MIS career path

Nguyen222

So I just graduate from UB with a degree in MIS. I landed a job in network operator. I don't want to stay in this position for too long. So my question is where should I go after this job in term of position wise. I'm also plan to get my MBA because I want to be in the management side not the IT support. Thank you in advance.

tkerber

Whoa there tiger.. It sounds like this is your first IT job and you have limited IT experience, being that you just graduated, correct me if I'm wrong. All of the managers I've had in the past have had at least 2+ years of IT technical experience and some management experience before they became a manager or got into the 'management side'. Along with that I also think an IT manager should be highly technical themselves and know when to get their hands dirty. So if you don't like the IT support / technical side of things and just want to 'be a manager' then maybe you're in the wrong field.

How long have you been at your company? How much experience do you have? Maybe communicate to them that you have interest in management. I think you left a lot of information out that would better help me understand. Regardless of that, there are several certifications that may help you carve more into management or at least learn more about IT management concepts. Have you looked into ITIL?

DissonantData

What certifications do you have? How long ago did you graduate? Do you have any other IT related experience? I think you need to give more details.

Nguyen222

I just graduated last month. However, I had a job as a Support Tier I for a year before I graduate and now I graduated I accept this job for more experience on databases, servers, and more customer experience since this company is bigger and have more potential. My question is how to jump higher and what job should I look for after this.

Hammer80

I agree with everybody else in here. This is the problem with recent graduates they expect a company to hand the keys to them right off the bat. Look you just graduated with a degree which is half business and half tech, nobody is going to put you in management of IT until you can show some technical skill for at least 5 years, so put off the MBA for a couple years and get your hands on tech and then down the road sit for CISSP or CISA and then companies will consider you for management. If you read these forums majority of IT folks migrate over to management usually 10-15 years down the road. This is an example of putting the cart ahead of the horse. I congratulate you for getting your degree but unfortunately MIS is considered the weakest of all IT degrees. You don't learn enough about business and are usually too young to be considered for management program but at the same time the degree does not teach you enough about IT in order to be functional in tech environment other than knowing terminology. The only way you will stand out is certifications and experience, so do both and put in your time.

joneno

That was blunt and honest! Not always true but I get your point.

iBrokeIT

The job requirements for IT managers are not a secret! Look at the job postings for IT managers and look at the requirements. Connect with IT managers on LinkedIn and look at their career path. Go to IT conferences in person and network with your peers in the industry.

The best IT managers I have worked for have risen up through the IT ranks, understand the industry, have put in their time and seen it all. The not so good ones are more interested in the pay, title and just getting by than putting in the hard work. Don't be THAT guy.

tkerber

iBrokeIT wrote: »

The job requirements for IT managers are not a secret! Look at the job postings for IT managers and look at the requirements. Connect with IT managers on LinkedIn and look at their career path. Go to IT conferences in person and network with your peers in the industry.

The best IT managers I have worked for have risen up through the IT ranks, understand the industry, have put in their time and seen it all. The not so good ones are more interested in the pay, title and just getting by than putting in the hard work. Don't be THAT guy.

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What you said hit the nail on the head. Think about it, for example; you're managing a department of five network engineers in a medium sized company. You have very basic understanding and knowledge about networking but not much else. How do you think that scenario will pan out?

Most IT managers are still highly technical and will still do technical work if necessary. Just today I was working at a client site and got absolutely stumped on an issue. I called up the director of our department because he's always available and used to be a Senior Systems Engineer. He bounced me some good ideas and was even happy to remote in and give the issue a second pair of eyes. Beyond being highly technical his interpersonal skills are almost impeccable and he's a great with clients. This is why he's a director, I don't think he would have got this far if he was a bad tech to begin with. Just my $0.02.

odellglanville

There are entry level positions for practically every area of IT. A few graduates go the business analyst route, others take a more technical route, others go into consulting, others go into project management, etc.