A technical recruiter I have worked with once told me that, based on my experience and, more importantly, my personality, he thought that I should seriously consider looking at \’business analyst\’ positions.
I was, at the time, looking at any mid-to-high level technology position, specifically some kind of systems administration. And I thought that a business analyst was someone who analyzed other business. For what reason, I did not know.
The recruiter clarified it for me; he felt that with my technology background, and ability to work with people, I would be effective in a position where I worked with a business, or a group within a business, to better enable its use of the IT systems available.
My experience is heavy on the technology side, and a bit weak on the business side, so I tabled the idea.
If I review my time working in IT over the last 12 years, I see a common theme in my overall interest – how can technology best enable the company, and, more specifically, how can tech support (including *all* levels of help desk) be structured to best meet he needs of the business?
This is where it crosses into a semi-business-analyst role.
The philosophies, roles, mechanisms, workflows, people, SLAs, etc. all have an important role in making tech support efficient and productive, both inside the group and in supporting the company.
A critical part of that is hiring the right people and *keeping* them. Helping them grow into the roles best suited for them. Making sure their needs are met, too, or they are far less productive both for the support team and for the company.
I would say I am passionate about this and it ties together my deep interests in technology and in how people interact. How best to take into account people\’s differences and enable them to work at their best personally, within the group, and within the company.
It is about the person, and about the team, and how I manage them so that they are best able to meet the needs of the company.