Forums for the Business Analyst

 
  Modern Analyst Forums  Careers  Career Advice &...  Would English be the barrier for a BSA to get to senior positions?
Previous Previous
 
Next Next
New Post 6/9/2008 1:28 PM
User is offline Irene
31 posts
9th Level Poster


Would English be the barrier for a BSA to get to senior positions? 

Hi,

I am a Business Systems Analyst by profession of many years and currently employed as a BSA. I am an immigrant to Canada for almost 5 years now. (Prior to this, I spent 3 years in the States for a computer science degree). English is not my native language. Generally I don't have problem in communicating with my coworkers, but I do have times that I don't know the better way to express myself or I don't get the clear message other peoples say. Sometimes during a meeting I feel embarrassed by asking too many questions. I know communicating is critical, especially as BSA. My question is considering my future career development, would English be the biggest barrier for me to get to highier position? Should I switch to a QA's position since that requires less talking with clients and might be easier for me to get to highier position like QA Manager in future?

Thanks in advance!

Irene

 
New Post 6/9/2008 3:24 PM
User is offline Adrian M.
764 posts
3rd Level Poster




Re: Would English be the barrier for a BSA to get to senior positions? 

Hi Irene,

I'll start by saying that communication skills are very important for the business analyst role.

Having said that - if you have the true spirit of a BA you will pick up communication skills if you work at it.  Based on your e-mail question you do have decent command of the written language.  I have seen folks in business analyst positions which are in much worse shape.

I would suggest you don't give up but continue working on your communication skills anyway you can and you will become a great "business analyst".

Best regards,

- Adrian


Adrian Marchis
Business Analyst Community Blog - Post your thoughts!
 
New Post 6/9/2008 7:51 PM
User is offline Jarett Hailes
155 posts
6th Level Poster




Re: Would English be the barrier for a BSA to get to senior positions? 

I second Adrian's assessment - having good communication skills in the language of your co-workers is very important as a BA.  Being able to convey information clearly both verbally and in writing is critical to ensuring that the people you are translating between (i.e. business and technology), advocating for and providing information to can understand what you are representing. 

If you find it difficult at times to convey something, that's normal (even if English is your first language).  I took French immersion and even at the peak of my depth in daily use (10 years in) I had to hunt for words at times and didn't always convey what I wanted in the proper form.  I would highly recommend looking into ways to work on your skills.  Toastmasters can be a great help, as they can work on both presentation and content of your conversations.  Language lessons may or may not help - I tend to think that practical hands on experience is more beneficial.  Look into if there are any 'conversation clubs' in your area - sometimes these pop up when people want to get together to practice a particular language together.  Read, watch television (preferably something intellectually stimulating that uses sophisticated words) and talk to everyone you can.  Over time, it will be come easier.

 
New Post 6/10/2008 3:51 AM
User is offline Craig Brown
560 posts
www.betterprojects.net
4th Level Poster




Re: Would English be the barrier for a BSA to get to senior positions? 

I'll concur with my two learned colleagues and add the following;

Earlier this year an Australian academic produced a report claiming that verbal communication skills are the greatest barrier to non english speakers practicing in the area they are trained in. 

In the workplaces of most corporations' IT and project departments in Australia there is a strongly multicultural workforce.  People typically do not mind having to deal with thick accents and are happy to help their peers if they have particular challenges with the language.  People, at a day to day human interaction level, generally want to help you do well.  It's the hirinng procss that provides the biggest challenge.

And of course the best way to overcome your concerns about your communication skilsl are to (a) practice, and (b) realise that you are probably much better than you think.

Follow Larimar's advice and check out Toastmasters.  The featires thay can provide are opportunities to practice public speaking, and will even video or tape your speaking - which is a great way to hear what you really sound like (and generally we all hate hearing ourseleves the first time.)

Lastly; in the workplace; don't fear asking questions. It is your job and people will respect you if you ask.  After all, it will be the unasked questions that cause the project to fail.

Good luck.  You'll be fine.

 
New Post 6/10/2008 4:47 AM
User is offline Hoogy
2 posts
No Ranking


Re: Would English be the barrier for a BSA to get to senior positions? 

Since I am Dutch, I am not a native English speaker either and I recognise the feeling that you are looking for words trying to express yourself. Anyway, it's my experience that when you have good knowledge of the subject, an accent should not hinder you in any way. Especially in multi-cultural organisations it's the content that counts most. Having said that, I would like to emphasise that there is a difference between 'language skills' and 'communication skills'.  I know native speakers who can't communicate and non-native speakers that communicate very well, be it in their own language.

My advice, if it's only your accent of language skills you're worried about, keep on practising. You could attend a language course if you feel that would help. If it's about communicating in general (speaking to large audiences, effectively communicating to peers or management etc.) there are plenty of communication skills courses available you could attend. These would not only increase your knowledge, but also your confidence.

Good luck!

Frank

 
Previous Previous
 
Next Next
  Modern Analyst Forums  Careers  Career Advice &...  Would English be the barrier for a BSA to get to senior positions?

Community Blog - Latest Posts

Fabricio Laguna talks Business Analysis and AI
I recently connected with Fabricio Laguna, aka The Brazilian BA. Fabricio is a passionate and pioneering business analyst from Brazil. During our conversation, we had a thought-provoking discussion on how artificial intelligence stands to shape the field of business analysis in the years ahead. While AI promises to transform many aspects of busines...
Business Architecture, Ontology and More with Terry Roach
It's been a privilege meeting Terry Roach, a visionary in the field of enterprise architecture and business architecture. Terry's insights into the evolution of business models, the importance of ontology in architecture, and the potential of AI to shape our future were not only thought-provoking but also a reflection of his extensive exper...
Today I had the pleasure of chatting to Jignesh Jamnadas, Chief Operations Officer at Mosaic, about his Blueprints for Success. As a Senior Finance and Operations Executive, Jigs (as he is known to many) has a holistic understanding of all facets of business and a flair for managing both people and processes. Having worked with Jigs, I was struc...

 



Upcoming Live Webinars




 

Copyright 2006-2024 by Modern Analyst Media LLC