move from contract developer to BA

[Cenobite]

Anyone done this in some shape or form or know someone who has?

I'm in the same boat. I've been programming for fifteen years (eight professionally, six as a contractor) and feel it's a good time to get out.

I'm in the throes of doing the BCS ISEB diploma in Business Analysis. My plan is to become what's known as an 'Agile Analyst': this is where you concentrate on getting the requirements nailed down for the next iteration. The role mainly exists so that the developers can code all day without having to do the requirements gathering themselves. Since I'm used to doing requirements gathering as a developer I think I'm well placed to do it full time. For instance, as a developer you know the level of precision necessary to convert requirements into code without solutioneering (which is probably a temptation if you're still in the developer mindset). I'd have thought that'd put us at an advantage over someone who's never written a line of code.

Although the BCS ISEB diploma is a superset of this, and focusses more on the role of a traditional BA, it's the closest qualification I can find---and I'll try anything so I don't have to be permie BA first. A few hours into the first BA module (Business Analysis Practice) I pretty much decided that traditional business analysis wasn't for me.

On the plus side, the BAs attending the course are pretty upbeat about their careers, and don't seem particularly worried about offshoring. In contrast most of the developers I've worked with hate their jobs now, and wonder when they're going to be 'best-shored'.

[BjornMorg]

On the plus side, the BAs attending the course are pretty upbeat about their careers, and don't seem particularly worried about offshoring. In contrast most of the developers I've worked with hate their jobs now, and wonder when they're going to be 'best-shored'.

As a BA I see offshoring as an opportunity, i.e the onshore BA role becomes vital for cost effective solutions i.e. you must spec. the requirements to a high degree of quality before they are passed over the fence to the outsourcer who delights in raising chargeable change requests wherever possible.
FYI...I've worked in an organistion that offshored most of it's IT bar some bodies including a few BAs; it wasn't good or cost effective in the long run.

[hgllgh]

I'm in the same boat. I've been programming for fifteen years (eight professionally, six as a contractor) and feel it's a good time to get out.

So you see offshoring as growing trend (Not to mention onshoring).

I'm in the throes of doing the BCS ISEB diploma in Business Analysis. My plan is to become what's known as an 'Agile Analyst': this is where you concentrate on getting the requirements nailed down for the next iteration. The role mainly exists so that the developers can code all day without having to do the requirements gathering themselves. Since I'm used to doing requirements gathering as a developer I think I'm well placed to do it full time. For instance, as a developer you know the level of precision necessary to convert requirements into code without solutioneering (which is probably a temptation if you're still in the developer mindset). I'd have thought that'd put us at an advantage over someone who's never written a line of code.

Yes I would hope that a business should recognise the value of good devs moving into analysis. An 'Agile Analyst' would most likely also be the 'Product Owner'?

Although the BCS ISEB diploma is a superset of this, and focusses more on the role of a traditional BA, it's the closest qualification I can find---and I'll try anything so I don't have to be permie BA first. A few hours into the first BA module (Business Analysis Practice) I pretty much decided that traditional business analysis wasn't for me.
On the plus side, the BAs attending the course are pretty upbeat about their careers, and don't seem particularly worried about offshoring. In contrast most of the developers I've worked with hate their jobs now, and wonder when they're going to be 'best-shored'.

So is the BCS ISEB diploma in Business Analysis the standard BA qualification? How long does it take?

[Antman]

So you see offshoring as growing trend (Not to mention onshoring).



Yes I would hope that a business should recognise the value of good devs moving into analysis. An 'Agile Analyst' would most likely also be the 'Product Owner'?



So is the BCS ISEB diploma in Business Analysis the standard BA qualification? How long does it take?

offshoring/onshoring it never stops so as long as there's change there'll be work.

I'll hold my hand up and say I'm not a big agile fan, but isn't a product owner someone IMHO who represents the business and is more au fait with what's happening in that world (payments, widgets whatever) than specifying requirements. OK if you've got a lot of domain knowledge but as a contract BA moving from one area to another it's difficult to become an SME, (not done a search but I bet there's not that many contract product owners).

Diplomas are good to have not because you put them on a CV (ok you might need for agent filtering) but because you learn stuff you can spout out in an interview and not seem completely incompetent.


My opinion that's all, not the new trend.

[Smartie]

offshoring/onshoring it never stops so as long as there's change there'll be work.

I'll hold my hand up and say I'm not a big agile fan, but isn't a product owner someone IMHO who represents the business and is more au fait with what's happening in that world (payments, widgets whatever) than specifying requirements. OK if you've got a lot of domain knowledge but as a contract BA moving from one area to another it's difficult to become an SME, (not done a search but I bet there's not that many contract product owners).

Diplomas are good to have not because you put them on a CV (ok you might need for agent filtering) but because you learn stuff you can spout out in an interview and not seem completely incompetent.


My opinion that's all, not the new trend.

I moved out of development into BA work around 10 years ago for similar reasons and also because you don't need to update your skillset quite so frequently.

Agile Analyst/Product Owner has been discussed before (do a search). Briefly, a BA (even contract) can be a good proxy PO but it's not ideal.

The ISEB qualification - I get asked about this quite often at interviews. I don't have one but it's a basic qualification that's worth having.

The earlier comment about the BA role not being well defined is very true. More accurately it means widely different things to different organisations. Everything from very high level strategic analysis, through business requirement to technical systems analysis.

In terms of skillset, it's correct that a knowledge of development can be helpful and additionally the attention to detail/accuracy that it requires is transferable. You also need to be able to see the big picture though. Most importantly, the role is about communication - you need to be able to listen, select the important points, ask the right questions and talk the same language as both the developers and the business.

[BjornMorg]

Most importantly, the role is about communication - you need to be able to listen, select the important points, ask the right questions and talk the same language as both the developers and the business.

Totally agree...

[hgllgh]

I moved out of development into BA work around 10 years ago for similar reasons and also because you don't need to update your skillset quite so frequently.

Agile Analyst/Product Owner has been discussed before (do a search). Briefly, a BA (even contract) can be a good proxy PO but it's not ideal.

The ISEB qualification - I get asked about this quite often at interviews. I don't have one but it's a basic qualification that's worth having.

The earlier comment about the BA role not being well defined is very true. More accurately it means widely different things to different organisations. Everything from very high level strategic analysis, through business requirement to technical systems analysis.

In terms of skillset, it's correct that a knowledge of development can be helpful and additionally the attention to detail/accuracy that it requires is transferable. You also need to be able to see the big picture though. Most importantly, the role is about communication - you need to be able to listen, select the important points, ask the right questions and talk the same language as both the developers and the business.

great info thanks!

Just curious, how does it compare in terms of rates and ease of finding contracts?

[woohoo]

My plan was to try to find some kind of hybrid role doing both technical development and BA but there doesn't seem to be anything like that in the market place.

Anyone done this in some shape or form or know someone who has?

I've led a development team and been a developer whilst contracting. It's bloody hard work doing both and the only way to do it successfully IMO is if you put in a lot of extra hours, which is good if your client is willing to pay and you can put your life on hold.

But I would really think if you want to try and do both roles. It really is hard work and you tend to not enjoy both roles.

I got the team lead because they where finding it hard to get a perm team lead. Right place, right time, so my suggestion would be to look for roles in small teams and get involved with everything.

TBH, I get confused with what a BA does, a lot of the things I do as a consultant dev I would class as a BA job, so requirements gathering, specifications, planning etc. I'm sure BA's do more than this?

[yasockie]

I totally understand people's sentiment of not being able to keep up with the tech, but moving to a BA role in this case is just delaying the inevitable getting out of sync with the world - soon you'll be paging your grandichildren to fix your VHS tape recorder if you see what I mean.
In my view, being a decent coder is always a better position to be in than a BA and much harder to replace - you just need to find the right niche and become expert not just in OO principles but in the business and if you think you have soft skills good enough to be a BA, then people should really love you as a dev.
Just spend some time learn a new language or a framework, do some mobile dev - you'll love and it's simple.

[hgllgh]

In my view, being a decent coder is always a better position to be in than a BA and much harder to replace.

But is it? With Offshoring, Immigration etc are tech's more easily replaced than BA's?

But yes I guess moving out of tech is a risk... Even with increased competition you always get the impression that you will eventually land a contract without too much beach time, is that the case with BA's/PO's etc. It seems to me that That techs moving into the BA side of things would need to be flexible taking on varying roles BA/PO/Team Lead/PM/Change Management etc etc in order to successfully make a contracting career out of it