My Start as a Fledgling BA

Taking Flight into the Business Analyst World from the Software Development Nest

It all started with exploring the different paths my career could take with the newly minted Computer Science undergraduate degree I acquired. I first heard of the role of business analysts (BAs) while attending the technical job fairs at UBC, but discovered fairly quickly that one could only work their way up to a BA from a technical position, for example, a software developer. Like all things that are new to a millennial, the mysterious BA role was intriguing compared to the traditional software development and quality assurance roles I was exposed to throughout my internships and post-secondary education. However, having learnt that it was near impossible for a new grad to land a BA position, I put the thought of becoming one in my back pocket and pursued becoming the software developer my degree has geared me towards.

During my stint as a software developer, I really enjoyed getting to the crux of why we’re creating software — the way I saw it, it is utilizing technology to solve problems. I would regularly consider why a customer would use the given software we were creating, rather than the complex solutions of how to create the software my peers delighted with spending their time discussing and implementing. With the perspective in which I viewed software development, I kept the BA role and what I knew about it in my peripheral vision as a possible pivot in my career.

When it came time to reevaluate the direction of my career pertaining to my values and interests, I reached out to peers in my network and learned more about the role. In addition, I created the opportunity to shadow a consultant as he introduced me to the role and the responsibilities and advised me on my approaches. With what I learned from others and the shadowing experience I received, I had the feeling that I would really enjoy analysis over software development and decided to pivot and focused on becoming an analyst. There were two routes I considered in getting there: through a Business Analyst certification program offered through continuing education courses or finding a job as a BA. Fortunately, ThoughtWorks took the chance with me and thus, my jump from a software developer to a BA commenced. This is my documentation of my transition as I share my experiences and thoughts as I start my flight as a fledgling BA. As much as this is my career and my journey, I would love to treat this channel as an avenue to openly discuss my role, ThoughtWorks, as well as hearing your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions on the various processes and exercises I have experimented with and have been exposed to along the way.