Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
- Explain competencies in IS and IT
- Describe the connections between IS and IT
- Discuss training and education requirements for IS fields
As you have learned, organizations must have robust information systems managed by qualified professionals. To help ensure that IS professionals and organizations have the required expertise, the U.S. Department of Labor has developed the Information Technology Competency Model, a framework that defines the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are essential for IS professionals. It is important for IS professionals to understand the relationship between IS and IT, as these two disciplines work in tandem to support organizational objectives and foster innovation. Further, many of the training and education requirements for professionals in the IS field use the Information Technology Competency Model to prepare individuals to navigate the complexities of this dynamic and rapidly changing industry.
Competencies in IS
For all occupations, including IS positions, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recommends competency-based approaches for hiring employees and for providing the education and training that employees need to do their jobs well. A competency is the ability to apply specific skills, experience, and personal characteristics to do a job in an effective and efficient manner. Someone’s personal characteristics are the traits that are appropriate for the job or task being done based on the individual’s interests, strengths, background, education, and training. In addition, an individual’s talents, motivations, and personal perceptions of their work influence competency.
A competency model is a framework that identifies the competencies required for employees to effectively perform their job. Generally, for all industries, the competencies that are important include the following elements:
- Personal effectiveness: competencies such as interpersonal skills, integrity, professionalism, initiative, dependability, reliability, and willingness to learn
- Academic: competencies such as reading, writing, and mathematics
- Workplace: competencies used in the workplace such as teamwork, creative thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making
- Industry-wide technical: general competencies needed in a specific industry; for example, database management and network administration are competencies necessary to succeed in IS
- Industry-sector technical: competencies directly related to specific positions within an industry; for example, in IS, professionals who focus on cybersecurity must be competent about data security and risk management
- Management: leadership, direction setting, team oversight, conflict resolution, delegation
To be successful in the workplace, IS professionals need personal effectiveness, academic, and workplace competencies. In addition, they need competencies specific to technology and information systems. These include knowledge and skills in the principles of information technology, databases and applications, technological networks, telecom, wireless and mobility, software development and management, user and customer support, digital media and visualization, compliance, risk management, security, and information assurance. IS professionals also need competencies specific to the role they fill in IS. Table 1.1 outlines both general and IS-specific professional competencies.
| Competency | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Personal effectiveness | Personal characteristics or traits related to working | General:
|
| Academic | Essential education | General:
|
| Workplace | Competencies used in the workplace | General:
|
| Technical | General competencies needed in a specific industry | IS-specific:
|
| Occupation-specific | Competencies directly related to specific positions within an industry | IS specific:
|
| Management | Competencies regarding leadership, conflict resolution, delegation, and team dynamics | General:
|
Link to Learning
As a student, you can use the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Information Technology Competency Model to understand the knowledge you should gain and the skills you should develop to have a successful career in IS.
Connections between Information Systems and Information Technology
As an IS professional, you likely will work closely with professionals in IT. Although the terms IS and IT are sometimes used interchangeably and the fields are connected, they are not the same. While IS focuses on an organization’s goals and developing an information system to meet organizational needs, IT is concerned with the technological operations. IT professionals design and build an organization’s technological infrastructure, including the computer hardware, software, and networks required to support the information system. IT professionals also provide user support to maintain technology and ensure that it functions appropriately.
IS and IT professionals typically work together to ensure that an organization’s technological needs are met. For example, IT professionals use IS requirements to guide their work as they design and develop an organization’s technological infrastructure.
Link to Learning
You will likely work with IT professionals at some point during your career, and it will be helpful to understand how IT roles differ from IS roles. This geeksforgeeks.org blog provides more details about the differences, including a table that compares the two fields.
Career Focus: Training and Education Requirements for Information Systems Fields
If you are interested in becoming an IS professional, or just want a better understanding of the impact of IS on organizations, you will benefit from learning about a variety of topics important in business and technology. Some of the key topics include the following:
- business analysis, which reviews an organization’s operations to determine needs and how these can be addressed by IS
- cybersecurity, which identifies an organization’s cybersecurity risks and implements measures for risk management
- enterprise system, which is a software package that organizations use to automate and coordinate operations, solve an organization’s problems, and monitor organizational performance
- information system design, which develops the framework and structure for IS that enables IS to meet an organization’s specific needs
- information technology (IT), which reviews how computers and other technology can be used to process, store, retrieve, and share information
- networks, which explores the processes to connect computers and other technology to enable information sharing
- programming, which delves into the processes to develop and write computer code that enables hardware and software to function appropriately
If you want to pursue a degree in IS or learn more about specific topics, you can take additional courses devoted to covering these subjects in depth.
Depending on the role, future IS professionals may qualify for a job by earning a degree or certification(s) in IS, or both. Even if an IS professional has a degree, earning certifications can provide additional knowledge and training in areas such as security, database management, and data analytics. With certifications, IS professionals are required to complete continuing education credits each year, and holding one or more certifications signals that an IS professional is dedicated to their work. The certifications held by IS professionals include Associate Computing Professional (ACP), Business Data Management Professional (BDMP), Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP), Certified Data Professional (CDP), and Information Systems Analyst (ISA). Typically, IS professionals earn the certification(s) related to the IS role(s) that they perform. To learn more, refer to 5.4 Career Focus: Key Certifications.