21221 Business systems specialists

What this occupation covers

Business systems specialists perform detailed system tests, produce reports and develop new system architectures. They must also identify the strategic objectives of a company and translate these objectives into achievable tasks for an organization's information technology department. They are employed in information technology consulting firms and in information technology units throughout the public and private sectors.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 6 main duties for this code.

• Confer with clients to identify and document requirements
• Analyze information systems processes, and propose customized solutions to improve performance and efficiency
• Design, develop, integrate, test and implement information systems business solutions
• Provide advice on information systems strategy, policy, management, security and service delivery
• Act as a liaison between the business units, technology teams and support teams
• Conduct tests to ensure the reliability, accuracy, and functionality of system changes and enhancements

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 6 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 20012 Computer and information systems managers
• 21220 Cybersecurity specialists
• 21223 Database analysts and data administrators
• 21222 Information systems specialists
• 11201 Professional occupations in business management consulting

Excluded from this code

• Computer and information systems managers (See 20012 Computer and information systems managers)
• Cybersecurity specialists (See 21220 Cybersecurity specialists)
• Database analysts and data administrators (See 21223 Database analysts and data administrators)
• Information systems specialists (See 21222 Information systems specialists)
• Professional occupations in business management consulting (See 11201 Professional occupations in business management consulting)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

business analyst - computer systems · business continuity analyst · business data analyst · business intelligence analyst - information technology (IT) · business intelligence specialist · business process analyst · business solutions consultant · business systems analyst · business systems consultant · business systems specialist - computer systems · computer systems business analyst · enterprise resource planning analyst · functional consultant - information systems · human resource information system analyst · informatics business analyst · information systems business analyst · information systems implementation consultant · information systems technical analyst · information systems technical specialist · information technology (IT) business analyst · systems business re-engineering analyst · technical business analyst

Employment requirements

• A bachelor's degree in computer science, business administration, information systems or a related discipline or completion of a college program in computer science is usually required.
• Certification or training may be required by some employers.