Archive for August, 2009

Careers in IT – Information Technology Diversity Part 2: Application Development Category

August 28th, 2009

he wide array of possible career paths within the field of Information Technology, it can often be difficult to determine the correct one for you, given your unique interests and career goals. In my last article, part one of this two-part series, I covered the Systems category of Information Technology including who would be best fit to pursue a career in that field and what type of education would best prepare that individual for a successful career. In part two of the series, I will cover the Application Development category of IT.

Application Development Category

People often assume that individuals working in Application Development Information Technology careers are simply programmers or coders, but there is far more to the field than that. IT offers companies the opportunity to increase efficiency across the board, saving time, manpower and money, while increasing customer satisfaction rates at the same time. Typically, automating business and mission processes is the best way to accomplish these types of effectiveness and efficiency improvements, with some examples of specializations in this area including:

? Determining which business processes can be improved with automation

? Conducting process reengineering to gain maximum benefits from IT capabilities

? Application and database development (programming/coding)

? Testing applications and training end users

? Maintaining and upgrading applications

While some application development is done by military members, much of this is outsourced to civilian contractors. But again, as with the Systems career path of Information Technology, depending on the size and needs of the organization you work for, you could find yourself working on all of these tasks at the same time.

College courses and degree programs provide the ?foundation? necessary for developing the abilities needed to pursue (and succeed!) in a specialized Information Technology career. Certifications are also an option as a sort of ?quick fix,? normally used to quickly get you up-to-speed in a particular specialization.

This article just skims the surface of all the exciting opportunities available to those interested in pursuing a career in Information Technology. But it should be a useful place to start for those of you looking for information regarding how to choose a degree program. And remember, if you?re on active duty in the military, you know you?re going to need a degree for promotion at some point- so you might as well start right away! And even if you do intend on leaving the service, your future employers are going to evaluate your capabilities based on your education level by examining both your degree(s) and your certifications.

Keep in mind – other individuals competing for the same IT positions as yourself are aware of this necessity, so you should do everything you can to set yourself apart from ?just another Information Technology technician? by getting that degree or an additional certification. It can?t hurt!

Talk to one of our admissions counselors about the opportunity of enrolling in one of our many affordable online programs, giving you the flexibility, and the expertise, that you need to succeed in your IT career. And ask us about your TA, Montgomery GI Bill (Chap 30), and even the new Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chap 33) benefits- while they?re still available. Reduced military tuition rates and military scholarships help extend those benefits even further, minimizing your out-of-pocket expenses, so why wait?




By: Paul Capicik

CAREER IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:

August 28th, 2009

Today, the term information technology has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term has become very recognizable. IT professionals perform a variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, MBA Institutes, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems.

When computer and communications technologies are combined, the result is information technology, or “InfoTech”. Information technology is a general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information. Presumably, when speaking of Information Technology (IT) as a whole, it is noted that the use of computers and information are associated.

Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America(ITAA), is “the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware.” IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process transmit, and securely retrieve information

There are two main sectors in this field:

Hardware: This includes the physical elements of the computer system and deals with the designing, manufacturing and maintenance of computers. This area also includes the assembling of the manufactured components of the computers.

Software: This includes the set of instructions by which a computer is programmed for working and performing the specified tasks. The programs may also come in the form of packages, which are designed for meeting the different kinds requirements for large number of people. This realm includes the work of designing the programs for various purposes. Programs may be for controlling the functioning of the computers or they may also be some user-friendly programs for specific needs.

There are number of career in which a person can establish into IT professional:

Database Administrator: Responsible for the planning, implementation, configuration, and administration of relational database management systems.

Database Analyst: Responsible for designing and developing an organization’s data flow model and database architecture (set up).

Hardware Engineer: Responsible for the specification and design of a computer and communication hardware workings.

Help Desk Technician: Responsible primarily for supporting end-user software applications in person, over the telephone, and through remote access.

Information Systems Manager: Manages an organization’s overall internal information technology architecture (set up). I.S. managers (also called I.T. managers) are responsible for the day-to-day management of an organization’s information systems, including databases, operating systems, networks, technical support, and computers and server maintenance.

Internetworking Engineer: Also called an Internet Engineer, this position is responsible for managing and maintaining the networking architecture for an organization’s web site and Wide Area Network (WAN) connectivity.

Multimedia Developer: Responsible for developing quality media content for the World Wide Web. Multimedia developers use programming and development tools like Macromedia Flash and Dream weaver to build interactive content for a computer-based training module, software demo or for consumers.

Network Administrator: Manages and maintains an organization’s Local Area Network (LAN).

Network Engineer: Responsible for the planning, design, and implementation of Local and Wide Area Networks (LANs and WANs).

Network Security Analyst: Responsible for designing, implementing and maintaining an organization’s network and computer security policies.

PC Support Specialist: Assists end-users, either remotely or in person, with personal computer maintenance, troubleshooting, and management.

Programmer/Analyst: Responsible for designing and implementing computer information systems, and for using computer programming languages to write software applications for those systems.

Programmer: Develops computer programs that allow end-users to interface directly with computer operating systems and hardware.

Software Engineer: Responsible for designing and programming large-scale computer systems and applications.

Systems Analyst: In charge of researching, planning and recommending software and systems choices to meet an organization’s business requirements.

System Administrator: Manages an organization’s computer and operating systems.

Technical Writers: Responsible for authoring hardware and software documentation either for an organization’s internal computer systems or for third-party vendors.

Web Programmers: Responsible for designing and developing applications and scripts for the World Wide Web.

Eligibility Criteria – this is a specialized field which require academic and technical skills. There are many diploma and degree courses offered by different institutions.

Eligibility criteria depend upon the kind of courses and the level of study.

For a course at undergraduate level one needs to have passes 10+2 in science. For a “B” level or graduate level DOE scheme one needs to have an “A” level certificate of diploma in computers or an equivalent. For Post Graduate courses graduation in Computer Science or any other degree related to science, mathematics, statistics or operational research is required.

Scope in Information Technology

Being an IT professional, you are one of the in demand job in the industry nowadays. Technology is always in its continuous rise, thus more opportunities are given to those people who are skillful when it comes to technology. Your skills being an IT person is really needed in the IT industry because of the modernized innovations that we have right now, the industry also needs people who are capable to do task in a certain company with accuracy.

According to India’s National Knowledge Commission, India well positioned to take advantage of the knowledge revolution which can be seen the dramatic revolution in the field of Information and Technology. This has witnessed a wide range of macroeconomics implications which can be seen in the development of multi-million dollar IT sector

For more details please visit at www.admissioncorner.com




By: Admission

ARGOSY UNIVERSITY OFFERS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE

August 27th, 2009

(CHICAGO – September 6, 2005) Argosy University announced today that it will assist students from universities in New Orleans, southern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama universities, which have been closed for the foreseeable future due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Argosy University will make available both on-campus and online courses that might be able to permit dislocated students to progress in their academic careers during this semester of disruption. Students at a university forced to close by Hurricane Katrina may register at any of Argosy University’s 13 campuses across the nation for courses, on a space-available basis, for the fall terms.

Argosy University will waive tuition for dislocated students who have already registered and paid tuition at their home institution for the fall 2005 semester. If dislocated students have not yet paid their tuition at their home institution, they will be assessed the lesser of the current published tuition and fees at the home institution, or Argosy University’s published tuition and fees, as determined by the Argosy University campus president.

“Argosy University acted today by offering educational assistance to college students impacted by Hurricane Katrina,” says Dr. Gregory O’Brien, president of Argosy University. “Argosy University is concerned for the well-being of these students, and this initiative is our way of reaching out with compassion and benevolence to those affected. We pledge to do all that we can to assist college students in the Gulf Coast region to continue their education and continue in their lives.”

According to the American Council on Education, more than 30 colleges and universities in the Gulf Coast region have been severely damaged by the hurricane, and possibly 100,000 students have been displaced from their schools.

Argosy University offers doctoral, masters, and undergraduate degree programs in psychology, counseling, education, business, information technology, and organizational leadership. Doctoral degree programs in clinical psychology (accredited by the American Psychological Association), are available at several Argosy University’s campuses. Argosy University will assist dislocated Ph.D. and Psy.D. students on an individual basis. Select associate’s degree programs in several health sciences fields are available at Argosy University/Twin Cities, located in Eagan, MN.

Argosy University has campuses in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Honolulu, Orange County (Santa Ana, CA), Phoenix, San Francisco Bay Area (Port Richmond, CA), Sarasota, Schaumburg (IL), Seattle, Tampa, Twin Cities (Eagan, MN), and Washington DC (Arlington, VA).

Students seeking information about Argosy University’s initiative can visit the university’s website (www.argosyu.edu) or call National Admissions Information at 1-800-377-0617.

With 13 campuses across the nation, Argosy University (www.argosyu.edu) offers undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate degrees in the disciplines of business, education, health sciences, and psychology and behavioral sciences. Argosy University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association (NCA) (30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602, 1.312.263.0456, www.ncahlc.org). The parent company of Argosy University, Education Management Corporation (www.edmc.com), is among the largest providers of private post-secondary education in North America, based on student enrollment and revenue. Student enrollment exceeded 66,000 as of fall 2004. EDMC has 71 primary campus locations in 24 states and two Canadian provinces. EDMC’s education institutions offer a broad range of academic programs concentrated in the media arts, design, fashion, culinary arts, behavioral sciences, health sciences, education, information technology, legal studies, and business fields, culminating in the award of associate’s through doctoral degrees. EDMC has provided career-oriented education for over 40 years. ###




By: Education Management Corporation