What are your career goals, and how will this degree help you achieve those goals? Please could you review this essay?

[Ashah9]

After my undergraduate studies in Computer Science and more than a year’s work experience as a Software Developer with Intuit Inc., I have been able to build a strong technical foundation. However, my goal of becoming an Information Technology leader with the right business acumen and managerial drive would definitely be unachievable without pursuing my masters in Information Systems. Such an experience would not only enhance my knowledge regarding this sought -after technology but also assist me in tackling its business problems more efficiently.


Right from the onset of pursuing my engineering degree, technology and its far-reaching capabilities have amazed me. I still remember my first Database Management class; it was a real eye opener in terms of how applications interact to capture data, and how this customized information benefits the end user. Though the course gave me a brief overview of certain important database and information system concepts, it was enough to set my mind on something I knew I would love venturing into.


By the time I reached my third year of Engineering, I had taken up quite a few academic projects, most of which revolved around the use information and it’s importance on the systems I developed. Such instances led to my undertaking of courses such as Data Mining and motivated me to focus my efforts on gaining as much knowledge about this technology as possible. 


It was in my final year at college when my friend and I worked on a startup together called Binge. Our main idea was to provide instantaneous information regarding region wise deals and discounts in shops to our users. This is when I actually implemented all that I had learned, be it in developing a framework on which shops could upload their deals information, designing a database, which would store our users information or even a platform through which users could review each deal. It was a wonderful experience; helping us garner more than 2000 downloads in one month through our pilot version in the city of Mangalore. However, our design failed in that it couldn’t handle the increasing customer response and traffic. This is where I feel a comprehensive course dedicated to Information Systems Management could have helped me a great deal. Looking back I wonder, had I possessed the knowledge to analyze our business and system requirements effectively, things would have been different.


 

My industrial experience has definitely given me a great insight into how large organizations deal with the issue of creating scalable and efficient data driven systems. Our team, which works on QuickBooks Enterprise, caters to a customer base of around 1 million users alone. It is a magnificent experience developing for such a large audience. However, in this industry for me to be capable of making the right decisions which would affect the design and functioning of information systems or assist in managing crucial projects, it seems clear that a deeper understanding about these technologies and a business sense about them is a must.


My professional and academic experiences have convinced me that a Management in information Systems because of the clever way in which it is designed would do wonders for me, both in terms of gaining knowledge and contributing to the success of any business.