ITCareerCoach Training - Coaching » RUP Training 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 How To Get Extensive Hands-on Experience In Information Technology http://www.it-career-coach.net/2012/01/10/how-to-get-extensive-hands-on-experience-in-information-technology/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2012/01/10/how-to-get-extensive-hands-on-experience-in-information-technology/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:36:27 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3375

How To Gain Hands-on Experience in-Information Technology

How To Gain Hands-on Experience in-Information Technology

When it comes to the Information Technology Industry, getting more hands-on experience is one of your most important professional development activities.

In this post, I will explain how information technology workers including business analysts, computer programmers, database developers, data analysts, project managers, software testers and infrastructure / networking professionals can gain extensive, high visibility, career defining hands-on experience!

More Opportunities To Get Hands-on Experience

By far, the number one place to find hands-on project experience in the information technology industry is in web or software development projects!

Now, does that mean that you need to become a software developer?

Absolutely Not!

An enterprise software development project employs a diverse set of software testers, project managers, business analysts, computer programmers, infrastructure specialists, database developers, technical writers, etc.

So, dis-abuse your mind of the notion that software development is primarily a coding or programming effort, because it is not!

Business Analysts / Project Managers

Before a single line of code is written, project managers and business analysts have to gather the specifications and then plan the amount of work that needs to be completed at each phase of the project before handing over the coding to software developers.

Infrastructure Specialists

The Computer Networking / Infrastructure team has to plan or architect the servers, computer networks and workstations that will be used by the entire project team.

They may have to install software testing, development or planning software and they will also have to monitor all the equipment used in building or hosting the software, so that they can guarantee that it is up and running!

Software Testers / Quality Assurance Analysts

After computer programmers finish with their coding, software testers, business analysts or quality assurance specialists have to test the code and assure the client or project sponsor that the software being delivered is reasonably bug free and designed according to specifications.

And while all this is happening, the project managers are busy monitoring the cost and resource usage versus estimates.

With all this mind, here is why software development work provides you with the best opportunities for hands-on experience regardless of your career, industry, domain or background.

Following The Money Trail Works

Better Pay / Compensation

Software development project experience is guaranteed to boost your career options because employers pay more for software development experience regardless of whether the project is outsourced, maintained in-house or developed from scratch.

Software development experience also provides you with better career stability. Since there is so much work available, employers are always looking for or hiring motivated, talented, experienced, skilled workers.

Software development projects are readily available because they cut across all domains and industries!

Highly Portable Experience

Regardless of the industry you work in: healthcare, pharmaceutical (pharma), telecommunications (telco), insurance, banking and finance, securities, utility, customer relationship management (CRM) or sales and marketing, you will find plenty of software development projects.

Software development experience is also highly portable because you can move your experience from one industry or domain to another.

For example, as a business analyst, computer programmer or project manager; you may transition from a web project in the CRM industry to another web development project in the Healthcare / Medical Management industry.

You can significantly improve your chance of getting your foot in through the door even when you don’t have the required domain experience by gaining web / software development experience because that is portable across industries, jobs, careers or domains!

For example, even when you transition from a software development career to a business analyst or project management career, your software development background will still be relevant or useful helpful to your new project or employer.

Why Is There So Much Work In The Software Development Industry?

The software development industry employs professionals from a wide, extensive and varied background.

There is a lot of software development project work available because:

  1. Software development projects cut across the mobile, desktop, web, system development industry
  2. A large number of software development projects fail which means that software development projects last longer than they are expected to
  3. Websites are now integral to the marketing and sales functions of many organizations which means that funding website development is a top priority
  4. Organizations are constantly retooling or upgrading their websites because of competitive forces, marketplace or technological changes

So, if you are looking for a well-paying, portable, cutting-edge career, start building your web / software development project experience now.

When it comes to the information technology industry, your hands-on experience trumps your certifications or post graduate college degrees.

One Good Reason, Why This Won’t Work For You!

Here is one good reason why you may fail to gain hands-on software development experience … looking for a hands-on position without first taking the time to gain the requisite knowledge or skills that will qualify you !

Hear me now, I do not recommend you walk up to an employer and ask for a position for the purpose of gaining hands-on software development experience … except if you are truly qualified to be on the team.

Look, regardless of the position you are interested in: business analysis, computer programming, project management, software testing, etc., you must first take the time to study for the position before you start working on getting hands-on experience.

Why? because without the prerequisite knowledge, you have little or nothing to offer the employer, who therefore, has no incentive to hire you.

Why Is Knowledge A Prerequisite For Hands-on Experience?

When it comes to gaining knowledge, what matters is whether you have the requisite knowledge and not how you did you gain the knowledge; college, coaching, training, self study, articles, professional textbooks, on the job, etc.

Here is why you must gain the requisite knowledge first before you start focusing on building hands-on experience:

  • Can You Perform?: software project teams typical focus on delivering working software and not on mentoring or coaching team members.

    So, without the requisite knowledge, you will be a liability rather than an asset to the team since you won’t be able to keep up with the pace of work.

    Furthermore, you may even slow others down who stop and try to help you or wait upon you to deliver.

  • Return On Investment (ROI): don’t assume that an employer will pay for your hands-on software development experience because most employers want a quick return on their investment (ROI).

    This is because of the costs associated with training information technology (IT) professionals which makes employers picky about who gets to work on their projects.

    You are going to be limited in your ability to gain software development experience, if you do not first take the time to learn your discipline: business analysis, computer programming, project management, etc. so that you are prepared to run when the right opportunity presents itself.

This article is #1 of a 2 article series. The second installation of this article (part 2) may be viewed here …

You may review the references for this article series below.

References

  1. Learn more: The Most Important Thing on Your Resume
  2. Learn more: Which Courses or Certifications Guarantee A Job?
  3. Learn more: Can Certifications Take The Place Of Experience?
  4. Learn more: How To Get Computer Programming Experience
  5. Learn more: Stuck in a College Mindset After Graduation
  6. Learn more: Which Software Development Life Cycle Is Best?
  7. Learn more: Can You Perform? Prove It!
  8. Learn more: This Type Of Hands-On Experience Can JumpStart Your Career!

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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2012/01/10/how-to-get-extensive-hands-on-experience-in-information-technology/feed/ 0 Which Software Development Life Cycle Is Best? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/09/23/which-software-development-life-cycle-is-best/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/09/23/which-software-development-life-cycle-is-best/#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:58:46 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3284

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meeting Business Requirements

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

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

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

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

Engaging the Best Minds or Resources

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

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

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

Reducing or Eliminating Time or Budget Overruns

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

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

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

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

Managing the Software Development Process

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

While some Software models are sequential, others are iterative.

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

Creating Better Software Products

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

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

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

How To Adopt A New Software Development Life Cycle

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

Here is my advice on adopting a new software development model

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Which Software Development Life Cycle Is Best for Your Project?

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

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

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

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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/09/23/which-software-development-life-cycle-is-best/feed/ 1 What Do You Study To Become A Business Analyst? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/15/what-do-you-study-to-become-a-business-analyst/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/15/what-do-you-study-to-become-a-business-analyst/#comments Mon, 15 Aug 2011 22:37:26 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3260

What Courses Do You Study To Become A Business Analyst?

What Courses Do You Study To Become A Business Analyst?


You may start a business analysts career by taking some of the courses discussed in this post.

Keep in mind that for business analysis careers, soft skills count as much or in some cases even more than hard skills.

So, don’t make the classical rookie mistake of focusing on the hard skill requirements to the detriment of your soft skills!

The list of formal, informal or college courses that you may study for a business analyst career include:

  1. Study computer science & information technology courses in college because that will help you relate to the coding or testing that takes place on information technology / software development projects.

  2. Study Systems Analysis courses as they may help you get a better idea of how different networking, hardware & software systems are integrated into one functional Information Technology (IT) department.

  3. Take Technical Writing and Business Communication courses because a key part of the work that you perform as a business analyst is communicating business problems or solutions.

  4. Study business management courses as they will help you understand understand strategic and tactical business goals and objectives or see things from a management, stakeholder or business perspective.

    Keep in mind that not only do business analysts work in Information Technology (IT) departments, they also work in specialized business domains like Accounting, Finance, Sales and Marketing, so taking business courses can be helpful.

  5. Take conflict resolution, interpersonal, communication, verbal, presentation, negotiation, public speaking and leadership courses.

    While these sort of skills are not traditionally taught as part a formal college class, you can gain the required information from textbooks and audio material on bookstores like Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

The courses that you may take to become a business analyst may be divided into formal (business / technical) or informal (interpersonal, communication and leadership) skills.

So my friend, now you know what you may study to succeed as a business analyst … do do something with this information :-)

Thanks and Best Wishes


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/15/what-do-you-study-to-become-a-business-analyst/feed/ 0 3 Day Early Bird Registration Discount Begins Now http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/12/3-day-early-bird-registration-discount-begins-now/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/12/3-day-early-bird-registration-discount-begins-now/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:42:34 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=443

3 DAY EARLY BIRD TRAINING REGISTRATION DISCOUNT

3 DAY EARLY BIRD TRAINING REGISTRATION DISCOUNT

The early bird registration for SQL Boot Camp Training, Business Analyst Boot Camp Training and Software Developer Boot Camp Training begins now and ends on Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 11:59 PM Central Standard Time (CST).

Use the early bird coupon EarlyBirdCoupon on the shopping cart now to get a substantial discount on the training packages immediately.

The IT Professional Boot Camp

The IT Professional Boot Camps are Video-Based, Hands-On, Instructor-Led professional training for beginner to senior business analysts, computer programmers, database developers and other IT Professionals who want to take their career to the next level by improving their skills. The training is provided through a secure, private, web-based, online training system which allows you to log-in and watch your training videos from the comfort of your home or office.

How To Use A Discount Coupon?

Go to the shopping cart and select the IT professional boot camp you are interested in. Click the [Add To Cart] button and enter in your coupon EarlyBirdCoupon. Note that additional discounts are available and automatically applied to orders of 2 or more people.

What Happens After You Place An Order?

You will get a payment confirmation e-mail and a link to complete your registration for the Boot Camps. As soon as you complete your registration (enter your name, address, etc.), you will get a confirmation e-mail for your Boot Camp training.

Busy Right Now?

If you are quite busy at work or in your private life, you can still take advantage of the 3-day special discount. Just register for training and then use a feature on the web-based training software to pause your training until you are less busy and are ready to begin training

Reasons Why You Should Take Your Training

  1. Recession Proof Your Career: You become the better skilled, better trained or more productive team member. In a recession, the better trained or skilled professionals tend to keep their jobs while the lesser skilled workers are let go. If you are in the market for a new job, the skills you acquire during training look great on your resume to hiring managers and give you a competitive advantage over lesser trained or skilled job applicants.

  2. Get A Salary Raise: Training or improving your skills make it easier for you to negotiate a salary raise or prove your worth to your manager. The investment in your training us easily reaped back in terms of better pay, better job prospects or better, more frequent on-the-job promotions.

  3. Become The Best: The best rewards for taking your training could be that you simply become the best at what you do on the job. The extra peace of mind, improved self-confidence and command you gain from taking an IT Professional Boot Camp training means that you perform better on the job, handle your responsibilities more efficiently and on time and become the go to resource or leader on your team.

International Students Are Welcome

The SQL Boot Camp Training, Business Analyst Boot Camp Training and Software Developer Boot Camp Training is open to registration from USA, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Turkey, South Korea, India, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and other countries including Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Venezuela, Algeria, Andorra, Anguilla, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Scotland, Wales, Zambia, Kenya, French Antilles, Gibraltar, Indonesia, Mexico, Monaco, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Romania, Uruguay, Virgin Islands (US). If you don’t see your country in the list, don’t assume that you cannot participate … ASK

Do You Need Help?

If you need help or you have any questions about the registration process or training … post it as a comment on this page and I will be sure to reply and get back to you promptly


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/12/3-day-early-bird-registration-discount-begins-now/feed/ 19 Knowledge Workers Accept The Challenge To Be The Best Or Why IT Professionals Feel UnderValued http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/12/02/knowledge-workers-accept-the-challenge-to-be-the-best-or-why-it-professionals-feel-undervalued/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/12/02/knowledge-workers-accept-the-challenge-to-be-the-best-or-why-it-professionals-feel-undervalued/#comments Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:38:35 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/12/02/knowledge-workers-accept-the-challenge-to-be-the-best-or-why-it-professionals-feel-undervalued/

How you value knowledge tells me a lot about who you are … because knowledge capital is the most important resource in any organization.

In the digital age, what makes one employee more valuable than the next employee is simply stated … the amount of knowledge, skill, expertise, training and learning they have managed to acquire and put to use.

Now, managers are not interested in employees that know it all … only in employees that constantly put their knowledge capital to work by solving corporate problems or challenges … those employees are the gold mines in any organization.

Now, think about it for a moment, if you are a trained, knowledgeable, competent, skilled Information Technology (IT) professional, your resume would display your accomplishments, success stories, skills, training and technical mastery. And because you have all these, you can send your resume anywhere in the the world … and be instantly hired! … just because you are very good at why you do … and you can prove it!

The singular reason why you, as an IT professional may feel undervalued or wasted in your career is that for some unknown reason … you have made the unconscious mistake of not investing enough of your personal time in improving your skills!

Here is why technology or software development professionals lag behind in their career:

Managers Have A “Show Me Proof” Mindset:

Managers tend to follow a show me proof strategy .. .simply put, you have to demonstrate that you have acquired or mastered a new skill … before you will get a break or the next promotion on the job. So, your manager will pay you more money when you show tangible proof that you have learnt a new skill, you have attended a new training or course, you have mastered a new technology or software development process like UML, Use Cases, Requirements Analysis or Object Oriented Software Development.

Without tangible proof that you are constantly improving or learning … you may not only be bypassed for new or important opportunities, you will also be more likely than others to be back-burned or fired in a recession.

Adult To Adult Relationship:

Several years ago, I was hired first after college into a Fortune 500 company as a Process & Technology manager. During the employee training sessions, I heard a great word that has stuck with me throughout my career … that word is “Adult – To – Adult Relationship“.

What that word really means, is that your employer wants to forge a new relationship with you, where you are treated as partner or co-business owner even though on paper .. you are just an employee. In the light of this, your employer wants you to take personal responsibility for your career, personal development, initiative or the contribution only you can make to the company … and that is where you may miss the boat!

Taking personal responsibility for your career means that you need to sit down and draw up a career roadmap of where you want to go in the next 1 year, make a detailed career plan for achieving your career roadmap … and then follow through.

You need to specify how long it will take you to master each skill or competency needed to perform your job 1 year from now and then personally ensure that you acquire the knowledge, expertise, skills, training or experience needed.

Some employees fall off the grid at this point by making the mistake of waiting on their manager to take personal responsibility for their IT Training and skills development.

You Are Only As Valuable As What You Know:

In today’s competitive digital economy, nobody gets ahead based on their good looks or their family connections or the type of college they attended! Even if you manage to get your foot in the door by “repeating the name of your alma mater three times” at the interview or getting your dad or mum to pull some favors for you … you will only last as long as the next round of corporate cost reduction / cost cutting a.k.a downsizing / layoffs.

So, there is no getting around it, you simply have to know what you are doing or strive to be the best on your job or just simply play the sorry, loser on your team … the butt of off-handed, not so subtle remarks on the need to shape up or shape out.

So, what is a knowledge worker to do?

The Attitude Of A Knowledge Worker:

Start by recognizing that knowledge is one of the core prerequisites for wealth, personal empowerment and career advancement. Tell yourself this “without knowledge I bring nothing to the table , no usefulness to my team or manager and therefore I may not have a job … and you will being to get the big picture.

To Be The Best:

Accept the challenge to be the best … you simply must accept the challenge to be the best at what you do, whether you are a business analyst, a computer programmer, a project manager, database developer or you wear a myriad of hats on the job!

The problem with individuals who do not accept the challenge to be the best on the job is that, they constantly allow themselves to under-perform because they don’t hold themselves to a high-standard! This may be due to a poor self-image or a feeling of incompetency or a “I could never be that good” mindset.

Unfortunately, this has a way of proving itself right. If you lower the bar for yourself, you will fulfill the expectations set for under-performers or inevitably shoot yourself in the foot. The saddest part of it is that you cheat yourself by losing out on the opportunity to discover that you are in your own unique way, a gem, a virtuoso, a top performer … who can achieve just like anyone else!

Take Your Training:

You have heard it all … you are only as valuable as the knowledge you bring to your team or manager … take personal responsibility for your career development … accept the challenge to be the best at what you do … so, what next?

No one ever achieved anything much without the help of other people … that is why I’m referring you to these great resources for becoming the best, the most competent professional, the top dog and not the under dog on the job!

We are now accepting registrations for the next batch of INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BOOT CAMPs … Early Bird Registration Discounts Are Available … Register Now And Use This Discount Code: EarlyBirdCoupon For A Special Discount

To Register for the Business Analyst Boot Camp Training … Click Here:
To Register For SQL BOOT CAMP Training (Database Developers, Data Analysts Or SQL Programmers) … Click Here
To Register For Software Developer Boot Camp Training … Click Here.

In addition, if you haven’t already done so, read How To Learn Or Master Computer Programming Fast – Book OR How To Learn Or Master Business Analysis Fast – Book.

If you enjoyed reading this post, you may Click Here To Follow Me On Twitter: when I make the next blog post.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/12/02/knowledge-workers-accept-the-challenge-to-be-the-best-or-why-it-professionals-feel-undervalued/feed/ 0 How To Get A Business Analyst Job Easily http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/10/17/how-to-get-a-business-analyst-job-easily/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/10/17/how-to-get-a-business-analyst-job-easily/#comments Fri, 17 Oct 2008 23:24:56 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/10/17/how-to-get-a-business-analyst-job-easily/

Looking for a new business analyst job can be intimidating whether you are a seasoned business analyst looking for a challenging business analyst position or you are applying for entry-level business analyst positions.

If you do not handle your business analyst job search correctly, you may be passed over for positions that you are really qualified for or your resume may never get to the desk of the hiring managers or you may get discouraged by the lack of interest in your resume from potential employers.

Whatever your situation, what I am about to say next may help you find your ideal business analyst job quickly, fast track your business analyst career or help you become a star player in the business analyst industry, so, pay attention!

Your Cover Letter Is Key To Landing The Next Business Analyst Job

The cover letter you include with your resume is the first thing about you that will be read, noticed and analyzed by potential recruiters, employers and hiring managers.

Some job seekers assume that their job search starts with their resume or the business analyst job interview. Boy, are they so wrong! The process of actively soliciting a business analyst job actually starts with the cover letter and here is why:

Before you are scheduled for an interview or have your resume read by a hiring manager, the cover letter attached to your resume has to be read first. Whether you send in your resume by email, fax or snail mail, you have to include a cover letter with your job solicitation or application.

Now human resource departments receive a good number of resumes for any business analyst job position that they post and because of it, they will review your cover letter and only proceed to read the rest of your resume if your cover letter draws them in. This is exactly the reason why you must prepare a really good cover letter for your next business analyst job search.

The way hiring managers or staffing firms handle business analyst job seekers is similar to the way you search for information on the internet.

Typically when you search for information on the internet, you end your information search as soon as you find a high quality site that provides all the answers you are looking for. You will probably quickly narrow your focus to a few websites out of the several websites listed on the search results page. Now, picture a potential employer sifting through a pile of resumes in their inbox or mail folder. They will quickly also select few resumes out of the pile of resumes available based on the cover letter attached to the resume.

So, do not make the mistake of neglecting your cover letter or focusing all of your attention on your resume, give it the attention it deserves!

Your Cover Letter Says A Lot About Who You Are

Your cover letter should be a brief but convincing sales letter. It should present and qualify you as the best candidate for the business analyst job opening. At IT-Career-Coach.COM, I hear from a lot of people who complain that the never seem to get interviews or calls from recruiters and hiring managers. What is often missing is for these job candidates is a cover letter that sets them apart!

Make sure you highlight your best qualities, because the Law of First Impressions Still Holds! So, write a cover a letter that does a great job of convincing your potential employer that you are the best candidate for the job posting. Mention specific business analyst training, business analyst courses or business analyst classes you have attended. Mention any major results, key assignments and business analyst roles that you have been responsible for in your current or previous business analyst jobs.

Remember, that this is not a time for you to be shy, but a time to showcase your best business analyst skills, talents, training or on-the-job performance.

How To Write An Awesome Business Analyst Cover Letter!

You have decided to apply for a business analyst job posting and you have read the rest of this article, so you are ready to write a cover letter that makes your resume stand out.

Here is what you must do. Read the job description and then use your cover letter to position you for the business analyst job opening. If the job opening is for a Business Analyst with Agile Methodology experience, mention that. If the resume requires Rational Unified Process (RUP) experience, mention that or else mention that you have Rational Unified Process (RUP) Training.

List the key, measurable business results you have been principal to achieving. List all UML Training, Agile Training, Use Case Training, Requirements Analysis Training, skills and job experience. Mention any Fortune 500 corporations, business consulting experience, or experience in any industry aligned with that of your potential employer.

Finally, make sure your cover letter matches your key business analysis skills, training, certifications or job experience with the qualifications or requirements of the business analyst job posting.

Does Your Cover Letter Grab The Attention Of Hiring Managers?

If you have followed all the guidelines in this article, by now you should had a reasonably good cover letter. However the road from good to great is paved with good intentions. So, you need to make sure that your business analyst cover letter actually stands out!

You can achieve this the hard way by sending out your cover letter when you apply for a job and then sitting back to wait and hope that it is better than cover letters from other candidates who applied for the same business analyst job or you may do it the smart way. I prefer the earlier, easier, smarter reality check. Usually this begins by asking a business analyst coach, trainer or mentor to review your cover letter. Or by asking for specific feedback when you send your cover letter in with your resume.

Whatever, you do, don’t assume that your cover letter is good enough, verify it!

How To Format A Business Analyst Job Search Cover Letter

When writing your business analyst job search cover letter stay close to the straight and narrow path in formatting the letter.

Use normal business conventions in the opening paragraph, when addressing the business analyst job position, and in the closing paragraph of your cover letter. This will apply to cover letters that you send to business analyst job postings by email, fax, snail mail or business analyst jobs posted on job boards like Monster.com, Dice.com, etc.

Be courteous and business-like. Formality will not take away from you if you have something interesting to say, so keep the cover letter short by being focused and getting straight to the point. The entire cover letter should not be more than four paragraphs. Avoid starting out with “to whom it may concern.”, that is old school :-) If possible, you should use the name of the recruiting manager mentioned in the business analyst job posting. Do not use slang, cute phrases, emoticons or graphics.

Make sure your spelling and grammar are correct. Use a spell-checker and if possible, get a friend or mentor to proof-read the cover letter before you send it out.

Finally, remember that your cover letter presents you with an opportunity to get your ideal business analyst job. It is your opportunity to connect with and capture the recruiter’s or hiring manager’s attention, tell your professional story and stand out from the crowd. It may take hard work to create great business analyst cover letter, but it is worth the effort, when you land that great business analyst job while others wonder why they are not as lucky as you.

I wish you success with your business analyst job search.

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