"BA-mazing" - Why being a BA is the best job around

When I was an undergraduate job hunter some years ago, I accepted a job offer as a "Consultant/Business Analyst" with no idea what the heck that really meant. The team was amazing, the company had an awesome culture, and the type of work they explained seemed right up my alley. 

What I didn't expect is that I would be a business analyst ("BA" for short) for software and technology projects. I remember thinking "Do these guys realize I can't even install my own printer???" True story.

If I would have known that "Consultant/Business Analyst" meant "Software Consultant/Business Analyst," I would have smiled and said "Thanks, but I'm not a fan of failure, and Nikole + Software = horrible idea." Luckily, it was already too late by the time I learned that. I say luckily because I could not have ended up in a better position.

Let me explain a bit by telling you what a BA actually does in the software world. 

Steve Phillips explains it best. Your role is to understand how the business your working with operates today. Understand the details of a software's capabilities. Work with the executives and employees to gather and interpret what they need out of the system. Question why they do things the way they do today. Identify problems and opportunities, while proposing alternatives. And finally, build a consensus on the solution that makes the most sense for the employees and the company. 

So what's the real skill-set you need to be successful (and fulfilled) as a BA?

Great at listening for meaning in conversations. Able to communicate effectively with people from every type of company, and in every department, from the CEO down to the line worker. You have to have a great desire to know "why" things are they way they are. You're able to absorb an incredible amount of complex and interconnected information, and make meaning of it all. You can be detail oriented, yet able to see the bigger picture, but even further, you can see how those details are leading closer or farther away from the bigger picture. And most importantly, you have to have the intrinsic desire to help those around you. 

None of the things I just listed are easy, and certainly aren't trivial skills. But for someone with the right motivation and inherent skill-set, a business analyst can be the most rewarding job out there. 

And don't let the technology-aspect of the job scare you away.

The extent of my technology background coming into this job was dedicating some of my most formative years to Diablo II and Final Fantasy (VII-XIII, in case you were wondering). And I'll be the first to argue...that equates to...well, right around zero experience in technology.

But the wonderful thing about being a BA is that if you have the core skills, and are motivated by using those skills, the technology piece can be taught. Heck, I'd say that's the easiest part. I was willing to completely immerse myself in an unfamiliar world of software, and through it all, have developed a genuine passion for the industry. Having a technology background certainly is helpful and, of course, cuts the learning curve. But don't allow the fact that you don't have that background derail you from pursuing such a fulfilling career, if you believe you have the ability to be successful in an unfamiliar world. And if you do have some technology experience...lets be honest, I'm preaching to the choir. 

I don't get excited to come into work because I get to play with software. I get excited to come into work because the things I do are actually interesting, challenging, and rewarding.

Do you want to know what I'm lucky enough to do every day? 

• Understand the inter-workings of a multitude of organizations...how companies that seemed the same from the outside are vastly different on the inside. Or companies that looked completely different actually operate incredibly similarly. Even better, I get to learn why. 
• Learn about the strategic directions executives are planning to take their organizations in the next several years, and help them come up with tools and solutions to get them there.
• Look at inefficient processes, and redesign them.
• Regularly work with people a lot smarter than myself, and learn as much as possible from them.
• Work in teams with people from all across the world.

But no, I still can't help you install your printer. Sorry.

Nikole is a Certified Insurance Geek, and when not reading over insurance policies for fun, she’s a Software and Technology Consultant for Wipfli LLP, specializing in insurance technology, while regularly working with clients in industries ranging from construction companies to accounting firms.

If you enjoyed this article, you might enjoy my other work. 

• Selling to Millennials is easy...if you have the right formula
• Insurance Crisis - The first four steps to Recruiting College Students

For any questions or if you'd like to learn more about what it's like to be a unsuspecting software consultant, feel free to email me at [email protected]. Thank you so much sharing part of your day with me by reading this article!