move from contract developer to BA

[d000hg]

Didn't Suity do this - surprised he hasn't chipped in how he moved from one t'other.

[Murder1]

great info thanks!

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

If it's anything like the PO and BA's I've worked with you'll get tons more money and do less work

[sirja]

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

I've been contracting for 7 years (Techie ) and have only been on the bench a total of 3 months, of which 1 month was planned. If you're a good techie, ready to keep your skills current and a bit flexible on location you should have a constant stream of work. For me, I do it because I enjoy it, I love logical thinking and problem solving.

[NickNick]

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.

As a BA I concur. the idea of having something more tangible to sell (i.e. the ability to code in x) is a much more valuable skill than what I have to offer as a BA.

[Smartie]

Odd

As a BA I concur. the idea of having something more tangible to sell (i.e. the ability to code in x) is a much more valuable skill than what I have to offer as a BA.

What an odd comment! How is the ability to write a software program more valuable or tangible than writing a business process?

I was never a straight 'dev', always an 'Analyst/Programmer' but I enjoyed it and I was good at it. I became a specialist and woke up one day to find that no-one used my specialty any more (after a four year contract). My own fault, but anyway.

So I dropped the programming and just did analysis and a while later also did project management. Now I'm a flexible resource and good at what I do - no shortage of work.

Anyway, do what makes you happy and pays the bills. It's worth considering though that more business focused roles give you much more flexibility in choosing your career direction.

[hgllgh]

What an odd comment! How is the ability to write a software program more valuable or tangible than writing a business process?

I was never a straight 'dev', always an 'Analyst/Programmer' but I enjoyed it and I was good at it. I became a specialist and woke up one day to find that no-one used my specialty any more (after a four year contract). My own fault, but anyway.

So I dropped the programming and just did analysis and a while later also did project management. Now I'm a flexible resource and good at what I do - no shortage of work.

Anyway, do what makes you happy and pays the bills. It's worth considering though that more business focused roles give you much more flexibility in choosing your career direction.

Did you do any of the BA courses or qualificcations like ISEB?

[Smartie]

Did you do any of the BA courses or qualificcations like ISEB?

No, I did a general comp sci degree which included modules on analysis such as 'SSADM' which I enjoyed and continued to use when I got a job. I have 20+ years experience in analysis but I still might do the ISEB exam at some point as it's sometimes asked for at interview.

[Cenobite]

What an odd comment! How is the ability to write a software program more valuable or tangible than writing a business process?

I was never a straight 'dev', always an 'Analyst/Programmer'.

I'm similar to you: I've always been employed as an Analyst/Developer, and have two degrees in computer science. Is it possible to go fully into BA work without going permie first? (I'm doing the BCS ISEB diploma this week.)

[NickNick]

What an odd comment! How is the ability to write a software program more valuable or tangible than writing a business process?

I meant it in the same way that i sometimes wonder if I should have been a carpenter or a mechanic.

[hgllgh]

I'm similar to you: I've always been employed as an Analyst/Developer, and have two degrees in computer science. Is it possible to go fully into BA work without going permie first? (I'm doing the BCS ISEB diploma this week.)

Which company are you doing the ISEB with? Is it difficult? Sorry for the questions but is there a foundation level course and then a full diploma?