To college students, Information Technology (IT) is a field full of promising. The issue is choosing which area of this vast field to build a career and which program to enroll in. Basically, IT is the common name for several areas including Computer Science (CS), Software Engineering (SWE), Computer Engineering (CE), and Information System Management (ISM). According to the view among college students, Computer Science is focusing mostly on mathematical theories, data structures, algorithms, logic, and programming languages. Software Engineering is more practical and better alignment with the industry than CS as it focuses more on process, methods and tools. Computer Engineering is suitable for students who like to study both hardware and software so they can enter specialization in robotics, automation machinery, electronic devices, and semiconducting area. Information System Management is focusing more on the data, information, storage, network and the management aspect of them.

According to industry report in 2011, roughly 150,000 jobs in IT industry were unfilled in the U.S. This gap may go much higher in the next few years because high demand and less supply. There are high demand for CS and SWE graduates in the IT industry but the largest demand today is in ISM for jobs such as Database Administration, Cloud Computing, Service Management, Network Administration, Web Development, Web management and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Many companies, both large and small are moving into online business or to use the intranet for disseminate internal information, and they urgently need ISM graduates. Today ISM newly graduates can make from $87,000 to $98,000 a year in the U.S and with experience they can get much more as many will be paid according to management level rather than technical level. An ISM senior manager or Chief Information Officer can make from $250,000 to $450,000 a year. 

In the past, most Information System Management (ISM) programs were offered in Business School because of the management aspect. Today this field is offered as a cross between Computer Science School and Business School as it requires students to have strong foundation of technical as well. ISM is a combination of both technical and business where students learn the fundamental of technology to build their knowledge but also learn the business and management so they can manage technology effectively. Most students in ISM must have a technical background but also develop their skills in the area of business and management.

Today, many ISM graduates are managing the intranet and Internet of company where they make decision on information and content, as well as business transaction and how this information is communicated in a company. Today most companies have an intranet as well as access to the internet. These systems are easy to set up but difficult to maintain its efficient as technology often changes quickly. Therefore, every company need to hire ISM people to keep their system updated, operate efficiently and secured. There is high demand for ISM graduates and ISM students can look forward to a bright future in the next ten or twenty years.

Finding jobs may be the easiest thing but choosing among many offers may be more difficult because this area is so vast with so many specialties. Today ISM program is experiencing unprecedented growth with students who selected business and finance areas are now switching to ISM due to the decline in business job market. A student explained: “You study business and hope to get job in the banking industry. Today many banks are using ATM machines and they do not need to hire bank tellers or officers anymore. Most banks are using ERP system, so they do not need accountant and finance anymore. To get into bank management, you need 5 to 10 years of banking experience. If you look for job, you have to compete with thousand of unemployed banking people who were laid-off from the financial crisis few years ago. Most of them have more experiences and skills than you. However, if you switch to ISM and know how to manage the web, the intranet and internet, as well as the database then your chance is completely changed. Bank will beg you to work for them. ISM graduates make more money than Business and Finance graduates because of high demand as more bank are getting into on-line and computing automation now.”

As Information Technology is changing many industries, it also creates a huge opportunity for technically trained students who can solve business problems such as control and manage information systems. Today IT is a major expense to the business and executives want to know whether it is being spent wisely. Consequently, ISM graduates must be able to know what IT services are needed and what the cost is. They must understand how IT impacts the business and the value of IT to help business increase profits. They need to determine which IT services deliver the best value and which deliver little or no value and recommend to executives so they can make IT investment decisions. Since business needs high quality and available IT services, ISM graduates must provide support to the business by selecting the best technology possible. Today business people do not understand IT very well, they do not know whether cloud computing is a technical or business solution, or both. This is where ISM graduates can provide training to keep them up to date on technology area that is why ISM students need to have very strong soft-skills, probably more than CS and SWE graduates.

(http://www.segvn.org/forum/mvnforum/viewthread_thread,1419)