A step up?

[suityou01]

Going for a gig next week. BA role. The thing is, I've been a code monkey all my life. OK I have done lots of BA work in my time, data modelling, systems analysis etc but then coded up what I designed as well. My CV is starting to tip over towards BA/Systems analyst. I know I can't code forever, and have to get a grown up job at some point.

I had a telephone interview today, and bagged a face to face next week. I think the PM I spoke to went the programmer > BA > PM route, and I think I seemed to remind him a bit of him when he was younger.

The thing is, its just a bit flipping daunting. When did you last get a leg up, and how did you find it? I put it to the panel.

[minestrone]

I was an architect with a team of ten and a budget of millions in a very big Japanese automotive corporation in my last permie job, when I left that to go contracting I was earning 3 times more changing HTML pages.

Such is life.

[Zippy]

Doooooooomed.

The last leg up I had was when I went from code monkey to running the development team. Nothing exploded, nobody killed anybody else (it was close). And - bugger me - I could do it.
Best of luck with the interview.

[norrahe]

Good luck, but be warned being a BA just means you're the PM's biatch!

It's not so bad, there isn't anything to it moving from developing to BA, you'll find you have an advantage in getting documentation together.

Btw you going for a BA role in the Lloyd's market?

[Evil Hangover]

Good luck, but be warned being a BA just means you're the PM's biatch!

It's not so bad, there isn't anything to it moving from developing to BA, you'll find you have an advantage in getting documentation together.

Btw you going for a BA role in the Lloyd's market?

That's total bollocks isn't it. Good BA's have by definition an excellent knowledge of the 'business' coupled with an ability to get on well with others and be comfortable in the company of senior management

Can't say I've met many developers like that.

[norrahe]

That's total bollocks isn't it. Good BA's have by definition an excellent knowledge of the 'business' coupled with an ability to get on well with others and be comfortable in the company of senior management

Can't say I've met many developers like that.

Been there done that got the T-shirt...

Not from a development point of view, but when you've been involved at grass roots level if can be an advantage from a BA Perspective.

If you're coming at a BA type role and dealing with systems, it will help knowing the metality of the people that you're speccing for and also when dealing with developers and putting together functional specs you can add that little bit more detail having come from the development background.

In my line of work a some developers have moved on (I would never say up).

I've moved from underwriting to BA/Systems Analyst to Implementation Manager to PM

[suityou01]

Good luck, but be warned being a BA just means you're the PM's biatch!

It's not so bad, there isn't anything to it moving from developing to BA, you'll find you have an advantage in getting documentation together.

Btw you going for a BA role in the Lloyd's market?

No, this is for a telco. I have a distorted view of the Lloyds market now. I understand working pressure, and deadlines, but when you have to maintain a pace whereby its all about quick fixes and hackarounds you build up so much technical debt that the staff turnover is frequent, and the whole house of cards falls down. If Lloyds market is like this all over then no thanks.

[norrahe]

No, this is for a telco. I have a distorted view of the Lloyds market now. I understand working pressure, and deadlines, but when you have to maintain a pace whereby its all about quick fixes and hackarounds you build up so much technical debt that the staff turnover is frequent, and the whole house of cards falls down. If Lloyds market is like this all over then no thanks.

Nah, it's not like that, have been in the market for 13 years and never came across that sort of carp.