More than 150 students in Conestoga’s graduate certificate Business Analysis programs participated in an employer event on July 21 at the Doon campus. Career Connections linked students to industry representatives who shared insights and career advice within the context of business analysis.
Jaay Jegathas, an Information Technology business analyst with TQS Logistics, was one of several presenters to share advice and insights with Business Analysis students during Career Connections on July 21.
“I wish I had guidance and I wish I knew someone who had taken the path I wanted to take,” said Jaay Jegathas. As an Information Technology business analyst with TQS Logistics, Jegathas shared details about his career path with students and explained the types of day-to-day challenges he faces in his role, along with the most essential skills business analysts need.
“Communication skills are key,” explained Jegathas. “The diverse group you work with will be one of the most challenging things you’ll face. You’ll need to summarize and recap information for each unique audience, whether it’s a user or a programmer. And you’ll have to question everything with your mind towards process improvement; remember that it’s not the number of questions you ask, but asking the right question at the right time.”
Jegathas was part of the third Career Connections event for Business Analysis students at the college. Following his presentation students also heard from Robyn Harris and Simone Craig of Sun Life Canada; Anca Preda, vice president, Global IT, at Linamar Corporation; and Darrryl D’Sa, director, Corporate Operations, OpenText who answered a variety of student questions and shared advice on how to approach hiring companies and handle interviews. Students also inquired about the relationship between business analysts and project managers, and the role business analysts will have going forward as technology and artificial intelligence evolve.
Sheila McGlashan, chair of Workforce Development and Part-time Studies at Conestoga, is responsible for these two programs and highlighted the importance of providing opportunities for students to network with industry representatives working in their field of study through events like Career Connections: “We very much appreciate the time, experience and expertise these speakers shared with our learners and thank them for their willingness to participate in such valuable exchanges.”
More and more companies are challenged with how to make sense of vast amounts of data to improve their competitive position and growth. This has generated requirements for professionals with both a business and technology side who understand how to turn insight into action. A critical role in the facilitation of software/system development growth is played by business analysts who gather business requirements from several organizational areas and interpret them so they can be defined as functional systems design specifications that can be successfully implemented by IT teams.
Conestoga offers two Business Analysis graduate certificate programs. Students develop critical skills in the areas of application software, business data analysis and modeling, customer engagement management, business processes, enterprise resource planning, and communications.
For more information, visit the Information Technology Business Analysis program page and the Information Technology Business Analysis - Operations program page