A recent Trendline article on CIO.com talks about the Business Analyst role and the big demand for qualified IT professionals which can fulfill this role.

Here's the link:

Patrick wrote I can attest to that, my company has just recently hired 16 Business Analysts Nationally in the last month and we still have more needs!  I have posted two jobs in the career section here one in Phoenix and the other in San Diego.  It has been difficult to find quallity Business Analysts and I am always looking for new avenues such as this site to find the best candidates.

Hi Patrick,

Yes - finding qualified analysts is not easy.  Unfortunately there are many recruiters and candidates who pump up the resumes with lots of keywords even though the candidate has no business or systems analysis experience.

The good news is that the profession is getting a lot more attention and there are a number of training companies which offer good training for business analysts.  In addition, the IIBA is taking a leading role to endorse those training providers which maintain high standards and comply with the BABOK.  If you are looking for entry level analysts you might want to contact some of the training companies (especially the ones local to the areas of interest to you) to see if any of their recent graduates are looking for jobs.

Regards,

- Adrian

Patrick - I understand your dilemma.  I am sure that there are thousands of recruiters which are trying to fill Business Systems Analyst positions and they would all love to get their hands on the list of students from the training providers.  The training providers need to be careful how they handle those lists since they want repeat business and do not want to be perceived as "selling" personal info.  Your best bet is to setup win-win personal relationships with the training companies where you give them something in return such as referrals.  For example, if you know of a candidate who needs to develop their BA skills, refer that candidate to a training provider.  I'm sure they'll appreciate it and they may return the favor.

You can take a look at the Directory for training providers. 

Hope this helps!

- Adrian