Info Systems (IT)
Today, in many industries, IT enables some businesses to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
Jobs in IT
Software Engineer
Project Manager
IT Systems Engineer
Application Developer
Business System Analyst
- Optimize, optimize, optimize! Assess your operations to evaluate where you can implement best practices to improve efficiency and free up resources to work on more strategic activities. Talk to your Microsoft account team if you would like Microsoft’s assistance to evaluate how you can optimize your infrastructure.
- Align IT with the business units within your company. Now more than ever it is important that the business views IT as a strategic enabler for the business to distinguish itself from its competitors. Review with the business executives the challenges and opportunities they face to identify how IT can be leveraged to address these challenges and opportunities.
- Invest in IT. Those companies investing in IT during this economy are the companies that will survive the downturn and then excel as the economy improves. And by optimizing your infrastructure first, you have the opportunity to invest by shifting resources from sustaining to strategic activities.
Jobs in IT
Software Engineer
Project Manager
IT Systems Engineer
Application Developer
Business System Analyst
IT Interview
Who: Dave Brunner
Profession: Chief Informations Officer for Kettler Realtors
Marketplace
What are your projections for this type of work or industry? Is it stable, growing, declining?
Booming. It is definitely growing, There are many different areas that you are able to go into. Coming out of college go into a consulting or IT company. Some will go into a company and work for their IT section
Private IT is stable but in general the field is growing
What are the key trends or issues? New developments? Key challenges?
New technologies for the last 15 years the adoption in companies has grown greatly. Over the past 15 years new technologies have come out and companies have adopted the IT for their companies. The hardest thing is to look at the merging technologies and see if it is usable in your companies. Nothing is cheap so you have to justify spending the money.
What and where are the opportunities?
It depends on what you are looking for. In IT you can go the consulting route where all your opportunities are based on your skill set. Constant working and learning.
My background was technology and business. I try to be involved with the business discussion because 90% of the people that do IT wouldn't be able to relate to the business people. OUt of school mostly it would be consulting side but all business have IT now.
What are typical salaries in this type of job, entry-level to experienced? What are the opportunities for career growth?
Compete with federal government - (out of school) - 50-70 K and after a few years 70 - 90 K. On consultant you are just growing your hourly amount. In private industry, there is departmental structure so you want to grow into a management level.
Entry into Position
When and how did you get involved in this work?
1993-4 I was hired by a health care company in business. I had computer background and their goals was to automate their billing system. There was a big opportunity for people fresh out of college and I went with that company and worked for 3-4 years. I was then hired by Carl Freeman to set up their network. I was originally in business and went over to IT.
What was your training and background? Is this typical for people in your position and in similar positions?
Bachelors of arts and english and Bachellors in computer and science. I have done certifications throughout my career. The technology changes so quickly, it is hard to get a degree specific to your job. Continuing education is very important. CIO in a midsize business is going to be different than a CIO in a fortune 5 company. They will be more business related than what my background is but for a medium sized company it is common.
How important are specific credentials for entry or success?
If you were to work for me you would need some kind of computer degree or work experience. They are important but the with certifications you need to be careful because someone can pass the tests but not understand everything.
Job Specifics
What’s a typical day like for you or someone in a similar position?
A typical day for me is 50% in meetins and 50% working with my staff on specific projects. There are day to day tasks running the systems (email, network etc) and I manage the staff for that. Meetings also with accounting, operations, senior management.
What do you like most about your work?
Probably more on the technical side. I spent the past 10 years becoming a programmer or an application specialist. Trying to do something that the company can't do and automate it, helps save a lot of money and that is pretty rewarding.
What do you like least?
Thats a hard question to answer. When there is something that I don't like I think that work is called work for a reason. Implementing a system. People have different personalities and for them to do that. Assigning the people to a certain job is difficult for success.
What talents or skills do you think are the most crucial to success in this work?
In my work is a good understand of business basics and a good understanding of what your company does. There are only a few IT people who make systems for real-estate. Business goals and applying technology to meet those goals.
What attitudes or values are important?
It would always be helpful if you have a good attitude. You are always trying to coerse someone to do something that they may not always want to do. You dictate your policy and people accept that but when you are infront of other trying to implement them to accept your system it takes a special skill to make them accept you. They always look at you as the "IT guy".
Who doesn’t do well in this type of work?
You definitely need to have some technical skill. If you don't have any desire for IT you aren't going to be successful.
How do you advance or get promoted in this type of work?
You get promoted by being on successful projects. Companies spend a lot of money but it isn't necessarily a given that it is going to be successful.
Recommendations
Would my background be appropriate for this type of work?
Business major with an IT minor and give yourself a semester to get your IT degree. Your college might have an MIS program. If you understand data bases, creating reports, the basics of high level programming line it would be very good. Especially with a good business background.
What would you recommend I do if I want to go into this type of work?
Try an internship. Try to get some experience because that would be one thing to differentiate you from others coming out of college.
Are there other jobs similar to yours that you would suggest I also consider?
If you work for a larger company you could specialize. i am kind of a combination of multiple jobs. But what I like about working for a medium sized business is the variety.
Knowing what you do now, would you approach this career (or job) in the same way? If not, what would you do differently, and why?
I probably would take some of the advice that I gave you. I would have planned more but ultimately I don't think so. When I was in college, I kind of floated around of what I wanted to do. It didn't "click" until I got my first job.
Who: Dave Brunner
Profession: Chief Informations Officer for Kettler Realtors
Marketplace
What are your projections for this type of work or industry? Is it stable, growing, declining?
Booming. It is definitely growing, There are many different areas that you are able to go into. Coming out of college go into a consulting or IT company. Some will go into a company and work for their IT section
Private IT is stable but in general the field is growing
What are the key trends or issues? New developments? Key challenges?
New technologies for the last 15 years the adoption in companies has grown greatly. Over the past 15 years new technologies have come out and companies have adopted the IT for their companies. The hardest thing is to look at the merging technologies and see if it is usable in your companies. Nothing is cheap so you have to justify spending the money.
What and where are the opportunities?
It depends on what you are looking for. In IT you can go the consulting route where all your opportunities are based on your skill set. Constant working and learning.
My background was technology and business. I try to be involved with the business discussion because 90% of the people that do IT wouldn't be able to relate to the business people. OUt of school mostly it would be consulting side but all business have IT now.
What are typical salaries in this type of job, entry-level to experienced? What are the opportunities for career growth?
Compete with federal government - (out of school) - 50-70 K and after a few years 70 - 90 K. On consultant you are just growing your hourly amount. In private industry, there is departmental structure so you want to grow into a management level.
Entry into Position
When and how did you get involved in this work?
1993-4 I was hired by a health care company in business. I had computer background and their goals was to automate their billing system. There was a big opportunity for people fresh out of college and I went with that company and worked for 3-4 years. I was then hired by Carl Freeman to set up their network. I was originally in business and went over to IT.
What was your training and background? Is this typical for people in your position and in similar positions?
Bachelors of arts and english and Bachellors in computer and science. I have done certifications throughout my career. The technology changes so quickly, it is hard to get a degree specific to your job. Continuing education is very important. CIO in a midsize business is going to be different than a CIO in a fortune 5 company. They will be more business related than what my background is but for a medium sized company it is common.
How important are specific credentials for entry or success?
If you were to work for me you would need some kind of computer degree or work experience. They are important but the with certifications you need to be careful because someone can pass the tests but not understand everything.
Job Specifics
What’s a typical day like for you or someone in a similar position?
A typical day for me is 50% in meetins and 50% working with my staff on specific projects. There are day to day tasks running the systems (email, network etc) and I manage the staff for that. Meetings also with accounting, operations, senior management.
What do you like most about your work?
Probably more on the technical side. I spent the past 10 years becoming a programmer or an application specialist. Trying to do something that the company can't do and automate it, helps save a lot of money and that is pretty rewarding.
What do you like least?
Thats a hard question to answer. When there is something that I don't like I think that work is called work for a reason. Implementing a system. People have different personalities and for them to do that. Assigning the people to a certain job is difficult for success.
What talents or skills do you think are the most crucial to success in this work?
In my work is a good understand of business basics and a good understanding of what your company does. There are only a few IT people who make systems for real-estate. Business goals and applying technology to meet those goals.
What attitudes or values are important?
It would always be helpful if you have a good attitude. You are always trying to coerse someone to do something that they may not always want to do. You dictate your policy and people accept that but when you are infront of other trying to implement them to accept your system it takes a special skill to make them accept you. They always look at you as the "IT guy".
Who doesn’t do well in this type of work?
You definitely need to have some technical skill. If you don't have any desire for IT you aren't going to be successful.
How do you advance or get promoted in this type of work?
You get promoted by being on successful projects. Companies spend a lot of money but it isn't necessarily a given that it is going to be successful.
Recommendations
Would my background be appropriate for this type of work?
Business major with an IT minor and give yourself a semester to get your IT degree. Your college might have an MIS program. If you understand data bases, creating reports, the basics of high level programming line it would be very good. Especially with a good business background.
What would you recommend I do if I want to go into this type of work?
Try an internship. Try to get some experience because that would be one thing to differentiate you from others coming out of college.
Are there other jobs similar to yours that you would suggest I also consider?
If you work for a larger company you could specialize. i am kind of a combination of multiple jobs. But what I like about working for a medium sized business is the variety.
Knowing what you do now, would you approach this career (or job) in the same way? If not, what would you do differently, and why?
I probably would take some of the advice that I gave you. I would have planned more but ultimately I don't think so. When I was in college, I kind of floated around of what I wanted to do. It didn't "click" until I got my first job.
Key Terms
Network - Group of interconnected (via cable and/or wireless) computers and peripherals that is capable of sharing software and hardware resources between many users. Internet is a global network of networks.
Server - Central, and usually the largest, and most powerful computer in a network that houses the server software, stores and manages common (network) data and supplies it to the individual workstations (clients), and provides shared services (access to internet or other networks, faxing, printing, etc.).
Database - Systematically organized or structured repository of indexed information (usually as a group of linked data files) that allows easy retrieval, updating, analysis, and output of data. Stored usually in a computer, this data could be in the form of graphics, reports, scripts, tables, text, etc., representing almost every kind of information.Internet - Called the 'information superhighway' and the 'network of networks,' it is basically a means of connecting a computer to any other computer anywhere in the world. When two computers are connected over the Internet, they can send and receive all kinds of information such as text, graphics, voice, video, and computer programs.World Wide Web - Collection of internet resources (such as FTP, telnet, Usenet), hyperlinked text, audio, and video files, and remote sites that can be accessed and searched by browsers based on standards such as HTTP and TCP/IP.
Firewall - Hardware/software device that acts like a filter or gatekeeper to stop unauthorized users from accessing a firm's internal or sensitive data or applications. Computer firewalls achieve this segregation by preventing direct connection to the computers inside the firewalls by those outside of it. All requested information or services are 'relayed' through the firewall instead of being delivered direct to the user.Enterprise Resource Planning - Accounting oriented, relational database based, multi-module but integrated, software system for identifying and planning the resource needs of an enterprise. ERP provides one user-interface for the entire organization to manage product planning, materials and parts purchasing, inventory control, distribution and logistics, production scheduling, capacity utilization, order tracking, as well as planning for finance and human resources.
Customer Relationship Management - Information-technology enabled strategy aimed at identifying, targeting, acquiring, and retaining the best mix of customers. CRM helps in profiling prospects, understanding their needs, and in building relationships with them by providing the most-suitable products and a very high level of customer service. It integrates back and front office systems to create a database of customercontacts, purchases, information requested, technical support, etc.
Bandwidth - Rate at which electronic signals can travel through a medium, such as a wire, cable, or channel. Bandwidth may be thought of as the width of the 'pipe' through which data travels: greater the width, larger the amount of data that can flow through it.
Wi-Fi - Wireless Fidelity. Popular name for IEEE 802.11 protocol for wireless local area networks (wireless LANs). It allows data transfer rates of 11 to 54 megabits per second (Mb/sec). In comparison, standard Ethernet provides maximum data speed of 10 Mb/sec via cables. Wi-Fi operates in the 2.4 Gigahertz (GHz) radio band the same frequency used by most cell phones and microwave ovens over 11 channels. See also Bluetooth.
Moore's Law - Prediction that the number of transistors (hence the processing power) that can be squeezed onto a silicon chip of a given size will double every 18 months. Stated by Gordon Moore (a cofounder of computer chip maker Intel and its former chairman) in 1965, it has proven to be amazingly accurate over the years.
Sites:
http://www.businessdictionary.com/
http://blogs.technet.com/b/itbizval/archive/2009/02/27/the-role-of-information-technology-in-today-s-economy.aspx
Network - Group of interconnected (via cable and/or wireless) computers and peripherals that is capable of sharing software and hardware resources between many users. Internet is a global network of networks.
Server - Central, and usually the largest, and most powerful computer in a network that houses the server software, stores and manages common (network) data and supplies it to the individual workstations (clients), and provides shared services (access to internet or other networks, faxing, printing, etc.).
Database - Systematically organized or structured repository of indexed information (usually as a group of linked data files) that allows easy retrieval, updating, analysis, and output of data. Stored usually in a computer, this data could be in the form of graphics, reports, scripts, tables, text, etc., representing almost every kind of information.Internet - Called the 'information superhighway' and the 'network of networks,' it is basically a means of connecting a computer to any other computer anywhere in the world. When two computers are connected over the Internet, they can send and receive all kinds of information such as text, graphics, voice, video, and computer programs.World Wide Web - Collection of internet resources (such as FTP, telnet, Usenet), hyperlinked text, audio, and video files, and remote sites that can be accessed and searched by browsers based on standards such as HTTP and TCP/IP.
Firewall - Hardware/software device that acts like a filter or gatekeeper to stop unauthorized users from accessing a firm's internal or sensitive data or applications. Computer firewalls achieve this segregation by preventing direct connection to the computers inside the firewalls by those outside of it. All requested information or services are 'relayed' through the firewall instead of being delivered direct to the user.Enterprise Resource Planning - Accounting oriented, relational database based, multi-module but integrated, software system for identifying and planning the resource needs of an enterprise. ERP provides one user-interface for the entire organization to manage product planning, materials and parts purchasing, inventory control, distribution and logistics, production scheduling, capacity utilization, order tracking, as well as planning for finance and human resources.
Customer Relationship Management - Information-technology enabled strategy aimed at identifying, targeting, acquiring, and retaining the best mix of customers. CRM helps in profiling prospects, understanding their needs, and in building relationships with them by providing the most-suitable products and a very high level of customer service. It integrates back and front office systems to create a database of customercontacts, purchases, information requested, technical support, etc.
Bandwidth - Rate at which electronic signals can travel through a medium, such as a wire, cable, or channel. Bandwidth may be thought of as the width of the 'pipe' through which data travels: greater the width, larger the amount of data that can flow through it.
Wi-Fi - Wireless Fidelity. Popular name for IEEE 802.11 protocol for wireless local area networks (wireless LANs). It allows data transfer rates of 11 to 54 megabits per second (Mb/sec). In comparison, standard Ethernet provides maximum data speed of 10 Mb/sec via cables. Wi-Fi operates in the 2.4 Gigahertz (GHz) radio band the same frequency used by most cell phones and microwave ovens over 11 channels. See also Bluetooth.
Moore's Law - Prediction that the number of transistors (hence the processing power) that can be squeezed onto a silicon chip of a given size will double every 18 months. Stated by Gordon Moore (a cofounder of computer chip maker Intel and its former chairman) in 1965, it has proven to be amazingly accurate over the years.
Sites:
http://www.businessdictionary.com/
http://blogs.technet.com/b/itbizval/archive/2009/02/27/the-role-of-information-technology-in-today-s-economy.aspx
