Systems Analyst Career Guide and Counseling

Question: How do I become an Information Systems Analyst? What does someone have to do to become a Information Systems Analyst or an IT Specialist. I'm talking about what sort of education. Also, what about certificates?

Answer: You get a bachelor's degree in Information Systems, which is called different things elsewhere such as Information technology or Computer Information systems. It's all the same thing. This is found in business departments so you would take an extensive courseload of other business classes as well. Forget technology certificates. They are only for those with a high school diploma looking for a help-desk position. None of them are substitutes for the real degree.

Question: What is the difference between employees who work in enterprise management and systems analyst? Is Enterprise Information Management a new field, or is it a fancy word for systems analyst? I am not a tech person so triying to educate myself on this.

Answer: It all depends on the job description. My job has about 4 different names.

Question: What college courses will I take and how long will I take them to become a Systems Analyst? I am a freshmen in highschool and I would like to become a Systems Analyst, I am quite interested in the job and it seems just right for me.

Answer: Systems Analyst is actually kind of a vague description; it could mean a lot of different things. On the one hand, you could get a "systems analyst" job with a high school diploma and a certification such as Microsoft Certified Engineer, Red Hat Certified Engineer, A+ Certification... there are many of these technical certifications. You can search the web to find out the details. There are also two-year associates degrees that are related to and/or will compliment these certifications. Talk to an adviser or guidance counselor at your local community college. Finally, you could earn a four year degree in Computer Science. This is what I did. A Computer Science curriculum generally includes a solid background in math. Computer science classes will teach you about logic, data structures and algorithms. Later classes will be applications of computer science topics, such as operating systems, compilers, networking, graphics, etc.

Question: Should I get a bachelors degree for a Computer Systems Analyst? What are the duties involved and what is a typical work day like? (in detail if possible) . Will I be able to jump into the field and get a job immediately with a bachelors in computer science without any experience? What kind of companies hire computer systems analysts? Basically, I don't want to go through 3 more years of school if im going to have to put my degree aside and get some experience first. Thanks in advance

Answer: You'll need an inernship or some experience. Thats just the way IT works. You just don't sit down and write code. There are design sessions, coding, testing and documentation. This all needs to be learned and understood during an internship. If your good they will hire you on.

Question: what can you tell me about being a computer systems analyst? what are its pros and cons? Please... tell me everything about your job.. all you systems analysts out there... i really need it for my homework in school. thanks!

Answer: Sit at a desk from 10 pm till 6 am Watch and monitor servers all over the world If there is a problem I can fix I do it If not I send a report up to the next level of support or to a special requirements group (this is for a Gov Agency) Carl

Question: what exactly does a systems analyst do? i'm planning on studying management information systems for college, and people say i can be a systems analyst in my course. but i have no idea what they do or what their jobs asks for. and can my course get a job in nasa in any way? thanks i really, really need to know what systems analysts do. in detail please, if it's possible. thank you!=)

Answer: Here is a description from HR village, the specifics of the job are going to vary depending on the company and the type of work they do. But this should give you a good idea: Responsible for the operating system and associated subsystems. Provide system-level support of multi-user operating systems, hardware and software tools, including installation, configuration, maintenance, and support of these systems. Identify alternatives for optimizing computer resources. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES Collect information to analyze and evaluate existing or proposed systems. Research, plan, install, configure, troubleshoot, maintain and upgrade operating systems. Research, plan, install, configure, troubleshoot, maintain and upgrade hardware and software interfaces with the operating system. Analyze and evaluate present or proposed business procedures or problems to define data processing needs. Prepare detailed flow charts and diagrams outlining systems capabilities and processes. Research and recommend hardware and software development, purchase, and use. Troubleshoot and resolve hardware, software, and connectivity problems, including user access and component configuration. Select among authorized procedures and seek assistance when guidelines are inadequate, significant deviations are proposed, or when unanticipated problems arise. Record and maintain hardware and software inventories, site and/or server licensing, and user access and security. Install, configure, and upgrade desktop hardware and peripherals to include; network cards, printers, modems, mice and add-in boards. Work as a team member with other technical staff, such as networking to ensure connectivity and compatibility between systems. Write and maintain system documentation. Conduct technical research on system upgrades to determine feasibility, cost, time required, and compatibility with current system. Maintain confidentiality with regard to the information being processed, stored or accessed by the network. Document system problems and resolutions for future reference. Other duties as assigned. Hope that helps.

Question: What is a Computer systems analyst? What do they do? Should I major in this field? I took the asvab at school, and got my results as computer systems analyst. I don't kno what that is. And i don't know anything about computers. Should I still go to this field? I still want to, even though I'm not good at it? I'm a high school senior. btw. I'm a class of '08 student

Answer: I guess systems analyst job is to look after the various aspects of the system, design & develop softwares (I am not very sure about this). If you are thinking of majoring in this field, it would be a good decision. Analysts get good pay. And once you have completed your college education, you should gain quite comprehensive knowledge of the basic stuff.

Question: What are the characteristics a good systems analyst should not have......? We always talk about the desirable charasteristics. What are the undesirable chracteristics for a systems analyst?

Answer: -being bad at maths -being easily corruptable -being lazy, slow and unpunctual -being unqualified

Question: What does a Computer Systems Analyst actually do? Apparently according to a job survey my personality is best suited to this role. But "Computer Systems Analyst" is still very generalised I wondered what kind of jobs are out there and what they do specifically. I wondered what qualifications I need to start in this role, only interested in U.K. recognised qualifications as this is where I live. Cheers for all your help :)

Answer: Hi, I have been one for years now. You are essentially a programmer who can also do DB and system design, write specifications and basically do your own work from start to finish. You may need to do some debugging and customer support also. I am qualified to A level standard, but it is easier to get in with a degree to be honest.

Question: I want to be a Systems Analyst, what are the steps I need to take? I recently graduated with an MIS degree and did a project similar to something a systems analyst would do and I liked it. I don't excel at programming however I feel I would be good at understanding the end user and being able to relay wants and needs to programmers. I can understand code but have a hard time writing it from scratch. I am finding it hard to find an entry level position that doesn't require much experience seeing I have no previous work or internship experience. Any ideas on how to start my career?

Answer: The best way to start out in this field is to find a small but profitable company (there are lots of those out there), be very confident in who you are and they might just give you a chance. There is no good software for small companies, so many decide to hire programmers (or independant contractors) to build custom software. This is where you could learn and get paid. The other thing you could do is go to guru.com and try and get some freelance work for the experience. Underbid the other guys and take on small things you know you can do until you get a reputation.

Question: What kind of jobs could I apply to under Computer Systems Analyst for a TN visa? Like most things with computers, nobody really has an exact description for any job.. I am not sure which jobs I can apply too. I have a 3 year computer programmer analyst diploma from a canadian college. That matchs the Nafta requirement... but what jobs can I apply to?

Answer: If you have a degree in computer systems why would you want to do more jobs.. you really only fit for one or two jobs.. But I think you need to look and see what is there and apply and see what happens. There are no rules as such to limit you to jobs just see where you could fit in with your training.

Question: What is the salary range for a systems analyst in New York City? I would like to know for a person with and without an MBA. Thanks.

Answer: Which kind of systems analyst? On my search of salary.com, it came up with results for business, financial and applications systems analysts. Also, there are TONS of zip codes for NYC, so I just went with 10101. I pasted the link below. You should probably go in yourself and try to find the closest job title in the closest area.

Question: What other degrees besides computer science do i need to be a computer systems analyst? I know i need something in business but I am not sure what.

Answer: To be a computer systems analyst within a company, you need to be familiar with the technologies that the company's using. Usually there will be business requirements that the analyst will need to translate into a technical solution. So what you could do is get a computer science degree and become a software developer at a company. With one year's experience, you could potentially take on an analyst role.

Question: Should I become a Software engineer or Computer systems analyst? Hi I have difficulty know what I should study in college. Can anyone clarify any of the two and give recommendations or critics/objections?

Answer: I've been job hunting for engineering jobs lately, and I've seen more software engineer openings than anything else. There's definitely a good market for it, if all you're interested in is money. But since you're still deciding what to study in college, it's OK to not have your mind made up yet. Just go with whatever interests you most right now and allow yourself to change your mind later.

Question: What is the average salary for a Sr Computer Systems Analyst in Atlanta? I'm considering relocating to the Atlanta area. I'm currently in South Florida.

Answer: There are plenty of sites like salary.com that offer free salary ranges for many professions. They will also adjust for cost of living in different locations.

Question: Anyone know of any job search websites that cater to very highly qualified IT Systems Analyst? Trying to get the resume' out there as much as possible.

Answer: www.dice.com