Information Technology is one of the most daunting fields of work to enter. Everything about the field is constantly changing. Right when we feel like we have mastered a technology, it seems as if a new technology is introduced that becomes the new industry standard. All this innovation that happens within IT on a daily basis can be overwhelming, to say the least, but one aspect will always remain the same; how we manage IT. Understanding the fundamental processes that go into managing IT teams and leveraging IT technologies will be something that will never change, even if those teams and technologies do. I am fortunate enough to have had experience in the more technical side of IT by being exposed to programs like SQL, Java, Python, and Splunk.
But by learning these technologies, I realized that anyone can master a technology; implementing this technology in the organization’s best interest is something that cannot be done so easily. This is where IT managers come in. By using their technical background along with their business acumen and soft skills, these IT managers can help make any IT project a success. They can manage teams that use innovative technologies like big data to help improve business decisions. Or they can identify key stakeholders for a corporate system that needs updating. Or they can do a Cost-Benefit Analysis for implementing a new technology into an organization. The roles that these technological specialists need to perform are limitless. While what they need to manage can change, how they manage does not. This is the career path that I want to pursue in the future.
I want to become an IT manager that knows how to analyze any technological issue, find the right team to fix it, and resolve the issue so that all key stakeholders are satisfied. And I believe that a master’s degree in Information Systems from Kelley School of Business will help me get to that point where I feel confident enough to take on a role like this. Currently, I am pursuing an undergraduate degree in Industrial Management with a concentration in Management Information Systems at Purdue University. Through this program, I am learning how to manage a business on an industrial level, and I am learning some key technologies that are used within the business world. What I am missing from this program is learning how to bring business and technology together to make a business’ IT department the best that it can be. The MSIS program is the perfect solution for this. With the MSIS program, I will still have the chance to be introduced to many emerging technologies, but the high focus on management from an IT perspective is what will help bridge that gap between my technical and business background.
The faculty that help lead the program are real-world IT professionals that have seen all parts of the industry firsthand and they provide a truly unique learning experience with the expertise that they offer. In addition, the flexibility that the program offers with its curriculum and concentrations makes the degree much more customizable to my goals. By giving the students great flexibility on what they want to focus on, it makes the idea of pursuing a master’s much more appealing for my future goals. As of now, I am leaning more towards a career as a data specialist and pursuing the Business Intelligence and Analytics concentration in order to run teams that help extract important data and drive business decisions. By acquiring the skills learned through this program, I will be better prepared for this data-driven world that we are settling into. We always hear about how “Data Analytics is a hot field” and how “Big Data is the future” and how we need to be ready for the importance of data, but it can be difficult knowing where to start. This program will give me an idea of where I can start and how to best apply what I learn so that I can help facilitate real change within an organization.
Being in the IT industry takes extreme adaptability and can be challenging, but with the technical expertise and fundamental IT management skills and the that I would gain from MSIS, the industry doesn’t seem too daunting, after all.
