Course Description – Getting Started in Business Analysis.

Do you want to start a career as a Business Analyst?

This course will help you to do that.

A good starting point is to understand more about the role, what Business Analysis is and what Business Analysts (BAs) do. You will then be better placed to move forward and to achieve your aims.

Your current position and starting point might be:

• An IT role – such as systems development or user support.
• A business role – in finance, marketing, operations - or anything else.
• A graduate entrant – with an IT / Business related degree – or anything else.

This course will help you to advance your career into Business Analysis.

It covers the fundamental principles - to help you to understand what Business Analysts do why it is important.

So - if you are asked at a job interview – “What does a Business Analyst do?” ….
you will have some credible answers for the interview panel.

It covers BA jobs so you will  understand context - where you will fit in the wider business organisation and how you can deliver business benefits. Also which jobs you might work towards and apply for.

It explains the various entry points to a BA job – from an IT role, a business role or as a graduate entrant. You will also get some useful tips for enhancing your Business Analyst Résumé.

It covers entry level professional qualifications and will help you to decide which is best for you – before you invest time and money in study and exams.

You will make a start on becoming a BA by learning a couple of useful techniques – Stakeholder Analysis and Mind Maps. You will do a case study exercise to apply these to a “real life” project and so learn more about practical Business Analysis.

At the end of the course you will put together a plan to move your career as a BA forward.

You will have a clearer idea of your path ahead to become a Business Analyst.

Here is my commitment to helping and supporting you – a “student charter” ….
I will do everything that I can to help you through the course and achieve your aims.

I welcome any questions – so please post them and I will answer them.

If you are stuck on anything – I will help – just ask! 

I have a lot of experience in training Business Analysts gained over many years.

Take a look at my lecturer profile for more.

My three aims for any course that I run are to make it:

• Interesting.
• Enjoyable.
• Useful.

I love Business Analysis!

It  is one of the most interesting and rewarding jobs around.

Partly because it combine three things that fascinate me – and maybe you:

• People.
• Information Technology.
• Business Organisations.

So – take a look at the course – and if it suits you - come on in!

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Course Format – Getting Started in Business Analysis.

- Lectures – to give you knowledge and understanding.
- Quizzes - to check your knowledge and understanding.
- Case Study Exercises - to practice your knowledge and understanding.

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Course Outline – Getting Started in Business Analysis.

1. Course Introduction.
2. Introduction to Business Analysis.
3. The Role of the Business Analysts.
4. Business Analysis – Entry Points and Jobs.
5. Business Analysis – Your Résumé.
6. Business Analysis – Professional Bodies.
7. Business Analysis – Qualifications and Exams.
8. Business Analysis Techniques - Stakeholder Analysis.
9. Business Analysis Techniques – Mind Maps.
10. Case Study – Stakeholder Analysis.
11. Course Conclusion – Keep Learning.

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Course Content – Getting Started in Business Analysis.

1. Course Introduction.
After this lecture you will know more about the course, what you will learn and how you can benefit from it. You will understand why business analysis is important and why it is such an interesting job.

2. Introduction to Business Analysis.
After this lecture you will understand what business analysis is, the skills required and some fundamental principles. You will be better placed to seek out suitable BA jobs and apply for them. You will be more credible at a job interview because you will be able to show an understanding of the fundamental principles of business analysis.

3. The Role of the Business Analyst.
After this lecture you will know more about what business analysts do. You will be better placed to seek out suitable BA jobs and apply for them. You will be more credible at a job interview because you will be able to discuss what you will need to do as a BA and how you can deliver benefits to the wider business organisation.

4. Business Analysis – Entry Points and Jobs.
After this lecture you will be better placed to seek out suitable BA jobs and apply for them. You will understand your best route into business analysis - whether you are starting from a business role, an IT role or graduate entry. You will be better able to identify areas where you need to build up your knowledge to improve your chances of success.

5. Business Analysis – Your Résumé.
After this lecture you will have some ideas and tools to build your Business Analyst résumé. You will be able to identify areas that need work and improve them. You will then be better placed to apply for BA jobs and have a better chance of getting an interview for a BA job.

6. Business Analysis – Professional Bodies.
After this lecture you will know about the two main professional organisations for business analysts. The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). The British Computer Society (BCS). You will understand the benefits of membership and how to join.

7. Business Analysis – Qualifications and Exams.
After this lecture you will know about the two most recognised entry level professional certificates for business analysts. You will understand the entry requirements for each and what the examinations involve. You will be better placed to choose the qualification that is best for you and will improve your chances of getting a BA job.

8. Business Analysis Techniques - Stakeholder Analysis.
After this lecture you will be able to apply a key business analysis technique - Stakeholder Analysis. You will be able to describe what a Stakeholder is in business analysis terms. You will be able to identify the Stakeholders for a given project. You will have made a start on becoming a business analyst!

9. Business Analysis Techniques – Mind Maps.
After this lecture you will be able to apply a really useful business analysis technique - Mind Maps. You will be able to draw a Mind Map as part of business analysis. You will have made a further start on becoming a business analyst!

10. Case Study – Stakeholder Analysis.
After this lecture and case study exercise you will be able to apply two key business analysis techniques - Stakeholder Analysis and Mind Maps. You will be able to identify and analyse the stakeholders for a given project. You will demonstrate your BA skills by constructing a Stakeholder Mind Map based on a project brief. You will now have some of the skills needed to become a business analyst!

11. Course Conclusion – Business Analysis - Keep Learning.
After this lecture you will have reviewed what you have learned so far. You will put together a plan to move your career as a BA forward. You will have a clearer idea of your path ahead to become a Business Analyst.