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IT, Business/ Systems Analyst Career??

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I just resumed college (majoring in Computer Information Systems, only 48 credits left to graduate) and due to financial reasons will be graduating in 2015 instead of 2014. The reason why l chose a CIS major is to be able to work in the business and IT field since l enjoy both. But l am finding it difficult to chose a specific career path which entails working simultaneously in both business and IT fields.

1. What area(s) in IT/business would you recommend l focus on, database, security, systems management, computer systems analyst, business analyst, programming, etc. Ideally, l would enjoy helping businesses grow, solve problems, expand their customer or market base, and also improve their services or products using computer (IT) systems that will best serve these companies. Personally l do not want to code everyday but understand how programming works, just do not enjoy programming.

I am an avid learner, very organized, plan a lot, like structure a lot, solving problems, task oriented, enjoy presenting and public speaking, personal development, and naturally inclined to analysis.

2. What certificates and experience do l need to have before l graduate in 2015? I was thinking of having my N+, and maybe A+ certificates. I will be glad to know your opinions about my discussion. Thanks

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Clarifications

In reply to IT, Business/ Systems Analyst Career??

Clarifications

First of all, at a high level, you need to think about job roles

In reply to IT, Business/ Systems Analyst Career??

This is an over-simplification, but there are:

Role “A”
Large company or Govt/Education:
Business Analyst > more business than IT
IT Role > more IT, little business

Role “B”
Small/Medium company > IT generalist with strong business focus

Role “C”
Consulting/Accounting firm: ERP implementation, Business consulting, etc.
Contracting: programming, software implementation, projects

Looking at the overall types of roles above, in terms of number of positions as well as types of jobs for someone fresh out of school, these are in reverse order…For ‘type C’ there are lots of jobs for contractors, at the Big 4, and at VARs who do work for other businesses.

Type ‘B’ can be hit or miss. Many small/medium companies do not have much of an IT staff, however IT people really have to understand and support the business. Maybe not lots of money, but great experience.

In terms of the ‘A’ positions, the issue is that a big company is more likely to bring an IT person in at a lower-level position, support, QA, programming support, etc. Of course, too, the opportunities for certain types of companies vary widely by geographic area, so govt jobs are in DC, hi-tech companies in CA, financial in NY, etc.

Certifications are good. N+ and A+ are fairly common, but I would not get overly excited about them.

The #1 advice is to get an Internship. Whether it’s paid or not, it gives you experience, teaches you a LOT about how companies work, and can lead nicely into a full time job for many interns.

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