MIS 2 Assignment 1: 10 years from now...(continued)

{ Posted on 2:10 PM by Ariel Serenado }
2 of 2:

As what I have mentioned from the previous thread that 10 years from now “I am one of those highly in-demand IT Consultants in the country”. Of course, if I envision myself to be one, I have to do necessary things essential for me to achieve this goal.


First things first, I have to finish my IT education.

In today's world, IT education and training is becoming increasingly important. Those who have the right IT education credentials have highly marketable skills that employers seek.

However, the IT world is fast-paced. Technology changes frequently and it's very important for IT workers to keep up with the changes. That's why you may want to consider frequent IT training. It keeps your skills fresh.


With an information technology degree, you can:

1. Transition to a more lucrative career. If you're currently stuck in a dead-end job, information technology education could be a great way to break into a new career. Take classes in your free time so that you can get a new job.

2. Be eligible for a promotion. Most companies prefer to promote from within and if you constantly stay up to date with your IT training courses, you put yourself in a prime position for advancement.

3. Get a raise in your current position. When you increase your skills, you become more valuable to your employer. In many cases, they will offer you more money so that you don't become tempted to look elsewhere for employment.

If I finished my IT education eventually, I’ll be an IT Professional. For me to become a competent IT professional, I must know what are the expectations of my colleagues, my industry, and my clients. Meeting these expectations is what qualifies me to call a professional, and what gives me the recognition as a professional. In today’s world the role of the IT professional is crucial. It has become an essential resource for most organizations. An IT professional must have the skills in and knowledge required to carry out specialized tasks in recognized field of IT. This is the minimum requirement.

Also, I have to find IT training companies that offer certification or preparation for exams. Having a certificate looks good on your resume and helps you get better jobs. If you're going to take information technology training classes, you may as well get a certificate that proves you know the information. Knowledge can be acquired through formal education sources such as private training institutions, colleges, institutions of higher learning, as well as E-learning on the internet. The most effective form of skill building is through practical exercises. Training and certification assists in improving the skills, increasing knowledge and gaining recognition. Certification exams identify necessary skills for an individual to perform the job competently and most importantly, successfully. Certification gives an IT professional, a valued credential that is recognized if the IT Industry. Not only that, it is a powerful tool for providing job and business opportunities and for meeting challenges on the field.

Moreover, having the certification, skills and knowledge to do complex things are not the only things you can incorporate for an IT professional. Of course, Interpersonal skills are also important. To maintain good interpersonal skills can sometimes be difficult, especially if you are working under pressures, sometimes it really drives you to become hot-tempered. But that is no excuse, if you want to be a true professional it is the price you must pay. The right attitude also extends how you treat your clients and your employer. The public expects the IT professional to be socially responsible and disciplined and should be a role model for the youth. IT professionals must also have address the issue of currency. Professionals must find ways in staying current on IT and IT related issues. This requires continues self-development on the part of the IT professional. You cannot afford to be outdated or allow your skills to stagnate. You cannot serve your clients well if you have outdated information and ideas. As a professional you must have the desire to update yourself on a continuous basis.

Generally, one can state that IT professionalism doesn’t end up with getting certified and earning a fat pay. It isn’t simply about being a skilled expert. Just as professionalism is about skills and knowledge, it is also about responsibility and duty. It is about using your skills and knowledge in a responsible and humane manner. It is about using your privileged status to bring about positive change in society.

References:

http://www.jidaw.com/article2.html

http://www.business.com/directory/computers_and_software/computer_services/information_technology_it_services/education_and_training/

MIS 2 Assignment 1: 10 years from now...

{ Posted on 2:06 PM by Ariel Serenado }
1 of 2:


Many young people always strive to improve themselves. Sometimes, they succeed; othertimes, they fail. The good thing is even though these people have experienced tougher problems, they do not quit in any case. They build themselves into better, more capable individuals. They start with knowing their assets, goals and objectives, then bridge the gap s between what they are and what they want to be. As they grow up in the real world, they discover that they can face the challenges that come into their way, no matter how great those challenges are. They are the people who succeed while young they have constantly tried to make things right and to make themselves better. From this, I understand that building a better self is indeed a must in these changing times.


Building a better self is always preceded with Planning, a strategic planning. No one has acquired success without a plan, any plan will do ensuring that you have commitment to your plans and you are giving justice to your plans. Planning encompasses one’s vision, mission, goals and objectives, and it is important that you’re objectives specific and attainable. It is also important that there is adherence towards your goals for, this serves as your guide as you take the path of your choice. Besides, Planning is a process for accomplishing purpose. It is blue print of business growth and a road map of development. It helps in deciding objectives both in quantitative and qualitative terms. It is setting of goals on the basis of objectives and keeping in view the resources. A plan should be a realistic view of the expectations. Depending upon the activities, a plan can be long range, intermediate range or short range. It is the framework within which it must operate. For management seeking external support, the plan is the most important document and key to growth. Preparation of a comprehensive plan will not guarantee success, but lack of a sound plan will almost certainly ensure failure. Moreover, a plan can play a vital role in helping to avoid mistakes or recognize hidden opportunities. Preparing a satisfactory plan of the organization is essential.

The planning process enables management to understand more clearly what they want to achieve, and how and when they can do it. Planning helps in forecasting the future, makes the future visible to some extent. It bridges between where we are and where we want to go. Planning is looking ahead. In general, planning is made to facilitate goals achievement; to facilitate assessment; to reduce risks and loss; to make good decisions; to carry out job division; and to determine opportunities and threats. This is how planning should be. In our plans, we also have the foresights or our visions but, the question is – Have you ever thought of how you should live your life in order to reach your foresights? re you directing it towards a goal r are you just drifting?. It is never easy to answer these questions especially when you are already in the midst of challenges. But to build up one’s self, these questions should have answered prior an action was made.

There are points in ourlives that we really have to plan, a plan for our everyday undertakings. Even we worked so hard for planning at the end we still end up “failed” with our dreams. This is because we don’t give justice to our plans and it seems like we are planning to fail. There are also scenarios that we fail for the reason that we fail to plan. “By failing to plan, you almost certainly fall into the trap of reacting to situations as they come along rather than dealing with priorities in a controlled, systematic manner. Get organized by identifying your top 3 priorities for the day and then block out a period of time according to your estimate to complete the task. If certain tasks need to be done daily, try and do them at the same time each day. Doing things by habit, at the same time each day, conserves energy and reduces mental stress. Get organized by identifying your best time of day. Then schedule your priority tasks for that time if possible, when you are at your performance peak.”

I have this observation in which it conveys how planning play a vital role. As for my observation, there are fresh graduates who experienced hard time to decide what to pursue especially if these people are aware and understand that they are in a filed where competition do exist, where everyone is a competitor. While others find it easy especially when they know they are capable enough and they have addressed the right thing to do when they get into the real world. Honestly, before as I enter the premises of the university and in the college where I am in now, I really have that hard time thinking of what to pursue after I finish my IT education; for, in the first place I really don’t know what are the career opportunities that awaits. Until now, I realized how good are the career opportunities that IT education can offer. 10 years from now, “I am one of those highly in-demand IT Consultants in the country”.

Let’s get to know more about an IT Consultant, its job description, typical work activities, key skills for IT Consultants, and the training that one should acquire in order to be an IT Consultant. Information Technology (IT) Consultants work in firms of management consultants, software and system houses within large manufacturers of computing equipment, or occasionally internally in major industrial companies. An IT consultant works in partnership with clients, advising them how to use information technology in order to meet their business objectives or overcome problems. Consultants work to improve the structure and efficiency and of an organizations’ IT systems. IT consultants may be involved in a variety of activities, including marketing, project management, client relationship management and systems development. May also be responsible for user training and feedback. In many companies, these tasks will be carried out by IT project team. IT consultants are increasingly involved in sales and business development, as well as technical duties.

Some typical work activities of an IT consultant – meeting with clients to determine their needs/requirements; working with clients to define the scope of a project; planning timescales and the resources needed; clarifying a client’s system specifications; understanding their work practices and the nature of their business; and traveling to customer sites. IT consultants do analyze IT requireme4nts within companies and give independent and objective advice on the use of IT; provide specialist support and back-up to professionals within client companies; advise on strategic planning and operational efficiency; train staff in new systems. Key skills for IT consultants – analytical approach to work; excellent problem-solving skills; interpersonal skills; communication skills; ability to absorb complex technical information and pass this on clearly; and project management skills. IT consultants facilitate organizational change while providing expertise on technical, functional and/or business topics during the design, development and/or implementation of automated systems. Perform business requirements analysis, recommends selection of software/hardware, develops proposals for consulting services and manages the execution of the projects.


Sources:

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/it_consultant_job_description.jsp
http://www.get.hobsons.co.uk/advice/consultancy-IT-consultant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planning
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Explain_the_importance_of_planning
http://www.about-goal-setting.com/get-organized.html