Check out the latest blog post by Kurian J. Panjikaran!
If you’d like to share your own reflections with the BA community, we’d love to hear from you—just reach out through our Contact Us form.
If you’d like to share your own reflections with the BA community, we’d love to hear from you—just reach out through our Contact Us form.
Recently, I attended the IIBA UK session, “Beyond the BA Job Title: Career Moves that Matter.” The session was led by Mark Bruins, founder of BA Masterminds and a seasoned Business Analyst mentor.
With career development on my mind, I was initially expecting insights into BA career paths or tools and techniques to focus on. Instead, the session offered a more strategic view — highlighting the importance of assessing one’s current (AS-IS) and desired (TO-BE) state to identify and close career gaps.
Key Takeaways for me as a Business Analyst:
✅Clarity of career goals is critical to progress. The idea of defining short-term (1 year), medium-term (2 year), and long-term (3 year) personal and professional goals stood out. Linking each with actionable steps makes the plan more achievable.
✅ Strategic specialisation matters. A key point raised was the importance of seeking roles that allow BAs to focus more deeply on their core expertise. While every role has its own value, this perspective highlighted the benefit of aligning day-to-day work more closely with one’s long-term professional goals.
✅ Positioning is a critical skill. One powerful insight was that many BAs do not lack delivery skills — they often lack the ability to position and market themselves effectively. Shifting from simply "doing the work" to actively "owning your value" is key to long-term growth.
✅Clarity of career goals is critical to progress. The idea of defining short-term (1 year), medium-term (2 year), and long-term (3 year) personal and professional goals stood out. Linking each with actionable steps makes the plan more achievable.
✅ Strategic specialisation matters. A key point raised was the importance of seeking roles that allow BAs to focus more deeply on their core expertise. While every role has its own value, this perspective highlighted the benefit of aligning day-to-day work more closely with one’s long-term professional goals.
✅ Positioning is a critical skill. One powerful insight was that many BAs do not lack delivery skills — they often lack the ability to position and market themselves effectively. Shifting from simply "doing the work" to actively "owning your value" is key to long-term growth.
Overall, the session encouraged a more intentional reflection on how I approach career planning—prompting me to consider not just how I manage my professional journey today, but where I aim to be in the years ahead.
What steps are you taking to align your current role with your long-term aspirations?
Would you like to see the session recording? Please follow the link to our YouTube channel here.
Author: Kurian J. Panjikaran