From Junior BA to BA Manager: A Business Analysis Journey?

Sarah Gale studied Business IT and found herself fascinated by?a module on systems analysis. A career in business analysis has been the perfect fit for her aptitudes and skills. Sarah was a BA of the Year finalist in 2018 and is now a BA Leader, and an active member of the BA community.??

Where and how did you begin working as a BA????

After University I applied for a BA role at Winchester City Council. Part of the interview process involved scenarios where I was required to map out processes and find ways to improve them. I thoroughly enjoyed this at such a novice stage in my career.??Sadly, due to my lack of experience at the time, I was not successful in getting the BA role. They were, however, impressed enough to create a Junior BA position for me; and after a short period of time, I progressed into the full BA role.???

Progressing through all the departments was a great experience. I was based in IT and learnt about different ways of working. I enjoyed using the new BA techniques, I would observe, monitor and time how long things took and ultimately, come up with recommendations.??

What do you think led you to making business analysis your career????

I studied Business IT at Bournemouth University; one of my modules was systems analysis. Throughout my degree we were given scenarios and problems to look at. My favourite part was looking at the process and capturing the requirements. Whilst many preferred the solution side and developing the solution but for me it was always the process. I knew I wanted to make a difference by reducing waste and improving efficiency – so business analysis was the perfect career for me.??

How have you developed your BA skills and knowledge????

My degree was a great grounding in systems analysis and analysing problems. Then, as a BA, I learnt from experience on the job, professional training and from the wider BA community and invaluable time with those more experienced than myself. In my early days I shadowed other BAs, so if they were running a workshop, I’d write their report and learn about their approach. I’ve also utilised all the free resources out there, such as AssistKD’s BA Brew podcast.???

Which BA skills do you feel have been most valuable to you in your career?????

For me, relationship-building and process analysis are key. It’s essential to map out a process thoroughly, identifying inefficiencies before jumping into writing requirements. By understanding the full end-to-end process, you can evaluate whether a stakeholder's proposed solution is actually the right one. I've learned Lean Six Sigma techniques, which can help guide you through a data-driven journey. This approach helps you understand how a process is currently performing, establishing a benchmark to measure progress. The insights gained from data reveal the impact of potential solutions and determine whether they have genuinely improved the process.?

How has your BA career progressed??????

I worked as a BA at SSE for six years in a large team of BAs, learning from experienced people. Peer reviews of my work, being mentored, learning the industry – it was all invaluable. I studied for the BCS International Diploma through AssistKD. I was keen to venture out and look at BA industry trends and best practice. I made connections and saw how other companies did things. I took my training back and shared it with the BA community. We then looked at and developed our standards and processes.??

I became a Senior BA, which opened up more opportunities, including looking at Agile.? I then got the chance to take the Advanced Diploma. I learnt about business architecture and leadership, and how to work with senior and external stakeholders. This helped to build my confidence, as did becoming involved with interviewing and training new BAs as well as helping with team activity days.??

I progressed into a Lead BA role, helping to bring our BA community together and building our BA practice with consistency, templates and standards. An application to BA of the Year led to me making the final in 2018. I also started to attend the Business Analysis Management Forum (BAMF).??

I took up an opportunity outside SSE for a short period and moved into a managerial BA position for a retail tech company. I ran sessions where we would watch a BA Brew and talk about it afterwards and see how we could implement some of the suggestions. Then I got the chance to appear on the BA Brew myself, talking about BA skills.???

What have been the major milestones in your career?????

Getting to Lead BA role at SSE was a major milestone for me. I knew there was an established career path at my feet – BA, Senior BA, Lead BA. So I always had my sights on getting to that Lead BA role. Professional training has helped my progression, enabling me to feel that I can contribute knowledge gained and share new learnings.???

As far as another major milestone goes, becoming a finalist in the BA of the Year Award has to be up there. It gave me such a huge confidence boost, and to be reviewed and respected amongst your peers at that level is something I am hugely proud of.??

Where are you now in your career, and how do you feel about it????

I am now in a Software Asset Management Lead role which is very much BA related, reviewing processes and working on continuous improvement. I am using Lean (I’ve recently qualified with the Lean Six Sigma Yellow and Green Belt) and enjoy problem solving. I love running workshops, walking through a process as a team and ultimately seeing what can be improved. I have found this very rewarding.??

What are you planning to do next????

I want to move up to ‘black belt’ with my Lean training and look at how Agile links in with Lean Thinking. I enjoyed the BA Brew and would love to talk at the BA Conference in the next few years, with Lean Thinking as my topic.??

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time????

It’s very hard to know that! I have been very lucky following a set career path. One of my core skills is determination. I worked hard, did my training and got to leadership level. Now I’m learning new Lean techniques and combining them with my BA skills to make a difference in my current and any future roles. I’d like to share my knowledge and experience with the BA community in the short term, through speaking and perhaps contributing to an industry publication. “The sky’s the limit!” they say…??

We hope you found Sarah’s BA Journey inspiring. You can find further Business Analysis Career Profiles in?AssistKD's Career Planning Tool.