Your mind starts to race when you realize there’s a book called Business Analyst Body of Knowledge (BABOK) that’s considered the bible of Business Analysis world! What!!!???!!! It can’t be that easy, can it? Like taking a magic pill? And with this “magic pill” I can:
- I get an amazing salary
- I get a stable career where my job isn’t being shipped off to some other country
- I get to do meaningful work; where I’m making an impact and a difference
- I get to climb the corporate ladder
AND all I have to do is get my hands on this ONE book? Well, where the heck do I find it?
- Turn to old faithful…Google
- Bing watching YouTube
- Joining Facebook Groups glore
- Asking your friends for the book
- Walking into the library (do they still exist?)
- Shelling out money to buy the latest version on Amazon
AND finallyyy, the doorbell rings… the book has arrived! The book in your hands! The excitement….the joy….you start picturing your future life and think “is going to be GREAT!” The good old American dream seems like a reality….a house, a car, a yard with a white picket fence and little kids running around in the front yard. Yes, the path is clear and it’s achievable with just ONE book! Who knew it could be that easy?
So, now you’re determined to get through the book. You’ve created time blocks in your schedule to focus and understand the materials. You’ve given yourself 3 months to finish the book, take the exam and start applying for jobs. Business Analyst job….here I come!
Annnnd then you open the book and stare at the black text and diagrams for what seems like an eternity. Yes, I know because we all have been there (yes…even me!). And for those determined enough to stick to the schedule, study and pass the Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP) Exam!
And you soon discover, passing the exam doesn’t guarantee a job nor does it guarantee that you understand how to implement projects. So let’s be real; the Business Analyst Body of Knowledge (BABOK) has great information if you actually understand how IT projects are implemented in the Software Development Lifecycle. The book explains best practices and the theoretical approach of how all projects “should be” implemented if your company had endless resources, time and budget to work on the projects. The BABOK provides a framework; a resource and a guiding principle on how to properly plan and implement projects from a Business Analyst standpoint. The sad reality however is; less than 50% of what’s in the BABOK is actually used in the real world.
So should you consider BABOK your bible? Yes and No. BABOK is a great place to start to learn the framework, but definitely is not the end all be all.
Written By Sarabjit Dahyia
