Hot jobs: business analyst

The business analyst is a hot commodity right now due to business reliance on technology, according to Jim McAssey, a principal at The W Group, a consulting firm. "The global delivery capabilities of technology today make the challenges of successfully bridging the gap [between business and IT] even harder," he says.

Why you need one: Companies typically don't invest in an IT project without a solid business case, says Jeff Miller, senior vice president of Aetea, an IT staffing and consulting firm. A good business analyst is able to create a solution to a particular business problem and act as a bridge to the technologists who can make it happen. "Without the BA role, CIOs are at significant risk that their projects will not solve the business problem for which they were intended," says Miller. "This can cause project overruns, limited ROI or manual workarounds to meet business needs. The CIO also risks alienating his customers within the business if he fails to deliver solutions that target their needs."

Desired skills: The ideal candidate will have five to 10 or more years of experience (preferably in a specific industry), a technical undergraduate degree and an MBA. Strong risk assessment, negotiation and problem resolution skills are key, as is knowledge of the Rational Unified Process, a software development framework. Hands-on experience is critical. Look for BAs who have worked as programmers or analysts, or in development or quality assurance.

How to find them: Miller suggests conducting your search in an industry similar to your own. Good places to look are large companies with internal development teams or complex infrastructures. BAs can also come from academia, but such candidates may lack exposure to business processes.