FAQs

A Business Analyst (BA) is a professional who acts as a liaison between the business group (or end users) of a software application and the technical group that designs, develops and tests the application.

Common alternative titles are business systems analyst, systems analyst, requirements analyst and functional analyst.

A business analyst’s responsibilities are to gather requirements of the software product by conducting interviews, organizing user focus groups, creating process flow diagrams, writing functional requirements etc.

To become a Business Analyst, you need strong communication, solid analysis skills, documentation and people skills.  We can help you with the technical skill set – domain/industry knowledge and an understanding of IT concepts and tools. Our BA Workshop course does not assume any technical knowledge and we can help you with the technical skills that a BA must possess. The course is aimed at strengthening your analysis skills and application of different tools using examples and assignments from different domains like flight reservation, credit card, banking, loan processing, etc.

While helpful, technical, programming or prior software development knowledge or experience is not a pre-requisite to become a business analyst. Since a Business Analyst is required to interact with developers, some conceptual knowledge of technology and IT/software development principles is helpful, and our workshop covers those fundamentals

Yes. If IT skills (analysis skills, concepts and tools) are one key component for a successful Business Analyst, the other key component is business domain knowledge. If you have prior work experience in a specific industry, you can utilize the business knowledge and experience to become a Business Analyst in that field.

Business Analysts can graduate into several progressive career options:

• Senior Business Analysts, leading a team of BAs and contributing to the Requirements Management, Planning and Monitoring in conjunction with the Project Manager
• Business Architect, contributing to the enterprise-wide engineering of software systems with the responsibility of creating the vision for efficient IT systems and planning multi-year road-maps.
• Release Manager, overseeing the overall communication across cross-functional teams and managing risks of the project and responsible for the success of each software release
• Project/Product Manager, managing resources, budget and timeline, responsible for the entire project or product

Once you have become an accomplished BA, you can pursue the CCBA or the CBAP certifications.

Unified Modeling Language. It is not a programming language. It is an analysis toolbox that allows a business analyst to put together a set of diagrams to represent business processes that need to be automated. It is referred to as a language only because it has defined semantics on how the diagrams must be structured.

There is a tremendous demand for BAs. BAs are not technology and domain agnostic – regardless of what technology is used in building the software, BAs are sought for large projects. BA is one of the top ten recession proof jobs (Forbes Magazine) and is the top paid among the 10.

See for yourself: Look up dice, monster or careerbuilder etc. and search for the keywords: Business Analyst or Systems Analyst.

We usually have a batch start every 5 to 6 weeks. The training is 5 weekends long with 9 days of classes.

Saturday class during the first weekend is provided as a free trial and rest of the four weekends (Saturday + Sunday) are for enrolled participants.

Timings are either 9:30 am to 1:30 pm or 1:30 to 5:30 pm. Please check your enrollment email for exact timings. We may be able to accommodate changes per particiapnts’ request provided if all participants and the trainer can make it, subject to classroom availability.

The course website is the central repository for downloading course materials, UML software, assignments, online tests, etc. http://businessanalystworkshop.com/

Recordings of live classes are available for all sessions. If you miss a class, listen to the full-length recording of a similar class online!

You can take the Live Online class if the timings are suitable. If timings don’t work out you may also attend using the On-Demand option.

Online and offline payment options available. Please go to http://businessanalystworkshop.com/pay/ for all payment options. Credit card payment may incur a 3% processing fees. See http://requirementsinc.com/assets/payment-information/ for additional payment info.

You must register to attend the trial class. You may attend the trial class by participating in a live class (Live Online or In-Class) or at your own convenience (On-Demand via Video Recordings). Pick any available date from http://businessanalystworkshop.com/free-trial/ for a live session. For on-demand, select any date (the system forces you to pick a date although it doesn’t matter) and choose the On-Demand option.

The live trial class covers:

• Introduction to Business Analysis
• Roles and Responsibilities of Business Analysts
• Software Engineering fundamentals
• Introduction to Business Modeling using UML

We also try to bring in alumni from a past batch who is currently working as a BA for a quick Q and A. At the end of the session, one of our representatives will be available to answer your questions about taking the course and placements.

The on-demand option has a few more bonus videos (you can select both options when you register for a free trial)

• UML Use Case Diagrams – Quick Preview
• UML Activity Diagrams – Quick Preview
• UML State Diagrams – Quick Preview
• Use Case Writing – Quick Preview
• Requirement Management Tool – Quick Preview

No. There is no commitment required to participate in the trial class.

Live Online course delivery is via teleconference and web conference. You will call-into a US long distance number and connect via our web conference facility to view the instructor’s desktop for live tool training.

We strive to provide the same quality training for online participants. All materials are distributed via the online course website. We do not use a whiteboard in-class so the materials shared with the online participants is exactly what is available to in-class participants.

You will need the ability to call a US long distance number and high-speed internet (DSL, cable, etc.). Web conference works best in IE and Firefox. You will need administrator privileges in your computer to install some plug-ins. Mac or PC will serve the purpose.

Please check this link to see where our past participants are working: http://requirementsinc.com/library/ba/AlumniOrg.pdf

Yes. After the training, you can avail of our resume/interview prep and placement/marketing services in exchange for 12-month contractual commitment of working through us as consultants. There is no additional cost. If you do not need the training or if you are unable to commit to a 12-month contract, we may be able to provide these services tailored to your needs at an additional cost.

Additional Domain Training

• The additional materials/recordings on the mortgage industry domain help you complement the technical skills gathered during the training.We also guide you to research other domains like healthcare.

Resume Preparation

• Based on your current background and experience, we help you build a focused resume.

Resume Critique

• Resume review and critique helps you avoid pitfalls and build a strong resume.

Interview Preparation

• Interview questions
• One on one preparation and mock interview before a client interview
• Peer Group/Forum Membership – Discuss various BA topics and answers to key interview questions, Get BA resources, useful links to current industry articles *
• Marketing/Placement Assistance – Assigned recruiter who will directly keep in touch with you about your submissions and next steps
• On-the-job Assistance – General hand-holding you may need on your first BA job, Review of requirements prior turning into the client, Set up a time and discuss as needed with a trainer
• Access to BA Class Recordings – Access to recordings through the preparation process to strengthen your technical skills

See the detailed brochure here: http://www.requirementsinc.com/library/ba/PlacementInfo.pdf

Absolutely. As our consultant, your success on the project is our success and we will do everything possible to extend the support you may need while working at our client location. Our instructors can help with acclimating you with the process/methodology at the client location, understand your responsibilities specific to the project and help you adopt best practices in creating requirement documentation. Our consultants usually get comfortable with their project in a few weeks and do not need further support, but we are here to help when you need it.

If you are not working through us but need on-the-job support, you can take advantage of our mentoring services. Please call 703-468-1921 or email info@requirementsinc.com for more information.

We need to be clear on this. The answer is no. We will help you with your placement process by mentoring you and presenting your resume with our client and vendor companies. You will need to clear the interviews before you start a position. Hence, we do not claim any placement guarantee. We can help you achieve placement by preparing you and by marketing you.

You should be careful when trusting anyone who gives a categorical job placement guarantee.

This is not an easy question to answer. The length of time it takes for your placement depends on several factors: current market conditions, your location preference, our resume/interview support, our marketing ability and your interviewing skills. We do our best to make factors under our control favorable – by helping you with creating a strong resume, additional domain training, interview prep sessions and access to our consultants portal with tons of resources and recordings of past sessions.

You will also need to do your part beyond the classes – by researching industry white papers, best practices and developments in the BA field. This will help you command knowledge at the interview and present yourself as a well-rounded candidate.

Any ability to relocate will greatly help. The more open you are, the better, at least for the first project. We can work with your location constraints but being able to relocate will be a great advantage as this is a flexibility many may not be able to afford.

You will need to be constantly engaged during the placement process and work with our trainers who will guide you. Some of the key suggestions to our consultants are:

• Stay in touch with industry best practices in the BA realm
• Follow the IIBA and take advantage of their free webinars
• Follow BA-related blogs and twitters
• Read white-papers and case studies
• Gather domain knowledge outside your current expertise
• Look through job descriptions from your local area and enhance your knowledge and know how of key job requirements
• Seek a BA mentor through LinkedIn
• Target your preparation with common interview questions

3 to 18 months but usually 6 month increments. Consulting positions are approved/funded every 6 months and are often extended as long as the project is ongoing and you perform well. If you are willing to relocate, generally we don’t opt for positions less than 6 months long. However, by the nature of consulting/contract work, no project length is assured, but projected.

Yes. Once you work with us on a project for 12 billing months, the entire training fee is reimbursed.

This may depend on your specific scenario. Please email info@requirementsinc.com with your resume and your situation.

Your ability to relocate will greatly increase your chances and you should consider it at least for the first project. However, if you are unable to, we can still help you. You must expect the effort to take longer than if you were able to relocate.