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I have been making the transition from TW to BA for some years now. Here in
the hinterland, many employers like to combo TW/BA positions (and sometimes
understand neither of them)!
Out here I would recommend the ability to write use cases. No one will
actually USE them, but it looks good on the resume. (GRINS)... I love use
cases and I believe they are very important to flesh out functional
requirements and find the gaps.
For me the switch came when I reached top billing rate as a TW (for out
here, not for those higher payer regions of CA) but had also been TWing for
20 years and got a bit bored. Not many new technologies to conquer --
especially here, in the hinterlands! (Did I mention I live in the
hinterlands? Okay it's actually Arizona.) So I began the process of adding
new skills into my repertoire, studying UML, use cases, and the like, and
also taking on JAD sessions, documenting requirements, and any testing
duties I could get.
Before I talk about rates, let me explain--in the hinterlands there are
fewer jobs with software firms. Most IT based TWing is going to be done
within in house IT departments. Skills sets require less production value
and many customized software products require less documentation (at least
in the eyes of the folks paying for it). Thus, wages are lower. It's not
just cost-of-living being lower out here.
In my experience out here, BAs top out a little higher than TWs, but
otherwise the rates are very similar, with BA rates not dipping as low as TW
rates. However, another lovely feature is that BA positions are hot and I
feel like I did in the glory days (almost) with many employers and job
opportunities between contracts. The top TW rate is around $45 and you
might get $50 in aerospace. Most the TWs I know though are making $30-35!
BA jobs tend to go from $35-$50 with some lower. Developer jobs are about
the same as the BA jobs unless it is some hot skill.
Like the low-rate TW jobs, I laugh at at those low rate BA jobs! Laugh!!
Mightily and loudly! Because -- it is better to laugh than to cry. Then I
keep looking and I always find jobs in whatever range I have assigned for
myself based on market. The thing is, many TWers don't know their markets
and don't know how to market themselves in that market. Plus out here, TWing
jobs are less plentiful than TWers are, so there you have it. There goes
the market. There is a strong demand for BA skills though.
Currently I'm working as a Systems Analyst though. Oddly, my biggest
drawback when applying for BA positions around here seemed to be that my
resume allied me more closely to IT than to the business. I was always the
more techie technical writer. Around here, more than UML and use cases, the
employers want you to know the BUSINESS you are working in when you are a BA
if possible. For instance, a health care IT department would promote from
the health care employees or hire a BA that had worked health care before
rather than look at requirements gathering experience, UML, etc.
The SA position I fill makes up for this business-bias on the part of some
Bas... somewhat. We write the use cases and system documentation as needed
but most importantly we translate, liaison, lead, and communicate between
the BA, Developer, QA, and Tech Architects.
We -- the SAs --- are in the same department with the Tech Architects,
charged with making the solution work both tactically (business needs) and
strategically (overall IT directions). That is, if the long term strategy
IT-wise means retiring an old legacy system, we help make sure the business
gets the functionality they need in the meantime, while trying not to spend
too much money doing some throw-away code until we get the replacement
system up and running.
Mostly, in the early part of the project, I ask questions. The use cases I
write help me flesh out which parts of things AREN'T we thinking of. In the
later part of the project, I answer questions especially from QA and help
resolve conflicts between the developer (do it the easy way) and the
business (I actually wanted 10 times more functionality than I wrote in the
requirements) and try to get to the best solution for both sides.
It's fun but when I'm done with this contract, I'll probably go back more to
the BA side because that's what's hiring around here. My hope is that a
Business Systems Analyst (BSA) rather than BA might have more of the techie
stuff in it and still be fun.
But for the real bucks... go for your PMP. That's about double what a BA or
a TW might make around here. My only problem with it is that I don't have
solid years of experience (required to get your certification). And
actually I enjoy the techie details and human interaction that my job
requires more than project management -- I do enjoy PM but not as MUCH.
Plus I'm really a musician and a songwriter so why spend too much time on my
day gig!? :-)
I don't read digests very much because I'm so busy lately, so talk to youse
all later. If you need me, write me directly, but be patient please.
Peace and love,
Rosie A. Wilcox
RoseAWilcox -at- msn -dot- com
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