“All professions are important, all professions are needed,” Mayakovsky once wrote. Today it’s much easier to choose a lesson than twenty or thirty years ago: the diversity is such that everyone can find something that is ideal for him. The area of computer technology is now considered to be especially profitable, and IT specialists, people working in it, are considered almost the upper class. Tester, programmer, web designer, system analyst - these and many other professions are connected with this particular field of activity. And if in the first three cases by name one can at least assume what is included in the functional duties of those occupying these posts, then with analysts everything is much more complicated. What does the analyst do, how to get this profession, and most importantly, how much can you earn in this position?
Profession history
The profession "System Analyst" (hereinafter - SA) appeared on the labor market relatively recently, but, like most specialties related to IT, it quickly gained popularity. The analyst is a noun from the word "analyze", which means that this position assumes the comprehensive development of man. A CA should have an idea not only about information technologies, but also be knowledgeable in economics, marketing and management, as well as in the industry in which its employing company specializes.
This specialist is so multifaceted that it is very difficult to identify the boundaries of his activities. The CA is engaged in working with clients, finding out exactly what they want to get from the development team, and checking already written programs in order to find out if this particular product can satisfy the client’s wishes, in addition, the system analyst has his own responsibilities in the formulation of tasks for developers based on communication with customers. Simply put, it is almost the key link in any IT project.
Other names
It has already been said that only a comprehensively developed person can occupy such a serious position as a systems analyst. The responsibilities that it implies are associated with the possession of a huge amount of information from various spheres of society. And in order to have a better idea of what the CA will have to do, you can see how this profession is also called.
Some use the name “IT Project Analyst”. In principle, it is not very different from the original, but at the same time it emphasizes the main area of activity of CA. The “System Architect” already shows that the specialist will have to design something, but at the same time, such a name can deceive those who have no idea about the specifics of this profession: a CA can easily be confused with a programmer, for example, he also builds different projects. The “task manager” is already much closer to the real picture: as mentioned above, based on communication with the client, the analyst formulates the task for the development team, converting the customer’s abstract wishes into specific information. The “Project Implementation Engineer” sounds a bit old-fashioned, and does not reflect the whole essence of the specialty - the analyst does not implement, he is rather preparing for implementation. And the last of the names is “project manager”: taking into account that the word “manager” comes from English “manager”, we can say that the name is only partially true: a system analyst, whose job description is more related to communication and information processing, is not He is the direct head of the project - perhaps one of his deputies, but not a manager at all.
What do we have to do?
The work of a systems analyst in most cases consists in the preparation of technical specifications for systems or software. Given the fact that he must provide this task to the programmers, indicating the required functions of a particular program, the features of its interface, some other technical details, he just needs a special technical education, otherwise he simply will not be able to translate client ideas into the dry language of programmers .
So different analysts
But it is known that a system analyst is far from the only analyst in the IT field; there is also someone who analyzes business. What is the difference between these two professions?
A business analyst is more likely a specialist in economics, who focuses more on how to best sell a product, where to find financing, and so on, while a CA works more with computer systems than with marketing issues. It is business analytics that can be considered responsible for the implementation of new projects, while a system analyst will develop them rather than implement them.
Separately, it is worth noting that companies that specialize in IT usually require a CA, while for those for whom high technology is not a priority, business intelligence is enough. At the same time, these specialists work perfectly in tandem, combining their common functions and at the same time bringing something of their own to the joint project.
Functional responsibilities
Now we already have an idea of what a systems analyst works with. Job description includes the following tasks:
- Monitoring of various areas to identify the need to develop software or systems that could be used in these areas.
- Work with the client: definition of the basic requirements of the client;
- Optimization of business projects.
- The study of user opinions on the operation of a system for its possible improvement.
- Paper work with a client: preparation and execution of all necessary documents for concluding an agreement with a customer, scheduling of a project, development of an action plan, preparation of reports at all stages of development.
- Writing technical specifications for the development team after analyzing customer requirements and describing these requirements with special notations.
- Communication with developers at all stages of the project, reporting on the results of their activities.
But that's not all that a systems analyst does. The professional standard of this specialist also includes such functional duties as:
- Assistance in the preparation of schemes for testing developed systems and software.
- Direct testing of developed products.
- Help educate users of developed products.
- Analysis of possible risks and, if any, errors in the developed product, search for methods to minimize or eliminate them.
- Help in choosing the appropriate platform for the development of software, as well as programming languages.
Work specifics
A person who thinks that what a systems analyst is doing is very close to his dream profession should understand that he will not have to expect a normal work schedule: no one canceled working with clients from other countries, the difference in time zones, as well as constant business trips for clarification of certain details on the project. In addition, when the deadline for the project is approaching, you can completely forget about the normalized schedule.
But one of the advantages of such a life is that IT companies are interested in their employees developing further, so they often offer foreign internships or trips to various specialized events. So a wide circle of acquaintances to the system analyst is simply guaranteed.
Requirements
What are the requirements of a systems analyst? Of course, they depend on the prestige of the company in which he works, but there is something in common in all firms. Of the basic skills required for CA, it can be noted:
- System analysis, processing of the obtained results and their presentation in a formal form.
- Proficiency in the design and development of software and information systems.
- Preparation of necessary documentation related to the development of software or information systems.
- Preparation of technical specifications, as well as the selection of the most suitable methods for testing the final product.
- Knowledge of programming languages.
- Possession of specialized design and modeling programs (their list depends on a specific company).
- Object Oriented Programming
- Documentation software.
- Interface design (in particular human-machine).
- Mastery of the basics of management (for effective project planning), economics and accounting.
Personal qualities
As for the personal qualities that both an ordinary and a leading system analyst should have (the latter’s responsibility, of course, is much more), it’s worth communicating (otherwise communication with the client or the development team will fail), consistency (a key quality for analysis) and representativeness (it will help to create trust between the customer and the CA, as well as the CA and programmers). In addition, the analyst will not survive without the ability to clearly formulate tasks (developers refuse to work with the abstract), highlight the main and get rid of the insignificant (it will also positively affect the formulation of tasks, allowing you to discard unnecessary details and focus on the main). And, as in any profession, at least to some extent connected with people, a system analyst needs good intuition: it will allow not only to establish contact with the right people, but also to work more effectively with projects. And, of course, the most important thing is the ability to structure the information received, setting tasks in a plan of action in priority order.
How to become and what to expect?
How to become a systems analyst? First, one cannot do without a higher technical education, otherwise it will be impossible to understand all the intricacies of machine codes and terms. In addition, we need, as has been repeatedly mentioned, basic knowledge in economics and management, and some specialized companies may require in-depth knowledge in their field of activity - usually it is impossible to implement projects without them.
This specialty is suitable for those who know how to structure any assigned tasks, and is also fond of computer technologies, and in particular - programming. Responsibility is colossal, but it is proportional to the satisfaction of achieving the goal. The analyst must be mobile enough to change something in the project picture at any time, in case of difficulties, as well as analyze the error and make it never happen again. At the same time, he must be confident in his decision and, having accepted it once, change it only in case of emergency - to make changes to the code is not so simple as it seems at first glance: one correction can entail dozens of additional ones. Yes, it’s difficult, but at the same time it’s very interesting and, to be honest, profitable.
And in the future (if you believe those who work in this area) - the position of an expert and consultant on the implementation of information systems, and a business analyst, and the head of IT projects. There is a tendency to deepen specialization in some systems, as well as the selection of an analyst in the development team, which indicates the importance of this position, and also guarantees a gradual increase in wages.
A bit about resume
What is the ideal resume for this profession? A system analyst, according to job search sites, is more often a man aged 25 to 45 years. Usually, the employer is not interested in the personal qualities of the candidate - it is much more important that he is able in his professional activity, although for someone who does not know how to work with people, getting this position will be very difficult. A person without work experience will not be accepted into the company, the maximum will be a candidate who worked in similar fields (for example, as a business analyst). You can not do without higher education (discussed above), and almost professional programming knowledge - the fundamentals will obviously be not enough. In some cases, it was also mentioned, highly specialized knowledge will be needed (in the same construction, medicine, and so on - the scope depends on who the software is developed for). Often there is a requirement for English proficiency at least at an intermediate level.
Naturally, for a similar list of requirements and the corresponding payment. A novice systems analyst earns from $ 600 (this is in companies where his functions are minimal). In larger enterprises, the salary reaches up to $ 1,500, but you can get there only with quite a wealth of experience. The maximum salary of a system analyst is $ 2,500.
Conclusion
Having a general idea of who a system analyst is, what his work is related to and what you can get for it, it is easy to understand whether this profession is suitable for you or not. Today, more and more people who have already graduated are going to retrain on something that is somehow connected with the IT sphere, believing that there they will be able to earn much more than the first diploma. The specialty of a systems analyst will be easy to master for those who already have an idea of even the basics of programming, but do not despair for those who do not understand anything about it - you can learn everything if you wish. The main thing to remember: AyTishnik is not a profession, but a way of life and a style of thoughts. Any profitable work in this area is associated with irregular working hours and a moving schedule, but the game is really worth the candle.