the lines of your career regardless of whether you get paid for it or not.

    The feedback that you get from a real-world job is invaluable! It allows you to get the type of handson experience or practical skills that results in a good offer after graduation.

  4. Do not go to college to get a job: Going to college solely for the purpose of getting a job is a waste of your time and money.

    You will not learn any real-world skills from college and you will probably not learn much from your college studies either as the authors:p Arum and Roksa point out.

  5. Going to college does not entitle you to a career: I have hired, worked with and advised college graduates who are basically adrift in their careers because they assume that they are entitled to a career because they have for example a computer science college degree.

    These group of people find it very very hard to empty themselves of their preconceived notions of what society owes them and they typically have too high an opinion of themselves to start from the bottom or build their career up!

    They are typically very opinionated, very low in practical skills or experience and very high in expectations of what they will earn or what their skills will command in the market.

Going to college can be worth the money, if you have the right set of expectations about what it offers or will not offer you.

While in college, endeavor to widen your mind, your horizons and your vision.

Finally make the best use of your time in college by working on real world projects so that you can build the relevant skills or experience before you graduate.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/22/is-college-worth-the-money/feed/ 1 The Survivors Guide To Overcoming Unemployment http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/13/the-survivors-guide-to-overcoming-unemployment/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/13/the-survivors-guide-to-overcoming-unemployment/#comments Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:46:02 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3098

The Survivors Guide To Overcoming Unemployment

The Survivors Guide To Overcoming Unemployment

Several years ago, I had a conversation with a lady who had a computer science degree but was unable to get hired for any type of Information technology (IT) job.

I realized right away, that what she lacked was an understanding of how the IT job / career market works. The sort of information that is generally omitted in schools because no one thinks it is important enough.

So, after she shared her story with me, I did some research and came to the startling conclusion that she was not alone.

I discovered that there was a big gap in our educational system and I am not just talking about schools, but staffing / recruiting / training agencies as well.

The problem was that all the players were in a hurry to make ends meet and no one really cared about the professional whose career or job was at stake.

For example, recruiters / staffing agencies will only work with you when your skills and experience matches that required on a job posting.

They will not think of helping you bridge the gaps in your skills, resume or experience or advancing your career further through coaching and mentoring.

So I started educating people on how to thrive or succeed in the Information Technology (IT) world and as a result this website (www.it-career-coach.net) was born.

Today, I have been giving another unique opportunity to help because a number of you are talking to me about their unemployment situations or asking for my advice or suggestions along those lines.

I want to say, thank you to everyone who has been talking to me about their unemployment situations.

I appreciate the trust you place in me and more importantly, your courage in talking about it!

I am dedicating the “FREE Survivors Guide To Overcoming Unemployment” below to those of you who are out of work..

Please download and read this career guide and learn how to survive unemployment or get productive by earning an income again.

I retain all the copyrights to this career guide. However, you have my permission to distribute it or share it with anyone (friends, strangers, colleagues, etc) or post it anywhere.

Download The Survivors Guide To Overcoming Unemployment Below


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/13/the-survivors-guide-to-overcoming-unemployment/feed/ 2 How To Start Programming for Mobile Phones? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/25/how-to-start-programming-for-mobile-phones/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/25/how-to-start-programming-for-mobile-phones/#comments Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:35:58 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3084

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

Here is a question that illustrates the challenges facing us as we try to find a worthwhile career.

I am a recent college grad who has come to the realization that I wasted time and money in a psychology degree with nothing to show for it.

I have always had an interest in computers, and recently developed a strong desire to possibly move into the computer industry (mainly b/c of google android and my passion for cell phones).

The problem is, i have no formal background, I don’t know where to start, and most articles I’ve read say don’t ruin your hobby by making it your job.

I respectfully seek more information about how to transition into this industry (really into cell phones) regardless of time, money or energy (seeing all I do at work and home is play with roms on my cell phones and dismantle them to discover their contents).

What I have though of so far is going and getting another bachelors (i love to learn; actually what I do best), going to a trade school (ITT, DeVry, etc.) or getting some type of certification, but I don’t know whats best. Any help would be appreciated.

Do You REALLY Need a College Degree to Get a Programming Job?

Congratulations, you have just made an important discovery; which is that it is more important for you to discover and develop your passion than to postpone it for a college degree.

However, don’t lose heart because your time has not been completely wasted.

While you do not absolutely need a college degree to get a computer programming job, some managers will view your college degree as proof of your ability to set a goal and achieve it.

According to Esther Schindler, having a major in a non-computer science discipline can actually work in your favor.

Read more about this in this article titled “Do You REALLY Need a College Degree to Get a Programming Job?“: http://bit.ly/2XKgEM.

The real issue here is not that you have a college degree but that you postponed doing what you love.

You should never put off following your passion for something else … at the very least, you should have worked hard at getting a college degree and also getting handson learning in cell phone application development at the same time.

Is A Computer Science Degree Worth It?

Is a formal background in computer science required for a career in mobile phone application development? The answer is absolutely not!

Again, you are making the mistake of looking for a solution in a college degree.

Don’t you see the trap that you are again falling into? You’ve already spent a number of years in college and all you got is a degree that you consider worthless … though I disagree with you on that.

And again, you are hoping that investing time, money and effort towards another degree will fix your career situation!

You are caught in a maze and it is time for you to wake up or get yourself out of it!

The problem is that most computer science colleges, trade schools or diploma providers will not teach you how to program on mobile phones.

They will most likely teach you just pure computer science and all the theoretical stuff, which is why you won’t be helped.

Even if you hit a homerun and you find a college where you can learn mobile phone programming, by the time you graduate, whatever you will have learned will have become ridiculously obsolete and you will be back at the starting point again!

Should You Turn Your Passion Into A Career?

Absolutely yes! The best career you can have is the one that you love, the career that interests you, the one that you do as a hobby or for fun.

Yes, I am asking you to do what you love and turn your passion or hobby into a full-time job.

The best reward you will get out of work is not the income that you make but the pleasure you get from doing your job.

Tell me, if you are not going to have much fun at work, why on this green planet will you do it?

How Do You Become A Mobile Phone Programmer?

You will become a mobile phone application developer by continuing along the path of getting your hands dirty with real-world mobile phone application development … and this is how you do that:

  1. Look into the cost of developing for each of the mobile phone platforms (Android, iPhones, Windows Phones) and then choose one of them to begin with

    .

  2. Get a good number of books on the platforms that you’ve chosen and start learning everything that there is to know

    .

  3. After you learn how mobile phone programming works on any of these major platforms, start building at least one mobile phone application project.

  4. If you find yourself being overwhelmed by all the information on mobile phone development technology, find a training provider or a course that you can subscribe to and learn mobile phone development in under a year.

And regardless of whether you are learning mobile phone development through self-study or through a training or coaching provider, keep building real-world mobile phone applications.

The biggest challenge that you will face with any Information Technology Career regardless of whether it is mobile phone programming or business analysis or project management is that of finding practical, real-world knowledge.

For overcoming that challenge, I would recommend that you read the book listed here: http://www.it-career-coach.net/book/

Are you facing a challenging career or job situation?Submit your Question to [Ask IT Career Coach] and we will answer it for you.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/25/how-to-start-programming-for-mobile-phones/feed/ 1 What Is the Toughest Challenge Facing your Career? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/11/the-toughest-challenge-facing-your-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/11/the-toughest-challenge-facing-your-career/#comments Wed, 12 Jan 2011 04:30:35 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3062

What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

Compliments of the Season and Merry Christmas To You. What is the toughest challenge facing your career right now?

Post a detailed question regarding your challenges right now, and I will help you take care of them, once and for all!

How To Discover Your Passion?

Perhaps, your toughest challenge is …

  • How to choose the right career or
  • How to make a career change or
  • How to get an entry level job that is inline with your career goals

Regardless of the type of challenge facing your career, go ahead and post a detailed question regarding your challenge and I will answer it for you

How To Do The Work You Love?

Perhaps, your toughest challenge is …

  • How to become highly skilled at your job or
  • How to get suitable hands-on experience or
  • How to transition from a beginner or junior position to a senior-level job

Leave a detailed comment about your challenging career situation using the form below and I will answer it for you!

How To Take Your Passion To The Market?

Perhaps, the most challenging situation facing your career is …

  • How to rewrite your resume and/or cover letter, so you can get the job you want or
  • How to distinguish yourself from others in your industry, so that you can standout or get hired or
  • How to ace your job / technical interviews so that you can get jobs more easily …

Whatever your challenge, just go ahead and ask a question using the “comment form” below and I will answer it for you.

I may answer by writing a new article that addresses your concerns or by posting a comprehensive reply to your comment below.

The concern or challenge facing you is important to me, so go right away and post it as a comment on this page.

The sooner you ask that question, the sooner I can take care of it for you. So, let’s get started


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/11/the-toughest-challenge-facing-your-career/feed/ 53 Breaking News: Software Engineers Have The Best Jobs In 2011 http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/05/software-engineers-best-job-2011/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/05/software-engineers-best-job-2011/#comments Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:12:33 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3056

I dedicate a considerable amount of time to debunking myths and half-baked truths. And one about the future prospects of software developer careers has just been ratified!

According to a survey of the best and worst jobs in the United States, Software Engineers will have the best jobs in 2011.

For this survey, 200 professions were analyzed based on their pay, environment, hiring outlook, stress and physical demands using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau and trade association studies.

According to this survey, the high-demand for Software engineering jobs is fueled by the desire for high-tech gadgets, iPods, tablets and other devices.

Click here to read more about the survey by CareerCast.com on MSNBC, titled: “Software Engineers Have Nations Best Job …”

Software Developers Have The Best Careers

The survey agrees with what I have been saying on this website: which is that web programmers or software developers are in high-demand because of the demand for technology and internet products or services.

Here are two our of several articles on future prospects for software developers / computer programmers:

  1. Reasons for Becoming A Computer Programmer
  2. Benefits Of Becoming A Computer Programmers

I Like Debunking Myths

I have been debunking myths about software developer careers including the following:

I’m not just interested in debunking myths about computer programmers. I’m also rebutting half-truths or misconceptions about business analysis, databases, project management and other careers in Information Technology.

In my opinion, too many smart people have wasted their lives or taking long, expensive detours because they accepted a half-truth, lie or misconception about their career!

I hate mental limitations because the worst prison is that which exists in one’s mind!

So, work with me as I help you identify or remove self-imposed limitations. Have an Awesome Year!


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/05/software-engineers-best-job-2011/feed/ 0 Is An MBA Required For Business Analyst Jobs? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/12/10/is-an-mba-required-for-business-analyst-jobs/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/12/10/is-an-mba-required-for-business-analyst-jobs/#comments Fri, 10 Dec 2010 18:42:11 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3031

MBA - Laid Off and Looking For Work!

MBA - Laid Off and Looking For Work!

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

This question was submitted by a reader who would like to know: “If An MBA Is Required For Business Analyst Jobs“.

Here Is The Question on Educational Requirements for Business Analyst Jobs:

… I will be working for one year then I have plans to go for a one year MBA program.

Will this plan help be to become a business analyst? And in this one year of working period before going for an MBA, i would like to load myself with extra courses like SAP or SAS or any other relevant courses.

Kindly let me know which part time course will be suitable for me to in this one year working period to become a business analyst.

I am not from computer background so do i need to do some computer programming related courses like c++ or java which will not be so easy for a beginner?

Thank you

Is An MBA Required For Business Analyst Jobs?

Here is the answer to the question: is an MBA required for business analyst jobs?

Business Analyst Jobs Are Not Traditional

Your question is based on the premise that Information Technology (IT) jobs are just like other traditional careers (law, medicine, education, etc.) … but they are not!

The IT Industry is fundamentally different from other sectors of the economy. For one, it is in a constant state of change and it is also in its infancy.

The Business Analyst Career has its roots in Systems Analysis, Software Development and Business Process Engineering amongst others.

So, business analysis as a profession is still in its infancy and it is still evolving and unlike other non-IT industries, there is no degree required for a job in business analysis or any of the other information technology fields.

So the answer to your question is: NO, an MBA Degree is not required for a Business Analysis Job.

Which College Degree Is Required For A Business Analyst Job?

Neither an MBA or SAS or SPSS or any one degree is required for a business analyst job … that is old school thinking!

Any degree will work for you because hiring managers are more concerned about your actual performance on the job than on your paper qualifications or credentials!

As a matter of fact, even if you get a job based on your paper qualifications, you are bound to lose the job, if you don’t understand the roles and responsibilities of a business analyst and perform accordingly.

Information Technology is a performance driven, prove-it field and business analysts are not exempt from that culture.

Your college education only goes to prove that you are literate and that you can be trusted to converse or discuss on workplace issues, intelligently.

Your college degree by itself does not qualify your for a business analyst job.

What Are Hiring Managers Looking For?

Hiring managers are looking for functional business analysis skills because business analysis skills are different from MBA skills or SAS or SPSS or any other body of knowledge.

In other words, getting an MBA degree does not convey functional business analysis skills.

To start with, business analysts gather, document, validate and manage requirements using specific processes like UML or Use Cases.

So, you can’t expect to get that from an MBA program or bypass this skill requirement by learning another course like SAS or SPSS.

In addition, employers often view business analysts as domain specialists because they are looking for subject matter expertise and previous business knowledge in their industry.

This is why you may see job postings for CRM Business Analysts or Sales & Marketing Business Analyst or IT Business Analyst.

Understand How To ACE IT Jobs / Principles of Success in IT Careers

My goal in this community is to get you started down the path that leads to career nirvana and stop you from forking over thousands of dollars in hard-earned money or waste time chasing down self-imposed limiting beliefs or myths supplied by others.

So, I would advise you to do just this:

  1. Don’t analyze Business Analyst jobs the way you would analyze jobs in other industries because that won’t work :-) .

    Don’t assume that an MBA degree pre-qualifies you for a business analyst job the way that a medical or law degree places you in the direct path of becoming a doctor or a lawyer.

  2. Don’t try to bypass the requirement for business analysis skills by taking non-business analysis courses.

    Learn business analysis first and then if you need to get an MBA or any other degree to fulfill your personal educational ambitions, do so afterwards.

  3. Take the shortest path to becoming a business analyst and give the hiring managers what they want.

    Learn business analysis, get hands on business analysis experience and bring you resume to market as quickly as possible.

  4. Focus your learning on business analysis techniques, skills and practices.

    You may learn business analysis in an online class because that fits in more conveniently with your hectic study schedule.

  5. The most impressive thing on your resume is your handson experience.

    So either get handson experience as an IT business analyst or get domain / subject matter expertise relevant to the domain you may want to specialize in.

Take a direct path to becoming a business analyst and don’t spend your time chasing rabbit trails … that is the [IT Career Coach's] ACE (Affordable, Convenient, Effective) :-)


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/12/10/is-an-mba-required-for-business-analyst-jobs/feed/ 14 Why Tech Jobs Are Better For You http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/11/30/why-tech-jobs-are-better-for-you/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/11/30/why-tech-jobs-are-better-for-you/#comments Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:45:05 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3019

Tech Jobs Are Better For You

Tech Jobs Are Better For You!


I get questions all the time about the suitability of technology careers for those who’ve never worked a tech job.

I understand those asking are anxious about their future.

However, making a career change to Information Technology is in many cases a better financial investment than taking on debt to buy a house or go to college!

If you are one of those, here are some of the best reasons why changing jobs to Information Technology (IT) is a sound financial decision.

  • Technology Shapes Our Future

    Technology is the currency of our civilization now and in future.

    Those that work with technology will be the ones initiating or driving our society / civilization forward.

    Those that don’t will be the ones left behind … and there is no sitting on the fence because you are either in or out!

  • No Glass Ceiling

    You can grow or succeed in an Information Technology (IT) job regardless of your age, sex or ethnicity or educational background.

    The IT Industry employs professionals with diverse backgrounds (sciences, liberal arts, etc.) and there are no set limitations that will make it impossible for you to rise to the top or disqualify you for a good IT Job!

    If you want to be the master of your own destiny, get an IT job!

  • Tech Jobs Are IN Demand

    Technology workers are employed in every industry (legal, healthcare, finance, insurance, tourism, etc) instead of being pigeon holed in one industry.

    Tech jobs are in-demand now even though people say that jobs are scarce in other sectors of the economy.

    Our economic growth depends on the pace of technological change so working a tech job puts you where the economy needs you the most!

  • Low Barrier To Entry

    You can transition into a tech job without having to spend tens of thousands of dollars in expensive education or re-training … quite unlike other professional, high-paying careers.

  • Lower Learning Curve

    You can transition into an IT job without first having to invest years in a lengthy or expensive certification program.

    This is quite unlike what obtains with careers in healthcare or the legal sector (for example) … where you are legally restricted from working as a professional until you pass specific certification exams!

  • No Certifications Required!

    You can get an IT Job without first getting some sort of certification or credential because the tech sector is a credentialess industry.

    Your only valid credentials are your resume, handson experience, job interviewing skills and your reputation in the industry.

  • Tech Skills Are Portable

    Tech Jobs offer you the maximum portability for your working life.

    You may start out as a business analyst and switch to a project management role or vice versa.

    The portability of Information Technology skills means that you don’t have to be trapped behind a job that you hate, just because you made some wrong choices eariler in your career.

    This means that you can easily retrain yourself, migrate to another branch of the IT Industry and take advantage of new financial opportunities.

  • If you know what you’re doing … it may not even take you a long time to advance your career, become highly skilled and start earning a higher pay because you’ve moved upwards in the industry.

    And you can even make career advances that may take decades to achieve in other sectors of the economy within a few of years of starting your tech career.

The Information Technology (IT) sector of employment is a gold mine for many professionals because tech workers can re-train or learn new IT skills from the comfort of their home or office and then get high-paying jobs or move up in their carees because of the high-demand for their technology skills.

[ASK IT Career Coach] is a Career Advice column that provides tech professionals with answers to their most challenging career situations.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/11/30/why-tech-jobs-are-better-for-you/feed/ 0 How to Prepare for the Real World When College Doesn’t Help! http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/08/22/how-to-prepare-real-world-without-college/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/08/22/how-to-prepare-real-world-without-college/#comments Sun, 22 Aug 2010 06:22:46 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2981

Prepare for Life after College

Prepare for Life after College


How do you prove that you have learned or mastered business analysis or computer programming or project management or any other Information technology career?

Do you demonstrate your competency with a college degree or by gaining hands-on experience or acquiring a certification?

In some professions like medicine or law, there is a rigorous licensing, certification and training process without which you cannot practice practice the profession or get a job.

But in Information Technology (IT), you can become a software tester, business analyst, computer programmer, IT Manager or project manager without any supporting certification, college/post-graduate degree or license.

However, unlike so many other professions, you cannot get a job or succeed in an information technology career without a fair amount of hands-on experience or professional expertise.

As a matter of fact, the IT Industry is notorious for being performance or results driven. This explains why many managers fail to attach extra weight to educational qualifications and the like.

When was the last time your firm hired a web designer based on the web designer’s educational qualifications or hired a project manager with an MBA and zero work experience over a project manager with 10 years of hands-on experience and no MBA degree?

The superiority of hands-on experience over college education or certifications becomes self-evident when computer science or information technology college graduates find it hard to get jobs because they lack practical, hands-on experience or skills!

With that in mind, here is a question submitted by a college student on “how to deal with college”.

… the toughest challenges facing my career includes methodologies that our lecturers employ in teaching IT related topics; being not practical rather too theoretical, lack of competence criteria, difficulties in job seeking.

Become A Practical Learner

Find a way to build, create or perform the real-world tasks that correspond to the courses you’re taking in college.

If you are learning web design or computer programming, join an open-source project an contribute your code or start one of your own.

If you’re learning technical writing, volunteer to work on a commercial or open-source project where your skills and contribution will be used to create real-world solutions.

That will help you create a portfolio of projects that will open doors for you!

Find the real-world practical tasks that correspond to whatever theoretical skills you are learning from college and get a heads-up on your competition that way!

Take a Lot of Knowledge-Based Tests

Take tests or certifications not to get a job but to sharpen your skills, advance your knowledge or deepen your understanding of the industry.

Do not depend on tests or certifications to get a job because hiring managers realize that certifications by themselves are not necessarily a true test of ability.

Practice tests or certifications are better used for sharpening your skills or improving your comprehension or retention of a subject.

Discover and Follow your Passion

Don’t worry about making money after college. Rather use your time in college to find what you love or what you’re good at.

After college, get a job you’re passionate about at any cost … even if you are under-paid compared to your colleagues.

Don’t go into a career because it is popular or because it pays well.

Rather, follow your dreams, passions or strengths and the money will follow you after a while because you will excel and command the top pay in your industry .. if you are passionate about your job!

  1. Click here to read: Use Practice Tests For Boosting your Skills.

  2. Click here to read: How To Start A New Career.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/08/22/how-to-prepare-real-world-without-college/feed/ 6 FREE Coaching on How To Make A Career Change http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/07/27/free-coaching-on-how-to-make-a-career-change/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/07/27/free-coaching-on-how-to-make-a-career-change/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:16:11 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2954

Coaching on How To Change your Career

Coaching on How To Change your Career


Some of you have been asking about “how to choose the right career” or “how you can make a career change“.

You are searching for specific, practical step by step instructions for transitioning or making career changes.

The answer to this question is important to you because you spend the majority of your waking time at work.

So you understand that this question determines how happy or successful you will be for several years or until your next career change :-)

With that in mind, I am devoting this series of FREE workbooks, study guides, career coaching, practical advice or instructions to answering your questions on how to choose or change careers.

How To Make A Career Change

Let me start by saying that you are going to consider changing your career at least once in your lifetime!

Gone are the days when you worked at one job, employer or career for your lifetime. The reality is that employers will probably not think highly of your skills if you stay at one place for too long!

This is true especially in the Information Technology (IT) industry, where your career diversity works for you and not against you!

So, it is okay to change careers, because you will benefit from gaining a broader perspective or a wider range of skills and your employer will view you as a more resourceful, capable cross-functional knowldege worker.

That being said, changing careers is still not easy. You could get lost in the transition or waste a lot of time chasing rabbit trails of certifications or college degrees only to discover that the trail leads to the door of hands-on experience or skills.

That is why this series is devoted to helping you make a successful career transition. By participating in this online career changers discussion group, you will receive answers to burning career transition questions such as:

  • Should I change my career or stick to the one I have always known?
  • How do I choose the right career?
  • Will I be able to successfully transition my career?
  • Is it wise for me to start from scratch in a new career?
  • Am I too old or is it to late for me to change my career?
  • Is this the right time for me to change careers?
  • How should I learn the skills, duties or roles required of me in a new career?

The answers you are getting are based on my career coaching book:The Blueprint, The Roadmap To Career Success

Some of this FREE information will answer whether business analysis, software development, project management, quality assurance or any other career is right for you.

Some of my practical advice will be in the form of Question & Answer (Q&A) discussions on this page.

And some step by step instructions will be downloadable as FREE Coaching Workbooks or Study Guides!

The First coaching guide in this series is titled: “Why We Change Careers“. It is the first in a series of workbooks with activities, discussions and free coaching on “How To Change Careers”.

I encourage you to download and read the free coaching guide and participate in all the activities contained both in the workbook and forthcoming series.

Note: Do not miss any of the activities, workbooks or articles in this series or you will be unable to benefit from this free coaching series.

Download the FREE Report below on How To Make A Career Change. It contains coaching information, workbooks and practical tips on transitioning your career!


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/07/27/free-coaching-on-how-to-make-a-career-change/feed/ 13 Don’t Let Your Career Become A Silo! http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/07/03/dont-let-you-career-become-a-silo/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/07/03/dont-let-you-career-become-a-silo/#comments Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:01:51 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2942

Is Your Career A Silo?

Is Your Career A Silo?

Don’t let your career become a prison. Use it as a launching pad for achieving your dreams.

If you would like to change career but feel like you can’t satisfy the specialized requirements on job postings, here is some good advice for you!

[Ask IT Career Coach] is a Career Advice Column for IT professionals looking for answers to their most challenging career situations.

Why Is Changing Roles So Hard?

Changing roles is hard because Information Technology (IT), Web, or Software Development Managers want depth of experience in specific, narrowly defined or over-specialized skills.

For example, you may be a strong HTML developer and yet fail at a job interview because you don’t have HTML5 on your resume even though you will easily learn it, if hired!

Or you may be an e-commerce business analyst (ba) with 5 years of experience and yet you can’t qualify for an “e-commerce ba job because it requires an agency or advertising background”. This type of job description seems to imply that having an agency or advertising background is essential in a business analyst role!

Is Your Career A Silo?

IT careers have not always been silos. Software developers have been known to gather or document requirements for their projects (business analysis), create software manuals or help files using specialized programs (technical writing) or create and execute test plans (quality assurance).

But because of the siloing of IT roles, our personalities are now limited by our careers instead of being expressions of them.

Don’t Let Silos Stand In Your Way

Transitioning careers is harder than it needs to be because of this narrow, over-specification of skills.

  • Your career is not bound to your college education. You are better of assuming that college is a training ground for improving thinking, probelm solving or analytical skills. College does not dictate your life work!

  • You are more than your resume. You succeed at work because of your intrinsic personal abilities which transcend job descriptions. Your resume only proves that you can get things done. Your resume does not determine what you can or cannot do!

The ability to succeed at a job is within you. It is not limited by over-specialized job postings. This means that you should believe in yourself and let that confidence drive your career transition.

For example, if you are a software developer used to gathering requirements for your team, believe that the same intrinsic personal traits (good communication or documentation skills) will help you transition into a full-time business analyst or technical writer job.

I am saying that you musn’t let your current job become a silo. Use it as a launching pad to your dream career.

Software Development As A Launching Pad For IT Careers

Believing in yourself means that you focus on building bridges between your current and dream career instead of focusing on the restrictive or limiting words frequently used on job postings.

with all this in mind, here is how you can transition from a software developer to a business analyst role.

Expand the scope of your day to day computer programming tasks to take on more business analysis tasks.

A good number of software development projects lack full-time business analysis resources. Take advantage of this opportunity to become a business analyst. Here is how:

  • Volunteer to gather, elicit or document the requirements for your software development projects. Don’t stay within the silo fo a typical software developer job role.

  • Learn UML and Use Cases which are skills that are common to both business analysts and software developers. This helps you build a bridge between your current and desired skills.

  • Bridge the gap between your current programming team and stakeholders. Become the go-between who interprets requirements to software developers or explains the programmers’ concerns to stakeholders.

  • Distinguish yourself by studying or training to be the best informed business analyst on your team. Many software developers have fragmented or incomplete knowledge of what business analyst do. Don’t be one of those.

    For example, some software developers know a little bit of Use Cases or UML, But having fragmented or incomplete knowledge doesn’t get the job done.

  • When an opportunity for a full-time business analyst resource opens up in your company apply for the position and ask the same stakeholders you are working with to recommend you.

  • If a business analyst position does not open up in your firm, document all the work that you are doing and apply for a full-time business analyst position at another company.

Don’t let your career, education or job postings become your silo. You have to believe in yourself and learn how to build bridges between your current job and the career you want.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/07/03/dont-let-you-career-become-a-silo/feed/ 1 What Is The Most Difficult Challenge Facing Your Career? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/12/what-is-the-most-difficult-challenge-facing-your-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/12/what-is-the-most-difficult-challenge-facing-your-career/#comments Sat, 13 Feb 2010 02:33:53 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2820

The Most Difficult Challenge Of My Career

The Most Difficult Challenge Of My Career

Hello,

“What is the most difficult challenge facing your career right now”?

Your most difficult challenge may be about how to get a job or how to improve your skills or how to get promoted on the job

Perhaps your most difficult challenge is about how to transition out of or into a business analyst or computer programming or database developer career.

Whatever your challenge is, just go ahead and post it as a comment on this page and I will deal with it for you.

I may answer it by writing a new article that addresses your concern or by posting a comprehensive reply to your comment.

The concern or challenge facing you is important to me, so go right away and post it as a comment on this page.

Thank You,


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/12/what-is-the-most-difficult-challenge-facing-your-career/feed/ 70 IT Career Coach Named A 50 Best Career Coaching Site http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/22/it-career-coach-named-a-50-best-career-coaching-site/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/22/it-career-coach-named-a-50-best-career-coaching-site/#comments Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:54:17 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=579

NAMED A 50 BEST WEBSITE

NAMED A 50 BEST WEBSITE

It is official. We (IT Career Coach) has been selected as one of the best 50 career coaching or job hunting sites on the web by Online University Review.

This selection is important because with the predictions of US unemployment approaching 10% by the end of 2008, there is no more important time than now to take interest in your career prospects and professional marketability.

The 50 best job hunting sites cover interview tips, resume writing, employee workplace experiences, personal, pertinent and honest advice on very personal experiences encountered while job hunting.

IT Career Coach was chosen for

teaching and coaching for computer programmers, data analysts, and software developers.

Click here to learn more about the top 50 best career coaching or job hunting sites.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/22/it-career-coach-named-a-50-best-career-coaching-site/feed/ 0 How To Become A Rockstar In Your Industry http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/15/how-to-become-a-rockstar-in-your-industry/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/15/how-to-become-a-rockstar-in-your-industry/#comments Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:00:57 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=498

How To Become A Rockstar In Your Industry

How To Become A Rockstar in Your Industry

Top performers, rockstars or successful professionals have a mindset or a way of thinking.

They practice a code or follow a set of principles that helps them achieve the best results in their industry.

Read the rest of this post to learn more about their philosophy and other actionable strategies for becoming the best at what you do.

Always Be Learning

According to the Japanese Kaizen philosophy, consistence and commitment to studying, getting more information or improving your skills is better than sudden bursts of efforts.

So become a lifelong learner and not someone who learns solely to get a job or or achieve some other short term professional goal.

Read this post titled: “Always Be Learning”.

Become An Expert In Your Industry

Acquiring knowledge is not enough. You must strive to become the best that you can be by sharpening your skills.

Improve your skills or become an expert by using practice tests to remember, learn more effectively or understand new material.

Keep taking practice tests until you become highly skilled and then gain a lot of handson experience by solving the problems or challenges facing others in your industry.

Remember that you can get experience outside the boundaries of an 8 to 5 job and note that becoming an expert does not mean that you know everything or that you have become the smartest person!

Read this post on How To Become A Technical Expert.

Become Inspired

There are skills or attitudes that can’t be passed along to you except by working with more experienced professionals.

So go find a mentor or coach who believes in you and is willing or able to work with you one-on-one towards your professional goals.

Make a habit of reading the blog posts or books of written by those that inspire you.

Read this post on How To Become Inspired.

Read Professional Books In Your Industry

Audio coaching is good and Video training is even better but books are still the most universal and widely accepted format for passing information across.

So, supplement all your video training with some good, old-fashioned textbooks!

Though many technical textbooks are boring or hard to understand, they are an indispensable part of your career development.

And do not hesitate to spend a lot of money on professional textbooks because the best investment that you can make is in yourself.

A long time ago, I formed a habit of spending Saturday evenings in Borders or Barnes & Noble Bookshop. While my kids are playing, I would survey or read the latest books in my industry and buy those that presented new or interesting information.

I would spend as much as 200 hundred dollars in one visit and I reckon that I made back the investment by getting top paying jobs usually offered to those that stay ahead of developments in their industry!

Read this post titled: How To Self Study Effectively.

Stay Ahead of Developments In Your Industry

Don’t bury your head in the daily grind of your 8 to 5 existence and become extinct like the Dodo!

The world around you and your industry is constantly changing, so you have to change too!

Be the first to learn new skills, processes, technology or tools and you will never lack a dull moment in your career!

Read this post on How To Stay Ahead of the Technology Curve.

Experience Is King!

In the Information Technology (IT) world, hands-on experience is King!

Experience counts more than certifications or college diplomas and degrees because experience is the currency of the Industry.

Experience matters because hiring managers are of the mindset that your past performance on previous jobs is the best predictor of your future performance (if hired for the job).

So, trying to convince a hiring manager of your suitability for a job without providing the experience to back it up is doing things backwards.

Give hiring managers what they want by getting handson experience with your current employer or building experience outside your 9 to 5 existence through working on leadership projects.

Read this post on How To Get Handson Experience At Your Current Employer.

Connect With Other Professionals on Social Media

Don’t look inwards until you implode into nothingness … Network with other professionals online!

There are tools like LinkedIn, Twitter or FaceBook that make it easy for you to create completely new relationships with total strangers, so get to know other people!

The success of LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook proves that we are transitioning to a world where new jobs, opportunities or clients will be increasingly referred to us by our Social Media Network.

You may start by connecting with me on Twitter.

Success Comes By Helping Others

You will never know a skill like you should, until you teach it to someone else.

The questions that you have to answer and the extra research you do to be sure of your facts, will in the end help you as much as it helps the person you are mentoring.

Besides, when you help others, some of the them will reciprocate by referring opportunities that you won’t have gotten by keeping your knowledge to yourself!

Becoming a leader by helping others improves your standing, value or reputation in an increasingly networked online community as a leader which means that you will find it easier to get full-time jobs or consulting offers.

Read this post On How To Become A Leader In Your Industry.

Work On Projects Beyond Your Comfort Zone

Accept responsibilities, projects or tasks that stretch you beyond your comfort zone.

There is really no safety in the comfort zone because that is not how life works.

Cultivate a mind that is willing to try new ways of doing things and you will never have to be afraid of the unknown!

In your Quest For Knowledge, Get Certified

Get some professional certifications. The process of getting a certification will improve your skills and stretch you beyond your comfort zone.

It will also ground you in the facts you need to know for your job. However don’t be like those who desire to get certified so much that … they are willing to cheat their way to through.

The true goal of certification is to make you a smarter, better, more knowledgeable person, so if you cheat your way to a certification, you have gained nothing!

In your Quest for Knowledge, Take Practice Tests

Use practice tests to boost your skills or get to your knowledge to expert level quickly.

Repetition in training is the key to skill mastery. So, to master any new skill just repeat the same set of tasks multiple times until it sinks in and becomes second nature to you!

And guess what? That is the same conclusion reached by “Daniel Coyle in Talent Code” and “Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers” in their ground-breaking, best-selling books!

These authors discovered that the top performers in any industry put in hours of practice into sharpening their skills and that constant skill-sharpening, passionate practice is essential for world class performance.

Read this post On How To Boost Your Skills Using Practice Tests.

Do it NOW!

The real purpose of knowledge is action.So take a pen and write down on paper, actions that you will take based on the information I have given you in this post.

Then, DO IT NOW!

I wish you the best in your career.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/15/how-to-become-a-rockstar-in-your-industry/feed/ 0 The Accidental Business Analyst http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/12/16/the-accidental-business-analyst/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/12/16/the-accidental-business-analyst/#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:18:18 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=154

Business Analyst Boot Camp Training Curriculum

Business Analyst Boot Camp Training Curriculum

Business analysts come from a wide variety of industries and from varying backgrounds. Because of this, you need to be flexible in your expectations of the type of work you will perform as a business analyst.

More than 50 major domains or industries that hire business analysts including the web development, web design, e-commerce, software development, information and marketing industry.

As the business analysis industry matures, software developers, database designers, software architects, project managers and professionals with diverse backgrounds are taking on formal business analysis jobs.

As a software development team begins to improve its development processes, many people become Business Analysts simply because they begin picking up the requirements gathering and analysis tasks that are left lying undone on their team.

These are the Accidental Business Analysts. They did not plan to take on the title, and in some circumstances, many still bear titles other than “Business Analyst”.

Like programmers, business analysts seem to come from different backgrounds.

One business analyst that I worked with in the past had a degree in computer science. He worked as a programmer for many years on our team.

He eventually became our business analyst because none of the rest of us wanted to spend time with the customers. For some strange reason, he was eventually promoted to team manager!

Another business analyst I worked with had a degree in business. He was hired as a systems analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank.

Even though he had no real background in technology, his role was to talk to managers about what they needed in the systems and translate and communicate those needs to the IT personnel.

Other business analysts I am acquainted with have backgrounds in biology, literature and even theatre!

While those business analysts who took college classes in business and computer science may have been introduced to the process of requirements gathering and business modeling, most did not. Where do they get their skills from?

As an Accidental Business Analyst, chances are that you start out simply winging many of your tasks and responsibilities. Even in situations such as these, your ability to lead, understand and communicate with customers, your understanding of your business domain and your ability to express customer needs to IT and vice versa will serve you excellently.

However, as the business analysis industry comes to maturity and you begin to grow your career, you should take the time to understand what a business analyst really does.

You should move towards excellence by finding out what makes a good business analyst, sharpen your requirements gathering and analysis skills, your business understanding and even your interviewing skills.

A little UML and Use Cases wouldn’t hurt you either? You will want to understand how to balance the business side of a project with the IT side of the project.

You should grow your value to your company by learning how to take a high level view of business issues as well as getting down to understanding processes and how systems support these processes.

The Business Analyst Boot Camp provides complete end to end training for business analysts.

The Business Analyst Boot Camp training is designed to be an in-depth online business analyst training that takes you from beginner to mastery in all the skills and competencies you need to be a great business analyst.

The high level summary of the Business Analyst Boot Camp curriculum is below. If you would like to download the detailed curriculum, request for the detailed business analyst training curriculum here:.

INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ANALYSIS COURSE

  1. INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ANALYSIS

REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING COURSE

  1. REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING
  2. ADAPTING PRACTICES TO PROJECTS
  3. AGILE REQUIREMENTS METHODOLOGY

CREATING THE BUSINESS CASE COURSE

  1. DEVELOPING VISION AND SCOPE
  2. MAKING THE BUSINESS CASE

RISK ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION COURSE

  1. RISK ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION STRATEGY

ELICITING REQUIREMENTS COURSE

  1. STAKEHOLDERS & REQUIREMENTS SOURCES
  2. ELICITATION TECHNIQUES

ANALYZING REQUIREMENTS 1 COURSE

  1. THE REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS LIFE CYCLE
  2. PRIORITIZING REQUIREMENTS
  3. BUSINESS PROCESS MODELING CONCEPTS & PRACTICES

ANALYZING REQUIREMENTS 2 COURSE

  1. RELATIONSHIP MAPS
  2. PROCESS MAPS
  3. CONTEXT DIAGRAMS
  4. EVENT-RESPONSE TABLE
  5. BUSINESS POLICIES
  6. ACTOR TABLE/MAP
  7. USE CASES I
  8. USE CASES II
  9. STORYBOARDS
  10. DATA MODELING
  11. STATE DIAGRAMS
  12. BUSINESS RULES

SPECIFYING & DOCUMENTING REQUIREMENTS COURSE

  1. CREATING A USER REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT
  2. CREATING A SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
  3. SPECIFICATION DOCUMENT

VALIDATING REQUIREMENTS COURSE

  1. CREATING TEST CASES
  2. CONDUCTING PEER REVIEW
  3. USER ACCEPTANCE TESTING

MANAGING REQUIREMENTS COURSE

  1. CHANGE CONTROL
  2. ATTRIBUTES & TRACING

MODELING WITH UML 2.0 COURSE

  1. UML ONE
  2. UML TWO
  3. UML THREE
  4. UML FOUR
  5. UML FIVE
  6. UML SIX
  7. UML SEVEN
  8. UML EIGHT

INTRODUCTION TO OBJECT-ORIENTED CONCEPTS COURSE

  1. OBJECT-ORIENTED CONCEPTS

Click here to request the detailed business analyst training curriculum


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