IT Training Tips

Computer System Analyst Career

Generally a Computer System Analyst job can be quite rewarding financially as well as the roles themselves being quite interesting themselves.

Systems Analysis can involve a number of different sub roles from determining what the requirements are for designing and developing a system, to assessing the health and status of an already developed system.

Requirements

Requirements are a set of 'needs' something must fulfil before it can be said, 'the requirements have been met' and the words 'Fit for Purpose' can be associated.

By being able to develop something which satisfy the requirements, that is, agree to what each requirement stipulates as essential, the higher the likelihood, what's being developed meets the needs for its intended customer and user.

An example of a requirement could be,

"Must have a steering wheel to turn the vehicle from left to right and vice-versa."

OK, so this isn't a requirement you would see if you worked in IT as a Systems Analyst but it does give an easier to understand requirement to the beginner than,

"Must be able to use LDAP to authenticate users with the XYZ domain."

The requirement for the steering wheel if not met, would end up in creating something which couldn't be steered and therefore would not really be 'fit for purpose'. Therefore it's essential to have a set of requirements to work from and more importantly ensure these requirements are detailed enough to create something which is 'fit for the purpose' it was developed.

Assessment and Change

The second component of working as a Systems Analyst involves assessment, that is, checking to see if a system is performing as expected and delivering what the requirements stated.

Many computer systems out there in the real world need to be assessed many times over their life time because things can change.

Systems may connect to other systems, core components may become outdated to be replaced, functionality may change, such as, for example, an accounts package on the system may need updating with the latest amendments.

In fact there are many things which the typical Systems Analyst would oversee in their role, which makes the role itself quite diverse as well as sort of interesting.

Career path

Finding a Systems Analyst role can be difficult to find especially one that doesn't require years of experience. Some employers can be overly strict on the entry requirements for this career path, asking for degree educated individuals only.

I personally think this is a bit harsh, as even those without degrees with the right attitude could succeed in such roles.

If I was new to IT, the stringent entry requirements such as having a degree or equivalent before I'm even considered for a post as a Systems Analyst, would firmly put me out of the picture, as my education stopped when I was sixteen years of age.

I was initially against putting the Systems Analysis down as a dead end career but in the end I felt I had to. Because this career path is so competitive, I feel the chances of attaining a role is quite difficult.

With the competition to progress in the role too fierce for many, therefore limiting the chances of any rapid career progression, makes it a sort of dead end career.