Reply to: Contractor Gurus - Help a first timer

[LondonManc]

The Bank and 5 Clients as part of the Consultancy. Do you want me to only mention clients and not the Consultancy? I have mentioned the clients on my CV as part of the time at the consultancy.

I'd allude to working with multiple clients to make your experience come across as broader than simply two permie jobs. The key thing to focus on is what you achieved for the clients. If you had a bit of an unremarkable time at one of the clients, no need to mention them.

[BAContractor]

Far enough. How many companies have you worked for so far?
Is it just the one bank and one consultancy?
If so, bring out the multiple clients that you worked for at the consultancy (without naming them) to show that you have experience across multiple clients.

The Bank and 5 Clients as part of the Consultancy. Do you want me to only mention clients and not the Consultancy? I have mentioned the clients on my CV as part of the time at the consultancy.

[LondonManc]

I would say my USP is Payments and Digital. The only thing is I have worked as a BA more as a generalist working in operations, IT DR, mortgages as well, but never specialising in one specific area. I can maybe say I am a Retail BA. I will create a Master CV as you suggested as I was using a generic CV and making it more targeted depending on the contract anyway.

Far enough. How many companies have you worked for so far?
Is it just the one bank and one consultancy?
If so, bring out the multiple clients that you worked for at the consultancy (without naming them) to show that you have experience across multiple clients.

[BAContractor]

I used to be a Senior BA before specialising in BI consultancy, which still has business analysis techniques very much at its heart. Having been a senior BA similarly gives me a strong selling point over other BI consultants, with my BA training helping to understand and document requirements more readily than the furry-toothed lot.

Do you have a unique selling point (USP)? What sets you apart? Are there specialist areas where you could apply your skills, either by industry or process? Rather than just "high street banking", what area do you excel in? If I want a new current accounts specialist, are you the one or would you be the go to person for unsecured lending for example? Could you then take those skills into the sub-prime market (i.e. Wonga et al - just tell your mum you work in the porn industry, it's less embarrassing) to bring high street BA experience to a sub prime lender to help improve their processes?

What I'd do if I were you is create a master CV that is far larger than you need.
From there, chop out certain bits to make a generic BA cv and also a targeted cv that focuses on your USP. The key thing to look at then, is whether there is sufficient requirement within the market for your USP and target those organisations that can use that skill set. They may have no vacancies but at least you'll understand your industry/sector more than you did.
.

I would say my USP is Payments and Digital. The only thing is I have worked as a BA more as a generalist working in operations, IT DR, mortgages as well, but never specialising in one specific area. I can maybe say I am a Retail BA. I will create a Master CV as you suggested as I was using a generic CV and making it more targeted depending on the contract anyway.

[LondonManc]

Everytime you post, I learn something new. Is there a checklist of some sort that you refer to or have developed over the years contracting. I have mentioned Up to CIO level in a generic form as one of my projects allowed me interaction with senior folks.

I used to be a Senior BA before specialising in BI consultancy, which still has business analysis techniques very much at its heart. Having been a senior BA similarly gives me a strong selling point over other BI consultants, with my BA training helping to understand and document requirements more readily than the furry-toothed lot.

Do you have a unique selling point (USP)? What sets you apart? Are there specialist areas where you could apply your skills, either by industry or process? Rather than just "high street banking", what area do you excel in? If I want a new current accounts specialist, are you the one or would you be the go to person for unsecured lending for example? Could you then take those skills into the sub-prime market (i.e. Wonga et al - just tell your mum you work in the porn industry, it's less embarrassing) to bring high street BA experience to a sub prime lender to help improve their processes?

What I'd do if I were you is create a master CV that is far larger than you need.
From there, chop out certain bits to make a generic BA cv and also a targeted cv that focuses on your USP. The key thing to look at then, is whether there is sufficient requirement within the market for your USP and target those organisations that can use that skill set. They may have no vacancies but at least you'll understand your industry/sector more than you did.

Job/role-hunting can take as much or as little of your day as you choose, with everything from company research to LinkedIn connection messaging to cv tweaks, calling agencies, going out and visiting them even.

[ContractorHardman]

6) Google is you friend - If you don't know it, Google it. There have been times where I haven't quite known what was going on however I used Google to find out. Be Pro-active and look for the answer. You will need to do this in gigs quite a lot so you don't look out of your depth. Exhaust your resources you can use yourself. Do you ever think you are the only person out of the billions on earth who have asked the same or similar question? Of course not!

But here is a link

IT Contractor CV Writing: CUK's IT Contractor CV Template :: Contractor UK

Tailor it to something you are comfortable with

[BAContractor]

It's important for them to know what levels of business you have successfully worked with - as a BA you should be as comfortable interviewing a director about the high level success criteria of the project as you should be with interviewing the person whose job you're about to replace with an automated process.

Everytime you post, I learn something new. Is there a checklist of some sort that you refer to or have developed over the years contracting. I have mentioned Up to CIO level in a generic form as one of my projects allowed me interaction with senior folks.

[LondonManc]

I have delivered full SDLC from Business case to Handover, but didn't think along the lines of mentioning whom I have pleased or lessons learned. Something I will now bring out in my CV. Thanks a lot.

It's important for them to know what levels of business you have successfully worked with - as a BA you should be as comfortable interviewing a director about the high level success criteria of the project as you should be with interviewing the person whose job you're about to replace with an automated process.

[BAContractor]

List your achievements on paper. What have you delivered? Who have you pleased with your work? Have you delivered full end to end SDLC from business case to support handover and lessons learned sessions?

One sad thing in contracting is that there isn't the same notion as in permiedom of junior, standard and senior people; you're simply seen as a BI Consultant rather than Junior or Senior thereof. As such, you're in for the same jobs as senior BAs with 15 years of delivery and track record.

I have delivered full SDLC from Business case to Handover, but didn't think along the lines of mentioning whom I have pleased or lessons learned. Something I will now bring out in my CV. Thanks a lot.

[LondonManc]

I can only say I have decent BA experience. I am trying to highlight and bring out the stand-out reasons. I will need to keep pushing but this forum has been super useful and very helpful. I now have more clarity regarding the CV making process.

List your achievements on paper. What have you delivered? Who have you pleased with your work? Have you delivered full end to end SDLC from business case to support handover and lessons learned sessions?

One sad thing in contracting is that there isn't the same notion as in permiedom of junior, standard and senior people; you're simply seen as a BI Consultant rather than Junior or Senior thereof. As such, you're in for the same jobs as senior BAs with 15 years of delivery and track record.

[northernladuk]

I can only say I have decent BA experience. I am trying to highlight and bring out the stand-out reasons. I will need to keep pushing but this forum has been super useful. I now have more clarity regarding the CV making process.

But you don't.... Not compared to everyone else that has 10+ years.

Am sorry but you be had all the advice you need. Desperately thrashing about to change that isn't going to help. If everyone did less than 4 years work before contracting it would be absolutely screwed.

Your CV layout is fine, do what you can to fill it with less than 4 years work, start spamming it and pray.

No other advice is going to makeup for your lack of experience.

[BAContractor]

As one of the guys said, what makes you stand out - why are you worth the money? If your cv doesn't explain that, you need to revisit your cv.

I can only say I have decent BA experience. I am trying to highlight and bring out the stand-out reasons. I will need to keep pushing but this forum has been super useful and very helpful. I now have more clarity regarding the CV making process.

[LondonManc]

So, bottom line is that you're a business analyst whose heart isn't really in it and doesn't have the range of experience to earn top dollar. So, where do you go from here?

Stay perm? If you're currently in a perm job, what are the job opportunities? Routes of progression to Senior BA, then on to Project and Programme Manager - are these available at your current employer?

If you want to go into film-making, you're potentially going to sacrifice all thought of working in IT completely. I think the quick fix you were hoping for isn't going to happen so may have to rethink your plans. With the financial sector cutting rather than creating jobs, you'll also see even more experienced CVs hit the market in the coming months, which will push you down the queue.

As one of the guys said, what makes you stand out - why are you worth the money? If your cv doesn't explain that, you need to revisit your cv.

[BAContractor]

Then you would need to take extra living costs into account so won't be worth doing a lower rates.

BTW if you want to be an artist of any sort it's worth having a decent paying career with fixed hours and paid holiday. The art e.g. film making will rarely make you enough to live on especially when starting out. There was an artist on my road who worked as a waiter.

Well I still need close to £60k for the tuition alone. I can probably take a part time job like that while studying.

[BAContractor]

So you want to be a contractor....

I think this will come down to your CV. It will be the case that you probably haven't sold yourself properly. When people go out to the contracting market they want the best value for money. There is a reason why a Bank is going to pay you upwards of £400-£500 a day.......

I think this has been very useful . I don't mind the directness here as all this is useful info and I am learning all I can as much as possible. Any chance you may have an example anonymous CV of yours that I can look into?