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Anyone with an Information Science major, what kind of job do you have and what is it like?

I'm interested in getting an IS major and I've already read what types of jobs you can get with it, but I don't know what these jobs are actually like. #career #career-counseling #career-choice #tech #information-science #job-descriptions

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Carol’s Answer

As Ken said, IS is a very broad topic so it would be best for you to try to narrow down exactly which aspect of the industry interests you. Think about how you use technology and which parts excite you, then try to find someone in that area and question then more about what they do each day. A general knowledge of any part of information systems and technology is useful in every career these days, but if you want to make it a career you're best figuring out your aim. Do you want to build and manage websites, create programs, support applications, manage data, etc? Knowing that gives you a far better idea of where to focus your efforts. That's not to say you can't switch between them, or even into completely different careers, but having an idea of where to start will help you decide your priorities at the beginning of your journey. I won't post the sort of links Ken did as I'm not in the US, and the tech life is definitely different depending on your location, which may be another aspect for you to review. For example, I'm in Canada, most of the development (programming) prospects would be in Ontario or British Columbia, support is all over, Oil and Gas applications in Alberta and Saskatchewan, so your speciality to some extent limits your future location as well. You can find opportunities outside those locations, but you are in a way better position if you are located in the geographical regions the jobs are.


Also, if you do decide to major in IS, be aware that continuous learning will be a part of your life, if you love learning new things then go for it. It's hard work keeping on top of the new ideas out there sometimes, but it's an exciting career if you love technology! You get to work for all sorts of businesses (I've covered manufacturing, power generation, construction, high finance and investment advisors among others), with very different people and with very different systems. I've loved my career so far - not sure I'd say I am where I thought I'd be when I started but that's the excitement of technology, they release something new and the possibilities change tremendously.
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Ken’s Answer

Hi Lliiana!


You asked a very important question. Information Science is a very broad area being applied in a myriad of different settings.


Here is some information about the area of information science, which might help:
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm


Best of luck! Be true to yourself. The feeling and concept of success is yours - and is very personal. Let me know if this is of help.
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Jerome’s Answer

It sounds like you're asking about the day-to-day experiences, benefits, and stresses of a "real" job in the IS field. As noted above, the answer depends on what part of the field you choose. For example, the operations end of things (system management, network management, etc.) might be fast-paced, reactive, 24x7x365 gig that a high-energy person might enjoy -- at times; at other times, you're doing paperwork, auditing records, and keeping the environment clean. Security is another never-ending but ultimately rewarding avenue to pursue; you need to constantly keep up with new attacks, vulnerabilities, and so forth. If your personality's more towards the contemplative, long-view approach, then system architecture or software development might be better choices.

Unless you choose a career as a solo developer, you can expect to be involved in meetings, project management, time management, and other overhead. The larger the company, the more of that you're likely to encounter, so keep that in mind when choosing a path.

Another question: Do you want to stay technical or are you more interested in eventually moving into a management position? That can influence the type of job you want.. in some management jobs, you'll be responsible for a team of people, budgeting, equipment purchasing, contract maintenance, and so forth.

There are a lot of variables to consider, so do your research and choose wisely! Good luck in your search...
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