Do You Really Need A Business Analyst Certification?

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Less Demand for Business Analyst Certifications

There seems to be less demand for certifications in the business analyst field. A search on many job sites will show less results for the relevant BA certifications than other fields, such as project management.

Why is this?

I think it’s a combination of a few reasons. The main governing body is the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis). I read a great opinion article recently on business analysis which stated that while the IIBA is good but it will take some time to reach what the PMI currently is in terms of maturity.

I also think it’s not a very widely-known career. When I was in university, I majored in software development (Oracle database and Java). Since then I have moved into my current role as a business analyst. It’s not something I even considered in university, and I don’t even remember if I knew what a business analyst role was back then! I think that in the universities it’s not a very highly promoted skill or area of focus. Most IT students during my time wanted to become developers or network administrators or project managers – no real mention of a business analyst.

What Business Analyst Certifications Are There?

There are actually some BA certifications available in the industry. Any Google search or any investigation into the topic will usually lead you to the IIBA website. They offer two main certifications – the CCBA and the CBAP.

The CCBA (Certification of Competency in Business Analysis) is for those who wish to be recognised as a business analyst. It’s the more junior certification of the two. It asks for experience in the BA field – but it’s not just a suggestion. The criteria for this certification needs to be met and it involves a certain number of hours in different knowledge areas, a high school education, and references from career managers.

There is also the CBAP (Certified Business Analyst Professional). This certification is targeted to the more senior members of the BA community. Experience requirements are also needed, which are higher than the CBAP, and involve certain hours of experience in subject areas, high school education and career manager references.

There are some other certifications for BA’s (I’ve noticed some Masters in Business Analysis courses floating around), but essentially the two from IIBA are the most widely recognised. This brings us to the next question…

Should I Get A Business Analyst Certification?

I’ve had a few people ask on my other posts on the BA role if they need a certification to start. Which certification should I get? How can I get started in business analysis? How did you start?

Well, I don’t actually think you need a certification to get a role as a BA. Many of the BA’s I know have started from a technical background (developers, testers, etc) and moved into the business analyst role from their own choice.

Sure, you can get one of these certifications, but I don’t think it is essential. Understanding the business environment and an IT project process is just as important. This information can come from other areas of knowledge (such as degrees) or from experience in technical roles.

It won’t hurt to get a certification – but if you’re looking at these two certifications from the IIBA, you’ll need experience before getting them.

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Do You Have What It Takes To Succeed As A Real Estate Investor?

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Real estate investing has been a great business for myself
and also for thousands of others, creating more millionaires
than any other vehicle. You’ve probably heard this statement
numerous times.

However, all too often we discuss the technical aspects to
completing deals. New real estate investors want to know
all the paperwork they need, how to get financing, along
with the technical aspects to successful deal structuring, but the one thing we never seem to talk about- what makes one successful with real estate investing.

Real estate investing has been very good to me. For the last five years, I have been investing in real estate full time. It seems there are always people asking me exactly what I do or how I do it and more importantly they’ll ask me – “how can I profit from buying and selling real estate?”

The question I have for anyone just starting out or someone that wants to get started is “Do you have what it takes?”

Here I will tell you the 4 traits to becoming successful as
a real estate entrepreneur:

1.) Staying Focused.

Real Estate investors are opportunist, looking for the next
deal. It seems that around every corner, there lies some
opportunity. And as a matter of fact, if you chase every
opportunity, you’ll end up frustrated, scattered, and
overwhelmed by all the projects you’re attempting to
complete. You should concentrate all of your efforts to
getting one deal completed at a time, then work on your
system to acquiring more. This has been extremely hard at times even
for myself.

2.) Set short-term goals and reward yourself.

You should focus on 90-day goals and commit to your goals to seeing them through the end. Keep your goals listed in
front of you at all times. Set up a reward system for
yourself for when you obtain your goal. When you get cashed out of that deal, then take a set percentage and reward yourself with something that you want. Maybe, you’re paying off debt, however you should also be rewarding yourself at the same time.

3.) Make Fast Informed Decisions

Conduct your due diligence in a timely manner or else if
it’s a real deal, then someone will scoop up the deal while
you’re still analyzing the deal. Some call it “Analysis
Paralysis”, where you’re paralyzed by the fear of making
the wrong decision, therefore you analyze it to death.
Analyze the deal, then have some faith making an informed
choice.

4.) Willingness To Learn Lessons.

Let me ask you this, do you blame everything on someone
else? Do you avoid taking responsibility for your actions?
Be honest with yourself here. See, in this business, you
are your own competition, you are the one responsible for
the success or failure of your business. And that’s why
sometimes it can be tough because you see exactly what
you’re made of. In all business ventures, there are valuable
lessons that you must be willing to accept. Some are good,
while some can be painful. You must remain patient and
persistent focusing at the goal at hand.

After all, it’s too easy to get sidetracked with
the latest get rich quick information. It’s vital to your business that you remain focused, persistent to the tasks at hand, without wavering.

Apply these four traits to your business with focus, yet
flexible plans to reach your goals and you’ll see you’re way
to the top.