Systems analyst : Career development

As an analyst, your immediate prospects depend on the size and type of the organisation for which you work and, consequently, movement between employers is common. Analysts often develop expertise in a particular business sector and may find it difficult to move unless they have cultivated and maintained other skills.

Career advancement opportunities include:

• progression to consultant or senior consultant, liaising with top-level management in client organisations;
• indirect moves within the organisation, for example, developing specific technical expertise (in a systems/technical architect role);
• project management, or sales and account management roles;
• moving in a more strategic business direction, either within the company or with a management consultancy firm.

The size of the organisation you work for is likely to have direct implications, both positive and negative, for the way your career will progress.

In a large organisation, systems analysts may have more opportunity to specialise in a particular client group, and to advance through the corporate structure. There may also be more opportunity to work in multidisciplinary teams, for example, and even in overseas branches of the parent group.

In a small organisation, there may be more opportunity to gain experience in a variety of associated functions across the business, to feel closer to the front line of business activity, and to see the direct commercial impact of your contribution.