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Information Systems Managers, also called by such abbreviations as managers, MIS directors, IS executives, or chief information officers (CIO's), direct all information systems and/or overall management of computer systems, electronic data processing, systems analysis, computer programming, and development efforts of an organization.

NATURE OF THE OCCUPATION

Information Systems Managers may:

Confer with top-management officers to plan strategic development and information service methodologies to achieve corporate goals

Prepare budgets of information systems (MIS) operations using knowledge or corporate financial objectives and capital requirements

Develop operational policies and procedures related to applications and scheduling

Establish work standards

Negotiate purchases of computers and peripheral equipment such as those related to wide and local area networks; equipment maintenance services; software; communications services; and computer consulting services

Confer with managers from various internal departments to develop and implement their firm's E-commerce strategies

Provide technical assistance in setting up E-commerce payments systems, verification of transactions, encryption, and shopping cart technology

Assign and supervise mid-level managers who are in charge of applications development, computer operations; communications/network areas, and data security administration

Authorize the hiring and job requirements for new personnel and directing career and training programs

Oversee the installation and operation of computer systems, work stations, and software

Maintain a working relationship between data processing and other company departments and users

Monitor costs against budget and accomplishments against projects' schedules

Manage information resources such as computer files and data bases, including data security and control and disaster recovery planning

Remain abreast of advances in technology

Click to watch Information Systems Managers at work!

Machines, equipment, and materials used by Information Systems Managers may include:

OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES

Information Systems Managers, also called by such abbreviations as managers, MIS directors, IS executives, or chief information officers (CIO's), direct all information systems and/or overall management of computer systems, processing, and development efforts of an organization.

169.167-030 DATA PROCESSING MANAGER

In addition to learning about these specialties, you may also find it helpful to explore the following Career Exploration scripts:

WORKING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

MIS Directors work in offices with top-and middle-management personnel and usually report to the company's president. They do not remain at their desks for long periods of time, but confer with other managers involved in the planning and use of hardware, software, and network systems, and software implementation.

A recent study has shown that although the Information Systems Manager is very involved with technical and operational concerns, an increasing emphasis is being placed on more global and strategic business issues such as information planning tied to the business objectives of the organization. They may be very involved in the "people" or humanistic issues of organizations. They decide how to train staff effectively and foresee how the technology can improve the way employees do their work.

They work in various settings such as hospitals, educational institutions; scientific or research centers; financial or insurance firms; or manufacturing companies where Computer Aided Design / Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) are used.

MIS Directors normally work a 40 hour work week. Although a work situation may dictate additional hours to be worked. Most computer centers are open around the clock, 7 days a week. Sometimes Directors are required to travel, attend meetings, and visit branch installations.

Many MIS Directors belong to associations such as The Society for Information Management, Association of Information Technology Professionals, or The Association for Computing Machinery. Directors who belong to associations must usually pay dues.

You Should Prefer:

• Activities which bring recognition or appreciation by others

• Activities of a technical nature

You Should Be Able To:

• Reason and analyze to make excellent and quick decisions

• Communicate effectively in speech and writing

• Perform mathematical calculations quickly and accurately

• Perform a variety of changing tasks

• Plan and direct activities of others

• Deal with people beyond giving or taking instructions

• Rate information by using personal judgment or measurable standards

Math Problem You Should Be Able to Solve:

The budget allows a maximum of $100,000 to be spent this year to upgrade the computer systems. The upgrade model cost $8,000 a piece, how many new computers can you purchase?

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:

The balance sheet summarizes a corporation's assets, what it owns; its liabilities, what it owes; and its net worth, the difference between the two sums at a given time.

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:

You should be able to write a report to your supervisor explaining why you need the computer system to be upgraded.

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:

You should be able to decide the best type of upgrade, the upgrade that would give you the greatest increase in productiveness for your money.

EDUCATION AND PREPARATION OP PORT  UNITIES

NOTE: A Bachelor's Degree (four years of study beyond High School) or a Master's Degree (five to six years of study beyond High School) or a Professional Degree or Doctorate (seven to ten years of study beyond High School) may qualify a person for this occupation.

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in this Career Exploration script:

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS***

0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 1000 COMPUTERS , 2200 MATH , 2900 SCIENCE

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS***

There are no Vocational Education Programs related to this Career Exploration script.

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS***

214 COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Programs in Computer Information Systems provide opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment in information systems and management positions. Information systems involve the entire spectrum of organizational activities, technology, and people. Information systems support an organization's operations, management, and decision-making functions. Individuals who teach at the secondary school level must have a  Michigan Teaching Certificate .

Courses vary from school to school but may include:

     Search for a College and/or Instructional Program

***APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES***

There are no Apprenticeships related to this Career Exploration script.

***MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAMS***

Please check the Military web site at  My Future

COMPUTER SYSTEMS OFFICERS

The military uses computers in almost every aspect of its operations. Military computers are used to process payroll and personnel information, control the targeting and firing of weapons systems, account for money, and make it easier to communicate around the world. Computer systems officers direct the operations of computer centers.

What They Do

Computer systems officers in the military perform some or all of the following duties:

• Prepare data processing plans and budgets

• Develop and monitor contracts for data processing equipment and services

• Translate military objectives and needs into computer systems requirement

• Plan and oversee the installation of new equipment

• Direct teams of computer systems specialists and computer programmers

Special Requirements

A 4-year college degree in computer science, computer or industrial engineering, business administration, or a related field is required to enter this occupation. Some specialties require a Master's degree.

Helpful Attributes

Helpful attributes include:

• Interest in working with computers

• Interest in working with mathematical models and formulas

• Interest in technical work

Work Environment

Computer systems officers in the military work in offices or at computer sites on military bases or aboard ships.

Training Provided

Job training consists of 5 to 18 weeks of classroom instruction, including management exercises. Training length varies depending on specialty. Course content typically includes:

• Fiscal and contract management

• Assessment of computer equipment needs

• Computer systems development and project management

Civilian Counterparts

Civilian computer systems officers work for a wide variety of employers, including banks, hospitals, manufacturers, financial firms, government agencies, and firms that design and test computer systems. They perform duties similar to those performed by military computer systems officers. They may also be called information systems directors, ADP or EDP managers, computer systems engineers, software engineers, or systems analysts.

Opportunities

The services have about 4,000 computer systems officers. Each year new computer systems officers are needed due to changes in personnel and field demands. After job training, computer systems officers are assigned to units where they work in teams of engineers, systems analysts, and computer programmers. With experience and demonstrated leadership, they may advance to senior management or command positions in the computer systems field.

E-Learning Courses and Programs

OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE AND METHODS OF ENTRY

Many firms hire computer programmers and systems analysts. This type of employment might be available to someone who has completed some college courses in a computer information systems program. Opportunities for experience are also available in postsecondary programs in computer information systems and military service for computer systems analysts and programmers. University placement offices frequently have cooperative arrangements for work-study programs with private industry, which are beneficial in providing experience. Students may work part-time or full-time, alternating with school semesters.

              School-to-Work opportunities include:

informal apprenticeships

mentorships

job shadowing experiences

touring a local Information Systems Manager employer

internships

volunteer work with an Information Systems Manager employer

community service work with an agency

To enter this occupation, apply to employers, take civil service exams, locate positions through college placement offices, read newspaper want ads, or contact a local office of Michigan Works!. Some associations have career information services such as, the job placement services of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. In addition, you should access and search the Internet's on-line employment services sites such as:

6FigureJobs

ComputerJobs.com

The Silicon Valley Job Source

USA Jobs

Michigan Careers, College & Training

Simply Hired

Indeed | one search. all jobs

Monster jobs

Yahoo! HotJobs

Career Builder

You should also enter an electronic resume on these on-line services.

EARNINGS AND ADVANCEMENT

Earnings of MIS Directors vary according to the size, type, budget, and location of the firm, as well as the level of responsibility and degree of specialized knowledge and education needed for the position.

Nationally, inexperienced graduates of college bachelor's degree programs in late 2005 received beginning annual salary offers of:

Nationally, in early 2006, the average annual salary for Top MIS Executives in large firms was $214,000, with most earning between $156,700 and $250,000. The median yearly earnings of "all" workers in the U.S. were $33,852 in 2005.

In late 2005, the average annual salaries for Information Systems Managers in several Michigan  areas were:

Some employers provided bonuses and/or stock option plans.

MIS Directors often receive more fringe benefits than many other workers do. They include paid vacations and holidays; life, accident, disability, and hospitalization insurance; retirement plans and sick pay. Company cars and club memberships may be offered when the employee attains top managerial positions.

Beginning MIS Directors might start as systems analysts or programmers. Completion of a 4 to 6 year Bachelor's or Master's degree in computer science, or management information systems is usually required to become a systems analyst. A Bachelor's of science degree in business management with programming courses might be enough.

With technical competence, extensive work experience, knowledge of information systems technology, and management skills, systems analysts/programmers may advance from project leadership position to a top managerial position.

The Systems Manager or project manager may specialize in several areas such as technical service, data center operations, software development, data security administration, or network management. Although the typical career ladder for this occupation involves specialized college training, some personnel with excellent managerial skills may begin in areas such as finance, marketing or technical sales engineering. However, this is less prevalent now than in earlier years.

EMPLOYMENT AND OUTLOOK

Nationally, about 280,300 Computer & Information Systems Managers were employed in 2004. Employment is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2014. Most large corporations and all levels of government employ Computer & Information Systems Managers. Service sectors of the economy such as banking, utilities, finance, insurance, and retailing are growing and providing good employment opportunities.

Those Computer & Information Systems Managers with specialized skills in communications (especially local and wide area networks and integrated services digital networks), E-commerce and M-commerce, data base management, on-line transactional processing, office automation, artificial intelligence, and information center analysis will be in demand. Industrial automation will likewise offer opportunities as more manufacturing ( CAM  ) and computer-aided-design (CAD) systems are implemented to improve efficiency and product quality.

The industry distribution for Computer Information Systems managers looked like this:

                There are approximately 7,325 Computer & Information Systems Managers in Michigan  .

Employment of Computer & Information Systems Managers in Michigan  is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012. An average of 340 annual openings is expected, with 210 due to growth and 130 due to replacement of those who retire, die or leave the labor force for other reasons.

As Michigan businesses and governmental agencies develop and update their computer systems, the need for computer services and software services expand. Growth in the service industries such as medical and personal services and in retail/wholesale trade will demand trained MIS professionals. The employment growth of this occupation will be very good and follow general economic trends in Michigan  .

MICHIGAN  'S EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK TO 2012

SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL  INFO  RMATION

Printed Occupational information is available upon written request from the sources below.

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