The first thing you can do is to evaluate yourself up against the fundamentals that are needed for a career as an analysis of business. There are many good books out there about this and a lot of information on the Internet regarding it. You want to begin to accumulating experience in the industry as soon as possible. This means that you need to start looking for various opportunities within your day-to-day work life where you are able to apply some different business analyst ideas and practices. It is important to make sure that you are taking the time to analyze problems, facilitate discussion, and practice listening.
To help yourself break into the business, you will want to network with other analysts and technology professionals. You might also want to take a little time and research what professional events for networking are scheduled for your local city. This is a great way to meet others in the business. If you ask professionally, you might be able to get some people to participate in an informal interview so that you can really get a firsthand look about the profession. Just make sure that you do not ask about salary, no matter how tempting it may be as it is not a proper thing to ask someone.
Once you have learned as much as you can possibly learn, you will need to figure out what your target position is. After going over everything that you have learned, you will need to decide whether you think an entry-level position is right for you or if you think you would manage well in a transitional role. Either way, you have to make sure that you are updating your resume and your cover letter. You will want to focus more on outcomes rather than your responsibilities. Also, make sure that you are optimizing your resume to focus on all of the experiences that you have had that relate to the business you are trying to get into.
The next thing you will do is to begin your job search. You can look through the local newspapers but that may not prove to be the most efficient way to find employment in various careers. You can always use the Internet to find listings for open positions in the business analyst field. Sometimes the salary that goes with the job is listed but generally it is not. Keep in mind, not all of the business analyst jobs will actually say "business analyst" so it is up to you to make sure that you are looking through the responsibilities of the job to determine whether or not it is really the kind of job that you are looking for.
If you come up empty handed at first do not give up. Post your resume online with information regarding the type of business position you are looking for. Do not be afraid to post your desired salary either. There is a very good chance that a headhunter will come across your resume and give you a call. Make sure that you are also putting the word out there that you are looking for employment and the field that you are looking for it in.
You will want to make sure that you are considering relocation as a possibility because you might find the salary that you want is not the salary you can get in your local area. You certainly do not have to relocate, but it is something that you may want to think deeply about.
