Career Option:

Enterprise Systems

Description

• Help an organization gain the maximum benefit from its investing in computer resiurces, personnel, and business processes.
• Understand and specialize in the computer programs and systems for business, accounting, finance, scientific, or engineering.
• Prepare and present financial reports to compare the costs of systems with the benefits.

Wages

Department of Labor Job Titles and Mean Annual Salaries for Illinois
- Marketing Managers	- $81,360
- Computer and Information Systems Managers	- $86,010
- Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software	- $82,920
- Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts	- $61,660
- Computer Specialist, all other	- Not available
- Operations Research Analysts	- $64,390

Skills

About the Job

Enterprise Systems personnel are responsible for designing IT products and services and using interviews with, and feedback from, customers to improve quality and usability. They translate customer needs into instructions, or technical requirements, which describe the desired product enhancements.

Illinois Job Codes

Sample Career Path

” I didn't start out in a technology-related field: I actually first went into psychology. I learned how people get the most out of products. Although I am now in project management, I still use many of my human factor skills. If you're going to be in IT, you have to understand business and psychology. The value added jobs that aren't going to be outsourced involve thinking and designing. How will the product work? What will it look like?” -- Sue May

Job Advantages

Enterprise Systems is suited for persons who are creative and analytical. Travel opportunities are available and the interaction with the customers makes every day different.

Job Disadvantages

Customer relations can sometimes be difficult, especially if they are having trouble with their product.

Transferable Skills

Technical experience and knowledge are needed, as well as the ability to communicate well with customers.

Typical Work Day

“ A typical day is hectic. I spend a lot of time trying to figure out and prioritize work because there's just so much of it. I get lots of email and almost no phone calls. I average about 100 emails a day. I think the company you work for has a lot to do with how good the job is for women. It seems like when the economy is good, IT companies really had to work hard to just get and keep IT people. To do this, they offer perks like part-time work, flexible scheduling, and working from home. You will be hard pressed to find perks like these in any other industry. With lap tops and people being able to use phone lines to send and get information to co-workers, people don't have to be tied to an office to get their work done.” — Sue May

Education