Kirsten Eriksen works as a business analyst for Datacom in Wellington. Kirsten has been a business analyst (BA) for about 8 years and became a Certified Competent Business Analyst™ (CCBA™) in 2011.
“I heard about the International Institute of Business Analysts™ (IIBA™) CCBA™ designation when the IIBA launched it in early 2011. At that time I had been trying to gain the hours required to sit the CBAP™ designation, and knew that I would be able to gain the CCBA™ designation more quickly as I already had the hours required for that.”
“I wanted to be certified as I had no other qualifications that enabled me to objectively formalise my experience as a BA. I liked the idea of the IIBA™ certifications as they required the applicant to provide proof of their experience as well as know the theory – I felt this was more robust and, as the certification process is the same throughout the world and internationally recognised, I felt it would be a good way to increase my marketability as a BA.”
“I found the application process relatively easy, but the exam preparation was a lot of hard work. I did a preparation course, and about 3 months of self-study before I sat the exam – while taking 2 papers at university as well – let’s just say it was a busy time. I still remember the trepidation I felt when going into the exam, because there isn’t any published information on the exam content, beyond the fact that it’s 150 multiple choice questions. I was extremely nervous of whether I had done enough to pass; thankfully I had!”
“I think that studying the Body of Knowledge (BABOK®) in preparation for the exam has made me a better BA as it has given me more confidence. It has provided some structure around which to hang what I already knew. For anyone that is considering gaining certification, be it CCBA™ or CBAP™ I would definitely recommend that they take the plunge, as they will learn a lot, not just about business analysis but about themselves.” |