Reply to: BA Market

[moorfield]

Lots of out of work bankers peddling their wares as "BAs" and "PMs" at the moment - it's all they can do as none of them have any technical skills.

[Sockpuppet]

I've just been put forward for a "BA" role 'tup north. £75 a day increase on what I get in the midlands. Ok, its not as a BA but its being advertised by a computer agency and they have no idea about logistics.

But there is work out there.

[sal626]

Is UML necessarily good?

Good compared to what?....is the question.

IMHO, I dont think any one methodology, modelling technique etc is the best.....just use what is required for each specific project. My point earlier was that clients tend to add "Buzzwords" to Job specs.....UML is the ones doing the rounds right now....

[BlasterBates]

Is UML necessarily good?

[bullseye]

Personally, i've only used it to the extent of use cases, sequence diagrams.
In 11 years of BA role, I've not come across any organisation that use UML properly....although they all put it down in the job spec!

I even asked this question at the interview of my last job....and was told that "they dont really use it but would like to".
"

That has been my experience as well.

There is only one guy who asked proper questions on UML class diagrams and I flunked that interview. He knew UML in and out.

Except the class diagrams, I have used the other bits of UML in my contracts.

[sal626]

Guys,

When you say UML, which bit of UML have you used? As a BA are you guys required to do all those UML class and object diagrams? or is it limited to Sequence, interaction diagrams and use cases? When you say extensive use of UML do you mean the use of all the above, is it?

As a BA which bit is more important?

I will stop here, I'm tending to get into that quirky questioning mode.

Personally, i've only used it to the extent of use cases, sequence diagrams.
In 11 years of BA role, I've not come across any organisation that use UML properly....although they all put it down in the job spec!

I even asked this question at the interview of my last job....and was told that "they dont really use it but would like to".
Why put it on the job spec then!! I should have put "F1 formula racer" on my CV and if asked should have said, "not yet, but I would like to..."

[NickNick]

Guys,

When you say UML, which bit of UML have you used? As a BA are you guys required to do all those UML class and object diagrams? or is it limited to Sequence, interaction diagrams and use cases? When you say extensive use of UML do you mean the use of all the above, is it?

As a BA which bit is more important?

I will stop here, I'm tending to get into that quirky questioning mode.

Day to day I use use cases, activity, sequence and collaboration / communications. But then i can use the other types, depending on what the client wants.

[NickNick]

Thanks NickNick.

Do you mind me asking you which website this is ?

The secret but rather good cv library

[bullseye]

Guys,

When you say UML, which bit of UML have you used? As a BA are you guys required to do all those UML class and object diagrams? or is it limited to Sequence, interaction diagrams and use cases? When you say extensive use of UML do you mean the use of all the above, is it?

As a BA which bit is more important?

I will stop here, I'm tending to get into that quirky questioning mode.

[Ilu]

I'm a BA, decided to look for another contract last Nov as I wasn't happy where I was. Took about 2 months to get a new contract - but I was being picky. What I was finding is that the jobs are there but the number of applications has increased tenfold.....in the vast majority of jobs I was applying to, my CV wasn't even getting in front of the agents.

What happends in most medium to large agencies, is that they have support staff, junior agents who make a first pass at the CVs and then pass the potential candidates to the agent who actually decides who to put forward. Or, even worse, they feed your CV into some software which basically displays your CV to agent searches, depending on keywords - I used to work for a large recruitment agency in thier IT dept (or what they called an IT dept), so I speak from experience...

So my first recommendation is before you even apply online, call the agent - sound out the role and sell yourself!! Your first challenge is getting an interview, and you got to convince the agent that if he puts you forward for an interview, you will ace the interview...at the end of the day, the agent just wants to earn his fees and will put forward candidates that he thinks will get the role.

Also, if you see a job spec that contains some elements that you do not have experience in, still worth calling the agent - not all items on a job spec are a "must have".

And very important, as suggested above, tailor CV to job spec.....cant stress how important this is....

Consider a longer commute, and if you have downtime now, see what skills are in demand and get a book and learn it......UML and DSDM seem popular right now. Doesn't matter if you dont know it inside out, most at client site wont either....

good luck....

Many thanks sal262. I've used UML extensively in my previous roles.From your thread i could see where my problem lies - getting through to the agents.I will have to redouble my effort on that front.

[Ilu]

Seemed OK to me at the end of last year / beginning of this one, which is when I picked up my current gig. I guess it depends on where you want to travel to.

My job website of choice lists 610 current BA jobs this month and 250 in the last 7 days. Of course some may not be real, but still.

Thanks NickNick.

Do you mind me asking you which website this is ?

[bullseye]

I'm a 'BA on bench' as well.


I'm out of contract from 2 weeks today and have had one interview which I messed up properly and have got no interviews/calls after that.

Things are not as busy as they were before but not really quiet, hopefully things would improve as move towards march/april

[sal626]

I'm a BA, decided to look for another contract last Nov as I wasn't happy where I was. Took about 2 months to get a new contract - but I was being picky. What I was finding is that the jobs are there but the number of applications has increased tenfold.....in the vast majority of jobs I was applying to, my CV wasn't even getting in front of the agents.

What happends in most medium to large agencies, is that they have support staff, junior agents who make a first pass at the CVs and then pass the potential candidates to the agent who actually decides who to put forward. Or, even worse, they feed your CV into some software which basically displays your CV to agent searches, depending on keywords - I used to work for a large recruitment agency in thier IT dept (or what they called an IT dept), so I speak from experience...

So my first recommendation is before you even apply online, call the agent - sound out the role and sell yourself!! Your first challenge is getting an interview, and you got to convince the agent that if he puts you forward for an interview, you will ace the interview...at the end of the day, the agent just wants to earn his fees and will put forward candidates that he thinks will get the role.

Also, if you see a job spec that contains some elements that you do not have experience in, still worth calling the agent - not all items on a job spec are a "must have".

And very important, as suggested above, tailor CV to job spec.....cant stress how important this is....

Consider a longer commute, and if you have downtime now, see what skills are in demand and get a book and learn it......UML and DSDM seem popular right now. Doesn't matter if you dont know it inside out, most at client site wont either....

good luck....

[Jubber]

Things are very different now and IMHO will be for some time and we all have to accept that.

I'm not a BA, but in my field my phone would ring regularly with work opportunities. This has now stopped. I spoke to an agent I've known for a long time the other day (I sort of trust him - but only as much as one could trust an agent) and he said anything he puts on Jobserve he has 100 plus applications. He now rarely puts anything up and if he does, he now waits for candidates to contact him. He has a huge pot of available contractors on his books already.

I suggest you get your CV to as many agencies as possible - regardless whether they have a job or not. If you do apply for anything online call the agent immediately. As already suggested - enjoy the time off.

[NickNick]

Seemed OK to me at the end of last year / beginning of this one, which is when I picked up my current gig. I guess it depends on where you want to travel to.

My job website of choice lists 610 current BA jobs this month and 250 in the last 7 days. Of course some may not be real, but still.