Career Information

Management Information Systems Careers

  • Compared to jobs that other business school students take, MIS people:

    • must know role of technology in business
    • use technology in service of business goals (not the other way around)
    • work in a variety of circumstances (alone, project teams, temporary groups, consulting),
    • are in an environment of constant change where the old is mixed with the new,
    • must take responsibility for their own learning,
    • require a variety of skills and flexibility in adapting to new situations.

  • Compared to computer science or electrical engineers, MIS people:

    • must know as much about business as they do about technology,
    • need to avoid focusing on the technology at the expense of understanding the issues of the user and the business processes that are supported,
    • need to first understand the business goals, and second understand the capabilities and limitations of the technology

  • MIS jobs tend to vary by:

    • the amount of time spent "hands-on" with technology,
    • how much time spent "face-to-face" with people, particularly users,
    • whether the work is project-oriented or on-going,
    • the relationship with the user,
    • the unpredictability of daily work and schedules,
    • location of work (at desk, in various locations around plant, with customers at their locations),
    • amount and destination of travel.

  • Some things to remember:

    • As is true for most bachelor-degreed people, first and second job assignments in MIS seldom have managerial responsibility.
    • Further, you need to recognize that all MIS jobs require planning and prioritizing work and reporting on progress (or lack thereof).
    • Also, you need to look deeper than job title to understand what the work really is -- in some companies a programmer/analyst may do very little programming, while in others, they do very little analysis.
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What are the jobs?

Systems Analyst

Related Positions: Business Analysts, System Integrators

Usually involved in development of new application systems. Often charged with capturing user requirements, beta testing, developing test scripts and user guides, data conversion, and software installation. Commonly in project-oriented environments with both long and short term deadlines. Daily work may change during project; often involves meetings and the work is demanding of communication skills -- oral, listening, writing, and presentation. Analysts may assigned to support existing systems have less deadlines but are responsible for determining the effect of changes and implementing them. Systems analysts who work for consultants travel more than those working for companies.

Programmer

Related Positions: Programmer/Analyst, Software Engineer

Usually involved in the coding, de-bugging, and testing of new applications and in the modification of existing application software. Usually design work is done only under direction of a more senior programmer. Works with systems analysts on teams and with other programmers to coordinate and review code. Often working under deadline at own desk but seldom on a pager. Programmers who work for consultants travel more than programmers who work for companies.

Network Administrator

Related Positions: LAN or WAN Administrator, Network Specialist

Usually has responsibility for daily operation and upgrades of a portion of a larger network. Executes software upgrades, manages security and access to network resources, monitors performance of network, troubleshoots problems. Often on pager, may work odd hours to make network upgrades or deal with facility issues (such as moves). Not desk-bound, but travel is usually limited to firm's facilities. Usually a behind-the-scenes kind of job, without a lot of demand for making presentations or wearing a suit-and-tie.

MIS Auditor

Related Positions: Risk Analyst

Auditing is project oriented and thus is schedule and work-plan driven. Large systems will have teams of MIS auditors, while small systems may be audited by one or two. MIS auditors may be assigned to a general audit team with non-MIS people. Auditors do not work inside MIS organizations, but often work with MIS personnel and system users. Some MIS auditing positions work for consultants, while others are "inside auditors" and work for a company. Auditors who work for consultants travel more often than those that work for companies. While they make recommendations about changes and control mechanisms, MIS auditors do not write programs, design systems, train users, or other systems development work. Certification for auditors is valued.

Help Desk

Related Positions: Customer Service, PC Specialist, Information Center Specialist

Usually involved in providing on-demand support for end users working with both desktop and mainframe applications. Daily work involves trouble-shooting and working with users who vary greatly in experience. Must quickly become knowledgeable about new applications and their platforms. May help users get access to data from corporate systems, convert formats, and provide other support services. Often directly develop desktop applications or help users to do so. May develop standards for hardware and software, control security, implement software upgrades in the field, and train users in new applications. When not on phone at desk, may be on pager. Seldom called in at night; little travel. Consultant version of this position emphasize training and end-user application development. Help Desks are common all major firms and are often offered as co-op or internship positions. Can learn a lot about the company from this position.

Web Developer

Related Positions: Web Designer, Web Programmer, Webmaster

Involved with the creation, maintenance, and hosting of web pages. This is a fluid area in terms of the specific technologies that may be involved, but the core skills relate to HTML and its extensions, particularly the ability to link web pages to databases. Techologies that might be involved include: XML, JavaScript, Perl (language), ColdFusion, Frontpage, Dreamweaver, Flash (animation), ASP (Active Server Pages). Familarity with web protocols and issues associated with web naming and achieving performance and security. Entry level jobs may involve testing and maintaining pages designed by others and some design of pages, particularly scripts, forms, and queries. A low level of skill in this area can get you a part-time job or a position at a small company, but it is hard to keep up with the newest stuff. There is a lot of competition for the design components of this job but less competition for programming work. Willingness and ability to do a little Perl, VB, or ASP goes a long way can get you started. New developments include web page creation for wireless devices and XML. This job has a lot of variation in working contexts because it ranges from independent consultants and small businesses to developing the web interface for major transaction processing systems as a part of a team.

 

Some other MIS positions you might see advertised but usually filled by people with a few to many years experience:

  • Data oriented: Database Administrator, Database Analyst, Data Modeler
  • Technical: System Architect, Systems Programmer
  • Supporting Roles: Trainer, Technical Writer
  • Control-oriented: Configuration Analyst/Controller, Project Manager, MIS Quality Assurance (e.g., Tester)

New positions that have appeared in the last few years:

  • Customer IT Analyst (work for user rather than MIS organization to identify and exploit IT opportunities)
  • Website Administrator (install, upgrade, and manage a www server; support content developers)
  • Security Specialist (review network and computing installations for security risks; development and implement security policies, especially re: portable computing and remote access)
  • Multimedia Developer (develop multimedia applications or help those that do)
  • Telecommunications Analyst (works to specify, buy, manage, and integrate telephone, video, and data communications)
  • Data Wharehouse/OLAP Specialist (support development, updating, and use of data warehouse and data mining tools)
  • Risk Analyst (review MIS activities for risks associated with technology, security, legal and regulatory compliance; assess barriers to success for projects and recommend strategies and project changes)
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What kinds of firms?

Companies

Small and large corporations, government agencies, and other organizations. MIS role is in support of the firm's operations rather than being a profit center or service for sale. Many MIS functions do have mechanisms for "charging" customers, but do not compete with outsiders for the internal business. Companies hire for all types of jobs. Because MIS organizations serve the whole company, employees may more easily move between different types of jobs than at other types of firms. Examples include:

ExxonMobil, Russell Corporation, Affiliated Paper, DaimlerChrysler, DCH-Healthcare, Delphi, FedEx, Georgia Pacific, Kindred, Gulf States Paper, Home Depot, International Papaer, Kimberley Clark, Lithonia Lighting, Procter and Gamble, Protective Life, Randall Publishing, Shaw Industries, Wal-Mart, General Electric, State of Alabama, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Coca-Cola, Rohm and Haas, Energen, Fleming Companies

Consultants

These companies sell their expertise and services to other companies, usually on a per-project basis. Typically, they are involved in developing applications that utilize technologies unfamiliar to the organizations or assisting in the implementation of systems that involve integrating technology with applications and business processes. Within each firm "practices" represent specializations; it is more difficult to move between practices than within them. Consulting firms that recruit part-time / full-time at the University of Alabama include:

Accenture, AMS, Applied Systems, Argo Data Systems, Computer Science Corporation, Ernst & Young, General Cybernatics, Hewitt Associates, PwC, IBM Global Services/Integration

Vendors & Developers

Companies who develop hardware or software products for sale to others. There is a gray area here because people who develop software (e.g., SAP America) may also sell consulting services related to that software at the same time they also hire people for their internal operations. They are often looking for people who are knowledgeable in IT to develop products, to work as trainers, to do marketing, to be a part of a project team that does systems integration, or to work in customer support. Sample companies include:

Cisco, SAP America, IBM (Software/Hardware marketing)

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