Show Up

I thought this would go without saying, but show up to your interview on time. In fact, show up 10 minutes early.

Let's assume your interview is in a location unfamiliar to you. Here are some suggestions:
1. Print a map of the interview location ahead of time.
2. Write down the phone number of the interview location so that you can call for directions if you get lost.
3. If you are running late at no fault of your own, call the interviewers and let them know your status well before the interview time.
4. Apologize for being late if you're late.
5. Leave your home/office for the interview early enough so that you have a cushion for unexpected events.

Dress the Part

Fashion, style, and "look" is very subjective. I like meeting people who have their own "look" about them. At the same time, when you walk into an interview you should have done homework on the expectations of the company with which you're trying to work.

Why not over-dress for an interview? No employer is going to think less of you for dressing in a suit when the typical dress code is business casual. It shows you can formalize your appearance when needed.

In contrast, why would you under-dress for an interview? Wearing sandals or a polo shirt implies that you either 1) don't care or 2) aren't taking the interview seriously. What? It's hot outside? That's a shame - maybe you should drive to the interview in a car, bus or train that has air conditioning. Since the interview is (hopefully) an infrequent thing, spring for driving your own car that day or renting a Zip car if you don't have one.

A little effort goes a long way.

It's all in your delivery

Do you have two volumes: silent and loud?

Do you find yourself saying more about who you aren't rather than who you are?

Do you talk about experiences in terms of "my last job"?

If the answer to any of these is Yes - I don't want to interview you. Delivery, to me, out-weighs experience. After all, I can teach anyone the correct way to document requirements and I can teach some fantastic elicitation methods. I cannot teach people how to tailor their approach and how to best communicate with our customers.

A trend lately has been interviews with people who are too chatty, providing answers to questions that circle the moon and back before making a point. Also, lots of people talk about how they do analysis in terms of what their last company required them to do. Do I look like your last company? No. I really don't care. I want to hear about your experience, skills, and approach in abstract terms. Granted, if a story from a past project help builds your case, use it. But I don't care what X company required as part of their methodology because odds are, I am not going to clone their process.

Practice makes perfect: no matter how embarrassing it may seem, do practice interviews with past or current colleagues, friends, or neighbors: by phone and in person. Ask for brutally honest feedback and don't get offended when they point out your areas of improvement.

#1 Most Important IT Role: Business Analyst

Check it out!

Careers Slideshow: IT Careers: 13 Most Important IT Roles

Jobs that Require Travel

Odds are that if a job application asks you "How many days per ___ are you willing to travel?" the employer is going to want you to travel.

If you do not want to travel for your job, you may want to reconsider applying at all.

Here's an example:
Job Application: How many days per week are you willing to travel?
You: 1 day.

Bad answer! You should be willing to travel 2 to 5 days per week for any position that asks.
1 day = day trip, no overnight stays.
2 = 1 or 2 days to meet with clients and 1 overnight stay.
3 = 2 or 3 days to meet with clients and 2 overnight stays.
4 = 3 or 4 days to meet with clients and 3 overnight stays.
5 = 4 or 5 days to meet with clients and 4 overnight stays.

Make an assessment of the job requirements, view the employers' list of clients, and make an educated guess as to how much travel might be involved before applying for the position.

Writing Samples

Did you know that most Business Analysts are hired to write lots of documentation? Of course!

Did you know that most Business Analysts do not walk into an interview with samples of their writing?
Crazy, right?

It stands to reason that anyone hired to write should provide samples of their past writing. Sure, I have heard the excuses of "my past projects were confidential" or "I didn't keep copies of my past work". That's really no excuse.

Think outside of the box! By now you know how to write a requirements document, so consider creating a document for an imaginary project. Include wireframes or realistic mock-ups for the imaginary system. Format the requirements as if you were handing them to an imaginary developer for creation.

For sharing during your interviews, consider having your requirements document spiral bound with a protective cover. Be sure to leave an additional spiral bound copy with the hiring manager.

I guarantee that hiring managers will (1) not recognize your sample is imaginary, (2) will admire your sense of creativity, and (3) remember you as one of the few BA's who provided a writing sample!

Your Email Address Matters

Did you know that your email address represents one of the first impressions you'll make on a hiring manager? We've seen a lot of examples of bad email addresses. Below are some examples (not actual, but you'll get the idea):
dogcatcher1971@yahoo.com
cakewoman@hotmail.com
johnsmith1165@gmail.com

The numerical ending to an email addresses just makes people wonder "what do the numbers mean?" Is 1971 your birth year? Is 1165 your mailing address? Who knows? Really - who cares?

Here are some examples of email addresses that are simple, effective, and easy to remember:
johnsmith@gmail.com
jsmith@gmail.com
john.smith@gmail.com
john.a.smith@gmail.com

Also consider the domain at which your email is hosted. Hotmail and AOL are "so 1990's". Gmail, Me, and Mac are great domains because they show you are using contemporary websites and cutting edge communications.