Want to become Business Analyst...qualifications needed?

[fullyautomatix]

Hi all

I am currently contracting within an IT department doing Admin. I would like to make the leap into becoming a Business Analyst as they always seem to be in high demand and are paid very well (£50 minimum per hour here.)

My question is - what qualification/s do I need to make this leap? I did not go to university. I have some IT experience (software testing, technical helpdesk, software support analyst) but what qualification do I need to attain?

Many thanks

If they are getting paid 400 a day it is for a reason. They have the skills that demand such wages. Don't do it for the money. Are you genuinely interested in a BA type of role? I have seen many jump roles in a company because they can get more wages but found the job stressful and quit. Shadow a BA and see what they do and look to see if you have the attributes to be good at it.

[MrMarkyMark]

Hi all

I am currently contracting within an IT department doing Admin. I would like to make the leap into becoming a Business Analyst as they always seem to be in high demand and are paid very well (£50 minimum per hour here.)

My question is - what qualification/s do I need to make this leap? I did not go to university. I have some IT experience (software testing, technical helpdesk, software support analyst) but what qualification do I need to attain?

Many thanks

TBH, £400 PD isn't a great rate at all.

To give you some perspective when I first started contracting I was on £350 PD.
That was around 17 years ago now.

[northernladyuk]

TBH, £400 PD isn't a great rate at all.

To give you some perspective when I first started contracting I was on £350 PD.
That was around 17 years ago now.

Everything is relative. Most people in Britain would bite your hand off for £400 pd, particularly if outside IR35.

[oilboil]

TBH, £400 PD isn't a great rate at all.

To give you some perspective when I first started contracting I was on £350 PD.
That was around 17 years ago now.

It's a pretty good rate for a Junior Business Analyst - after all the main job of an analyst (at least at a junior level) is to collate tons of information and then re-order it so that it

a) makes sense
b) patterns can be identified
c) useless circuitous processing tasks can be seen and eliminated

Given that most of those tasks really just require the following skills:

a) Common sense
b) Being a nice person people will talk to
c) Hard work with an eye for detail

A more senior position would require years of experience and some industry knowledge but for a 300-400 gbp a day BA role the above would almost certainly suffice

[pr1]

TBH, £400 PD isn't a great rate at all.

To give you some perspective when I first started contracting I was on £350 PD.
That was around 17 years ago now.

Were you 28/29? (OP username suggests she is). £400/day at 28 is top 1%

[MrMarkyMark]

Were you 28/29? (OP username suggests she is). £400/day at 28 is top 1%

30.

It's a pretty good rate for a Junior Business Analyst - after all the main job of an analyst (at least at a junior level) is to collate tons of information and then re-order it so that it

a) makes sense
b) patterns can be identified
c) useless circuitous processing tasks can be seen and eliminated

Given that most of those tasks really just require the following skills:

a) Common sense
b) Being a nice person people will talk to
c) Hard work with an eye for detail

A more senior position would require years of experience and some industry knowledge but for a 300-400 gbp a day BA role the above would almost certainly suffice

I was just trying to suggest that around 17 years, or so ago, that sort of role was paying £350 PD.

That was for my first contract as well.

[MrMarkyMark]

Everything is relative. Most people in Britain would bite your hand off for £400 pd, particularly if outside IR35.

I'm sure they would, my bin man certainly would like to earn it .

I was just suggesting as far as the contract market goes in 2017, £400PD is not a great deal.

[pr1]

I'm sure they would, my bin man certainly would like to earn it .

I was just suggesting as far as the contract market goes in 2017, £400PD is not a great deal.

UK median income is still under £30k, just because it's a lot less than you earn doesn't make it objectively "not a great deal"... particularly for a first contract/under 30

Maybe you've been in your contracting bubble and out of the real world for too long

[MrMarkyMark]

UK median income is still under £30k, just because it's a lot less than you earn doesn't make it objectively "not a great deal"... particularly for a first contract/under 30

Maybe you've been in your contracting bubble and out of the real world for too long

Its not a great deal for contracting today, period.

As for the median perm income only being 30K, so what?
You are comparing Apples to Oranges, i.e Perm to contract.

Ill try again, £400PD is not a great rate, it is only £50 more than I was getting as a day rate for my first contract aged 30, 17 years ago.
Directly prior to that my only perm job paid £20K per year.

That was my point you muppet.

[LondonManc]

Depends on the industry and location. £400 pd for a non-banking client up north is a very good BA day rate. It's about half price at best for a good banking BA in London. It needs context but I don't see what MMM's history as "not a BA" has anything to do with it.