I am 36 years old and am seriously considering a career change from Project Coordinator/Business Process Analyst in a mechanical engineering environment to IS. My goal within IS is to become a project leader or manger information systems or related position within three-five years. Is my goal realistic? What starting positions should I try for? What is the best path to take?

Three or four years is unrealistic. Five to seven is more like it. The most attractive track for you would be to identify a role in your current industry and current company that would value your understanding of mechanical engineering and your process experience. If your current company will not afford you this kin d of opportunity, target competitors within an industry that might afford you the opportunity because they will value your overall industry knowledge. As for a starting position, reengineering efforts driven by technology usually have a need for a liaison or business/systems analyst who can understand the IT requirements and bridge the gap to the client side.

I am an IS professional and have been in the IT industry for about four years, mostly in a consulting role. I have a bachelors degree in computer science and a master's degree in IS management. I spent my first two years in very technical roles. However, over the last two years, I have moved to more managerial roles as part of a consulting firm. I'm at a point where I have to decide whether to grow in my consulting organization or move into the corporate world in an IS management role. Given my experience and background, what kind of IS management position can I expect in the corporate world? Also, is it really a good idea to give up a very promising career in the consulting world to go into the corporate world?

The consulting experience has provided you with great diversity. I absolutely believe you need to marry that with corporate experience. The big question is not if but when? You have been in consulting for four years and your entry point into a corporate role is at a manager level, two or three more years in consulting could position you at the director level. Ultimately, your career as an IS executive is of greater value when you have taken ownership in a corporate capacity and can complement that with consulting experience.

I am an IT manager for a leading third-party logistics company. My job is basically setting up and maintaining PCs, LANs and WANs. In other words, mostly a system integrator rather than a solution provider. When I first took the job, the IT base for the company was in such poor shape that anything I did was a great improvement. However, as I complete the migration from old legacy systems and finish the implementation of the new IT infrastructure, I am finding myself becoming bored with the chore of routine maintenance and support. I have heard great things about PeopleSoft, Baan, and SAP and am wondering if those ERP systems are what I should focus on. Should I invest in the training to learn about these systems? Will these systems form the basis for E-commerce?

There's no need to invest yourself in the training. I am confident that with your skill set and your initial success securing interest that companies will foot the bill to educate you. Even the vendors themselves , many of which engage me for help trying to find talent, concentrate more on either industry specialty or technical experience and they do the rest regarding training. As for their viability in the E-commerce world. I am convinced that with software companies partnering to achieve the ultimate solution, they will all have the capabilities to provide E-commerce solutions. It's really a matter of who gets there first.

I have been a member of a large consumer-goods sales force for five years. In that time I have focused on developing applications for my business team, in addition to my regular job. I started with Excel spreadsheets, then moved to Visual Basic programming. I conducted the training and delivered measurable cost savings for my region. In the past few months, I have been developing an Oracle database and a Java front end for the sales force to use through our intranet. I have been the de facto computer trainer for my group and have worked on designs for our Web site. I don't have a computer science degree or any other job experience. I do have a decent career path with this company and have certainly impressed the right people with my technical skills. But I want to have a career in technology. Where does my little-bit-of-everything experience get me? What steps should I take, assuming my current employer has nothing immediate to offer?

There aren't many places with clear career paths that have been cut out of the "little bit of everything and a lot of nothing" IT path. The best opportunities exist where you're able to show results--and right now, that would be your current company. If that doesn't work, I would suggest you look into the growing field of sales-force automation. Even a software vendor would love to have someone like you--someone who could go out to customer sites, evaluate their needs, and be able to build wrap around applications.

I am a software consultant and I wis h to have a career in telecommunications and IS management. While working on Cobol and year 2000 compliance, I intend pursuing a program which will help me enhance my technical skills especially in the area of telecommunications (I have a bachelor's degree in telecommunications engineering from India). Would it be more sensible to go in for a master's degree in computer science-telecom or a certificate program which emphasizes on Internet/intranet design & management. Also, will I need to take up a Techno-MBA in the long run (3-4 years from now)?

If telecom is your true passion, refocus your efforts on the M.S. in telecommunications. It will send a focused message to employers, particularly with your undergrad degree being in telecom. You already have a good base of IT experience with the year 2000 stuff you're involved with now, where you won't need the techno-MBA. That early-on experience will provide for a good foundation. Be sides, you'll enjoy the M.S. much more; it's in the industry you want to practice in, so you'll naturally find it more challenging.

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