We’re over one third through 2019 and many of you may be wondering if now is the right time to pursue a new career direction.
If you’re thinking about a career in business analysis or project management, you might be surprised to learn the similarities and crossover between the two.
Both require a diligent and proactive approach to your work. And the range of soft skills required to succeed are similar. If you’re interested in launching your career as either a business analyst or a project manager follow these steps.
Develop the right attitude
If you want to succeed as a project manager or business analyst, you need to develop a proactive attitude. You need a can-do approach to everything, as you will come up against roadblocks every single day. The role of the project manager involves always being one step ahead and knowing that you have a solution should anything go wrong. Plans change all the time and deadlines are often missed, so you need to develop a flexible attitude towards your work.
Develop your skills
There’s a huge difference between developing your skills and getting training. You might need to learn how to use the latest software, or make sure you’re familiar with setting up enterprise cloud accounts to keep track of your team and their progress. As the line between business analysts and project manager starts to erode, you need to be prepared to take on a hybrid approach to your job.
Work on the soft skills
There are some soft skills that are simply essential, no matter what industry you are in. Communication skills are highly valuable in any field, but with the project manager and business analyst role becoming more integrated into organisations, it never hurts to level up your soft skills. If public speaking troubles you, take a course to conquer your fears or sign up to deliver a presentation. You’ll be surprised how much you learn from the experience.
Get certified
You’ve already developed so much, surely that’s enough to become a successful project manager or business analyst? Unfortunately, no. Many companies will also want to see that you have the correct certification for the job. Getting an agilepm practitioner certificate will not only teach you the skills you need to succeed but it will also help you to develop the right mindset for success. Even if you already have on-the-job experience, formal training can help to impress hiring managers who need to find a reason to rule out candidates. If you’re going up against someone with certification, you might struggle to stand out.
Build your network
Getting a job today is as much about who you know as what you know. The time to start building your network is now. Go to networking events and try to get your name out there. Let people know when you’ll be done training and don’t be afraid to ask for work experience, no matter your age. If you already have a fair amount of work experience under your belt, you may be able to move into a project management role in your own company. If not, start looking for jobs, starting with your own network.
Never stop learning
Project management isn’t something that you can learn once and then you’re set for life. You need to commit to keep developing your skills. As we’ve seen the line between project manager and business analyst slowly disappear, it’s down to those project managers and business analysts to develop their skills in such a way that they become indispensable. Don’t just look for ways you can advance your career vertically, there are horizontal moves you can make that will be just as effective. For example, a project manager might want to get certified in agile to help make them more employable. A business analyst might want to try a project management basics course to expand their skill set.
With any career change, the important thing is that you set your intention and then stick to it. Things might not always progress as you would like them to, but the important thing to remember is that you are working towards a goal. Break everything down into the smaller steps and then take one step at a time. Using this method, your vast ambitions become far more achievable.
