InformationWeek

June 2, 1998

I need some assistance with my career path. I have been working at my company (a bank) for eight years. I was in loan operations for seven years and in IS for about one year. I love the IS field but don't seem to be advancing at all. I am grossly underpaid and am trying very hard to advance myself. I have an associate's degree in management and I am pursuing a bachelor's degree in IS (I have nine classes to go). I really would like to stay involved in both the business and IS areas. What jobs fit this description with my education and work history? I am considering a business analyst position, but descriptions of business analyst positions seem to vary drastically from company to company. What areas should I work on?

Balance out the seven years to one year in IT. Continue to hone your information systems depth and breadth, whether it's in applications development or systems integration. A business analyst's role would be an ideal transition for you, particularly if it leverages your banking experience. A liaison role to branch operations or any other financial service-related transaction business would benefit from your strong business experience. The leverage you have is unlike most traditional IT paths, which includes grounding in IT and trying to move closer to the business. You have the business knowledge and now need to deepen your IT foundation. Two schools of thought: Although you're underpaid (grossly) as you indicated, it sounds like you're in the kind of position that will continue to deepen your skill base, so you may want to take advantage of that for the next six months to a year. The other angle would be to target your search toward financial service companies that will also provide you with the ability to grow technically and give you the financial boost that you're looking for. Be careful in plan B that you really evaluate whether this opportunity is going to provide the long-term career opportunities that are going to require you to have a good technical foundation; make sure it's not just money motivated.

More Questions:
Can I find a network adminstrator's position without a degree?

What's the marketability for individulas coming out of the defense or armed forces?

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