Careers in IST
Where you can go
IST graduates are in high demand across the job spectrum. Ninety-eight percent of our 2003 graduates are pursuing professional careers or graduate degrees. This rate was among the best recorded by Penn Staters that year; a distinction maintained in 2004 and 2005.
Early figures for the Class of 2006 show graduates expect to earn an average starting salary of $56,168, with an average signing bonus of $5,250. In 2005, offers averaged $54,500, bonuses $4,700. At a time of concern about IT jobs being exported overseas, nearly 100 percent of IST graduates secured positions in the United States. The IST program also prepares students to work overseas if they choose, by requiring language proficiency and familiarity with other cultures.
IST graduates are in high demand across the job spectrum. Ninety-eight percent of our 2003 graduates are pursuing professional careers or graduate degrees. This rate was among the best recorded by Penn Staters that year; a distinction maintained in 2004 and 2005.
Early figures for the Class of 2006 show graduates expect to earn an average starting salary of $56,168, with an average signing bonus of $5,250. In 2005, offers averaged $54,500, bonuses $4,700. At a time of concern about IT jobs being exported overseas, nearly 100 percent of IST graduates secured positions in the United States. The IST program also prepares students to work overseas if they choose, by requiring language proficiency and familiarity with other cultures.
Job titles are fine, but...
IST is a degree that takes you where you want to go. Our graduates find satisfying careers across the board. On the following pages are just a few of their stories.
Michael Eisenreich ’03
Michael Eisenreich is a program manager in General Electric’s Corporate Information Services group and a graduate of the GE Information Management Leadership Program, one of thirteen IST graduates who have participated. Since joining GE, Eisenreich has lived in four places and worked on five different companywide applications.
“IST gave me the skills and abilities necessary to lead projects in a dynamic and global business environment,” Eisenreich said.
Originally an aspiring musician, then a Finance major, Eisenreich switched to IST because it integrated technical abilities with business skills. That combination, he said, provided him with a deep knowledge of certain technical areas, a broad knowledge of business concepts, and a wealth of opportunities.
Shara Beach ’04
As technical project manager for HowStuffWorks.com, Shara Beach is a problem solver. She takes the business needs for a project from a management group, outlines the tasks required to complete it, determines the resources necessary to accomplish it, and organizes the team to achieve it.
“One reason I like this job so much—and one of the reasons I liked IST—is that my role is critical to the success of my projects. I get to use a combination of organizational, creative, business, and technical skills,” Beach said.
She also values her IST education for teaching her how to work in teams, essential because Beach telecommutes and rarely sees co-workers.
“Working through the political issues within a team has helped me make a smooth transition into the workforce,” she said.
Derek Slaughter ’03
Derek Slaughter is proof that an IST degree prepares students for a variety of careers. The 2003 alumnus earned a master of education degree from the University of Maryland and is a third-grade teacher in Laurel, Maryland.
“I’m using probably 95 percent of the skills I learned in IST in my graduate classes and in the elementary classroom,” Slaughter said.
“IST,” Slaughter said, “creates an environment where students can learn, develop, and succeed.”
Alison Murphy ’04
As an undergraduate, Alison Murphy chose IST because she wanted to interact and work with people, not just sit in a cube and program. Now in Johnson & Johnson’s Information
Management Leadership Program, Murphy said IST gave her what she needs for her job as a project manager: the technology expertise to develop systems and the people skills to lead a project, work in a team, and run a meeting.
“IST incorporates teamwork, dealing with people, and presentation and communication skills—that’s why I love it,” Murphy said. “It involves taking technology and showing you how to use it to develop processes and create solutions that help people. "
“As a project manager, I put together a team. Then I gather user requirements for what needs to be completed. I oversee the development, validation, and testing of the system. Finally, I have a hand in training the users and releasing the system. What I do is not just about technology. It’s about how it works in the world,” she said.
Omkar Sawardekar ’03
A consultant with IBM, Omkar Sawardekar works for the U.S. Department of Education, making sure its electronic grants system functions properly and playing an important role
in the department’s Quality Improvement Initiative. The job requires strong problem-solving and teamwork skills, which Sawardekar credits IST with teaching him.
“I apply what I learned as an IST major every day,” Sawardekar said. He works closely with different IBM teams, interacts with customers, and works directly with the system, all on a daily basis.
“IST offered me both technical and ‘soft’ skills—leadership, teamwork, and communication,” Sawardekar said. “Those are the skills IBM looked for when they hired me.”
IST is a degree that takes you where you want to go. Our graduates find satisfying careers across the board. On the following pages are just a few of their stories.
Michael Eisenreich ’03 Michael Eisenreich is a program manager in General Electric’s Corporate Information Services group and a graduate of the GE Information Management Leadership Program, one of thirteen IST graduates who have participated. Since joining GE, Eisenreich has lived in four places and worked on five different companywide applications.
“IST gave me the skills and abilities necessary to lead projects in a dynamic and global business environment,” Eisenreich said.
Originally an aspiring musician, then a Finance major, Eisenreich switched to IST because it integrated technical abilities with business skills. That combination, he said, provided him with a deep knowledge of certain technical areas, a broad knowledge of business concepts, and a wealth of opportunities.
Shara Beach ’04 As technical project manager for HowStuffWorks.com, Shara Beach is a problem solver. She takes the business needs for a project from a management group, outlines the tasks required to complete it, determines the resources necessary to accomplish it, and organizes the team to achieve it.
“One reason I like this job so much—and one of the reasons I liked IST—is that my role is critical to the success of my projects. I get to use a combination of organizational, creative, business, and technical skills,” Beach said.
She also values her IST education for teaching her how to work in teams, essential because Beach telecommutes and rarely sees co-workers.
“Working through the political issues within a team has helped me make a smooth transition into the workforce,” she said.
Derek Slaughter ’03 Derek Slaughter is proof that an IST degree prepares students for a variety of careers. The 2003 alumnus earned a master of education degree from the University of Maryland and is a third-grade teacher in Laurel, Maryland.
“I’m using probably 95 percent of the skills I learned in IST in my graduate classes and in the elementary classroom,” Slaughter said.
“IST,” Slaughter said, “creates an environment where students can learn, develop, and succeed.”
Alison Murphy ’04 As an undergraduate, Alison Murphy chose IST because she wanted to interact and work with people, not just sit in a cube and program. Now in Johnson & Johnson’s Information
Management Leadership Program, Murphy said IST gave her what she needs for her job as a project manager: the technology expertise to develop systems and the people skills to lead a project, work in a team, and run a meeting.
“IST incorporates teamwork, dealing with people, and presentation and communication skills—that’s why I love it,” Murphy said. “It involves taking technology and showing you how to use it to develop processes and create solutions that help people. "
“As a project manager, I put together a team. Then I gather user requirements for what needs to be completed. I oversee the development, validation, and testing of the system. Finally, I have a hand in training the users and releasing the system. What I do is not just about technology. It’s about how it works in the world,” she said.
Omkar Sawardekar ’03 A consultant with IBM, Omkar Sawardekar works for the U.S. Department of Education, making sure its electronic grants system functions properly and playing an important role
in the department’s Quality Improvement Initiative. The job requires strong problem-solving and teamwork skills, which Sawardekar credits IST with teaching him.
“I apply what I learned as an IST major every day,” Sawardekar said. He works closely with different IBM teams, interacts with customers, and works directly with the system, all on a daily basis.
“IST offered me both technical and ‘soft’ skills—leadership, teamwork, and communication,” Sawardekar said. “Those are the skills IBM looked for when they hired me.”
