Member Avatar for chrisg29

Hi,

I've recently finished doing my BComm (majors in Information Systems and Business Management). I want to work my way up to either project manager or business analyst and need some advice on how to get there. If possible I'd rather avoid programming, I'm working as a tester at the moment, is this the right way to start?

Thanks
Chris

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by sunny_ne

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This note pulls together a compact, practical roadmap to move from a test role toward business analyst or project manager work. It builds on 's general career advice and answers 's question about non-programming paths by focusing on the concrete skills, artifacts and short-term steps that hiring managers actually look for.

Core skills and artifacts to show

  • Requirements: write clear user stories/use cases and acceptance criteria that link to business value.
  • Process mapping: produce simple process flows or swimlanes that expose gaps and handoffs.
  • Stakeholder work: prepare stakeholder matrices and meeting agendas; document decisions.
  • Planning basics: create a work breakdown, simple schedule and risk log for a small feature.
  • Measurement: capture one or two metrics (cycle time, defect trends, business impact) tied to changes.

Tools and references

  • Common tools: JIRA/Confluence, Excel (pivot/tables), basic SQL, Visio/Lucidchart, MS Project.
  • Foundational guides and certifications: IIBA resources for BA practice and PMI pages for PM/BA certifications (IIBA, PMI).

A practical 6-12 month plan

  • Produce 3 solid artifacts (story+acceptance criteria, a process map, and a short requirements summary) and get them reviewed by a BA/PM.
  • Join or sit in on project planning and requirements meetings to observe facilitation and estimation.
  • Complete an entry-level course or credential (ECBA/CAPM or similar) and one focused short course on elicitation or estimation.
  • Track one measurable improvement from an artifact (less rework, faster signoff) and put it in a portfolio.

Resume/interview focus

  • Present artifacts, quantify impact, and describe facilitation/decision roles rather than technical tasks. Framing current testing work as “requirements verification” or “acceptance validation” makes the transition visible to hiring managers.
Member Avatar for sunny_ne

Hi,

I've recently finished doing my BComm (majors in Information Systems and Business Management). I want to work my way up to either project manager or business analyst and need some advice on how to get there. If possible I'd rather avoid programming, I'm working as a tester at the moment, is this the right way to start?

Thanks
Chris

Hi, Chris. I lucked into a business analysis team at GE. Here are some possibilities: look at job fairs--the large companies do attend; watch on web sites of major companies and apply for related jobs. Don't be afraid to apply repeatedly as long as you are looking at jobs that are related to your field. The right job can take several years and you may have to pay some dues to get it. Look for internships even if the salary is low. Try smaller reputable companies as well as large ones--GE acquired my company. Look for cities/towns with a technical community and network--join consultant associations if you have a skill you can market outside the job and build a reputation as a fixer. Start a small business with a partner and contract your services. Apply to large companies as a contractor. Perot Systems and other consulting companies hire contractors. Leverage your specialty in testing to work as a 6-12 month contractor at a large company and look around for jobs while you are there--be sure to work extra hard and look for ways to do something exceptional so that the company wants to keep you and place you in other roles. I hope this gives you come ideas

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