Career Shift from a Tester to Business Analyst – A Step by Step Guide

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Step #6:

The last step is the most crucial and challenging one, which is the switch to business analyst profile. Post completing your management degree, one may try applying for a BA job role in the same organization. One can also try outside the organization.

But it is easier to switch in the same organization than outside. As the management and your team members are aware of your skills and aspirations, you need not have to prove your mettle. Your involvement with the BA and the related activities while being in the testing profile itself can prove to be very helpful to impress the hiring manager.

Working in the same organization and software will help you a lot as you are already aware of the business processes.

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Step #7:

What next?

BA’s should enhance their skills and hence try for industry-recognized certifications.

IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis) offers prestigious CBAP (Certified Business Analysis Professional) accreditation. Other certifications which can be considered are CABA – Certified Associate Business Analyst and CSBA – Certified Software Business Analyst.

These certifications are gaining importance globally as well.

There are several Business Analyst Training workshops and centers online as well as offline for enhancing the BA skills. One may also consider certification in Agile Frameworks. Procuring certifications is always beneficial.

BAs are required to work heavily on documentation for creating diagrams, flowcharts, swim lane diagrams while elicitating requirements. One must consider learning tools like MS Visio or Pencil or Balasmiq for creating wireframes, flowcharts, business process mapping documents, etc.

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Conclusion

It is absolutely positive if you are thinking to switch from being a tester to a business analyst. And career growth is very fast for business analysts and they climb up in the ladder of hierarchy more swiftly when compared with the others.

A business analyst is a bridge or interface between the business and the development team. And they are supposed to interact with various stakeholders as well.

Hence, it is crucial for them to think out of the box. They have to work independently using their analytical and strategic skills, hence it is often said that a good tester has all the potential to become a successful business analyst.

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Are you are business analyst who has come across all the above-mentioned steps? Please feel free to express your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.

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