InformationWeek

June 16, 1998

I am a 32-year old systems analyst who's worked at a county hospital district for almost 10 years. I have a bachelor's degree in administrative information systems, 7-1-2 years of human resources IS and another two years of home health IS. My expertise is in business systems analysis. However, I am hearing-impaired and cannot use the phone. I believe the lagging technology at the county hospital district and the fact that I do not work in the IS department, has created the problem of keeping my skills marketable. In my previous job search in HRIS, I ran into the problem of lacking skills in PeopleSoft. How can I network myself into the job market without using the phone and how can I "sell" my expertise in HR IS with no PeopleSoft experience? What can I do to "sell" my expertise better in today's hot IT market?

Definitely complement your bachelors degree with at least an associate's degree in computer programming. This will at least show your aspirations and career focus. In today's market, there's really no winning combination regarding degrees, but at a minimum, it will show your focus and interest in IT. Companies are hiring candidates with varied educational backgrounds, particularly the Big Six--they're looking for mature, smart, and focused professionals who can interact with a variety of their clients and are not just technocrats.

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