What are the best jobs for someone with a degree in Management Information Systems?

By Avis Guardiola


Most graduates with a management information systems degree use their abilities and training to solve computer system issues and create computer technology to meet the particular requirements of a business or government agency.

Their aim is to help an organization get the most return from its investment in equipment, personnel, and business processes.

To achieve this, MIS graduates need to study a corporation, determine any difficulties in technological, material, staff or other areas, and then plan ways to resolve those challenges.

As part of their jobs, management information systems graduates may well have to design entirely new computer systems to meet their business's demands.

Or they might need to find strategies to update and expand the current system so that it will work more efficiently or handle more tasks.

Most systems analysts typically specialize in a precise kind of system such as business, accounting or monetary systems, or scientific and engineering systems.

Because this really is such a broad field, MIS graduates might possess a variety of job titles like Database Manager, Application Developer, Information Security Systems Specialist, Web/E-commerce Software Developer, Systems Analyst, Software programming Quality Assurance Analyst, System Architect, Program Designer, Programmer-Analyst, End-user Support Analyst, Technical Support Specialists, Data Systems Consultant, Systems Teacher-Trainer, and Computer Software Support Specialist.

But whatever they're called, management information systems staff have to be able to take on a wide selection of functions which include organizing new computerized systems and adapting existing ones so increase productivity and effectiveness, using computer systems for corporate communications and recordkeeping, documenting financial along with other company transactions, engaging in collaborations both within an organization and with consumers and vendors, using computers to enhance the organization's data collection and organizing procedures, and providing senior management with the technological data they require to increase their decision-making capacity.

Usually a management information systems staff member starts a project by reviewing it with management and end-users.

The primary purpose of these conversations should be to define what the objectives of the project are to ensure that the MIS staff can determine about the specific programming actions which will need to be taken to attain the stated goals.

The next step will be to define the data that should be utilized as in the programming process, establish how this information is going to be processed, then ensure that that the output is the form that the end-users need to have.

Although the general procedure may possibly appear easy, MIS graduates use various complex tools like data modeling, sampling, mathematical model development and structured analysis to successfully complete a project.

They also might prepare cost-benefit and return-on-investment analyses to assist management to determine whether proceeding with the proposed solution that they create would make sense financially.

Once they receive approval for a systems solution that they've developed, management information systems graduates oversee the actual setup and implementation of the specified hardware and software components.

As the installation is progressing, MIS staff continually test the new system and observe its initial use to make sure that everything functions as planned.

MIS degree-holders also prepare specifications, flow charts, and process diagrams for computer programmers to utilize and they also work with the programmers to "debug," or eradicate errors.

At all stages of the implementation, management information systems staff could also diagnose additional system complications, recommend solutions, and determine whether the program has successfully met the objectives that were defined.

Lastly, after the program has been totally implemented, tested, and debugged, graduates with an MIS degree may well train its users and write instruction manuals.




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