The COVID-19 pandemic created deep ripple effects that were far-reaching in virtually every industry. Not only were supply chains affected, but employees at companies all over the world re-evaluated their careers and how they spend the majority of their time. 

This led to what we now refer to as ‘the Great Resignation’, with professionals everywhere leaving their current jobs in droves. Ever since this professional exodus – which kicked off in the spring of 2021 – an increase in demand for Business Analysts was created. Professionals across the United States are taking this opportunity to be more selective about the jobs they pursue, and employers are becoming more flexible with those professionals they currently have on staff. 

Now is a great time to shape your BA role to be what you want it to be. Let’s take this opportunity to discuss how you can take advantage of this moment in time and build the career you’ve always wanted. 

Job Crafting 101

While the concept of ‘job crafting’ is not new, I’d like to introduce it to you or give you a quick refresher! The term originated from organizational psychologists Amy Wrzesniewski and Jane E. Dutton in 2001. They observed that:

“Individuals engage in job crafting as a means to experience greater meaning at work, a positive work identity, better work-related well-being, and better job performance.”

While there are many definitions and reasons why job crafting is something everyone should do, Berg et al. (2007) made a pretty fantastic case for it. They declared that “job crafting captures what employees do to redesign their own jobs in ways that can foster job satisfaction, as well as engagement, resilience, and thriving at work.” To truly find fulfillment in your career, you need to take the bull by the horns and create a role that you find satisfaction in. 

Job Crafting Approaches

There are a few different approaches to job crafting. Depending on the nature of your job, you may be able to fulfill one, two, or more. Here are three examples of ways that you could approach optmizing your role:

Task Crafting

One way to feel more fulfilled in your role is to define which tasks or responsibilities fall into your job description. One example may be of a hair stylist who enhances their customer’s experience. Their official duties are to cut, dye, and style their customer’s hair. But by taking on the responsibilities of offering clients a coffee, tea, or other drink or amenity, by making conversation and building client relationships, the stylist is creating a role that is more significant to them. 

Relationship Crafting

Relationship crafting involves reshaping the interactions that we have with others in the workplace. One example may be of a Marketing Manager working with website developers and interacting with them on a regular basis to create an app for a company that reflects their branding, image, and the needs of their users. They’re taking on responsibilities beyond their official duties to feel more fulfilled and creative in their role.  

Cognitive Crafting

Another type of job crafting involves changing one’s mindset about the tasks they do. We can find fulfillment in even the most seemingly mundane tasks, if we remember the ultimate goal of why we do them. A custodian of a school may find little meaning in their job if they just consider their tasks to be cleaning up garbage, keeping floors clear of debris, changing lightbulbs, etc. But if they remember that, ultimately, they are providing a safe, sanitary, comfortable environment for students to learn and thrive, they’ll find more satisfaction in their role and tasks. 

Find Your Niche

With the responsibilities of the roles in business analysis being so varied – among the Product Owner, the Business Analyst, the Agile practitioner, and more – BA’s are given plenty of opportunity to hone their skills in the areas they’re most interested in. 

Similarly, niche roles are being sought after in specialized areas such as a Business Process Analyst, Product Development Analyst, IT Business Analyst, and more. Companies are seeing the value in Business Analysts that have backgrounds, experience and expertise, and an interest in various specialized focus areas. This gives BA’s the opportunity to narrow in on the specialty and tasks they’re most interested in and create the vocation they’d most enjoy. 

I hope this article gave you a little insight into why now is the best time to create your ideal Business Analyst role. With the excess of demand brought on by the ‘Great Resignation’, this is an ideal time to look into some of the organizations you’re interested in working for. Following the deep impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on businesses worldwide, many are eager to optimize and continue in their recovery. And they’re looking for eager, ambitious Business Analysts to guide the way. 

– Written by Jeremy Aschenbrenner, The BA Guide