Business School
Career Spotlight: Information Systems
Information Systems- What is it?
As suggested in the name, information systems (IS) is the study of how systems are used to generate information. It is the examination of technology, processes, and people and how their interactions create meaningful data, and how this is used to achieve business objectives. If you’re curious about how technology is applied in the business environment and how it helps improve business processes, this major could be for you.
Interview with Jonathan Lam
Jonathan Lam, analyst at Deloitte Digital and UNSW graduate (Bachelor of Commerce/Economics), provides insight into his experience studying at UNSW and in his current work position.
The IS course equips students with the skills to analyse and enhance business activities using technology. Jonathan shares what drew him to pursue this major:
“During my time at university, I realised that thinking strategically about the customer space and applying new technologies to solve problems was what I was passionate about so I started going down the (IS) path,” he says. “I enjoyed working on case style problems where I had to think about how people acted, strategizing around this, as well as thinking about technology solutions. These interests are what directed me towards my information systems major.”
Although Jonathan began this major after completing most of his economics and finance majors, he was still able to stay on track to finishing his degree. The IS major provides students with many options and offers flexibility.
“You can be as tech focused or concept focused as you would like,” Jonathan shares. “And the flexibility in the electives was also personally convenient for me in finishing my degree on time.”
Jonathan pursued his passion for IS and gained his current position at Deloitte Digital as an analyst on the Customer Strategy and Experience Design team.
“My role is generally about advising companies on how to create competitive advantage through their customer experiences. With this I've worked in teams to help research competitors, ideate operating models and break down customer interactions with an organisation,” he explains.
In addition, Jonathan highlights the importance of being flexible and of reevaluating projects, especially when working in a dynamic environment in the technology industry. He shares: “Working in technology can be quite dynamic in the sense that you are continuously reiterating your projects... It's then important to not become attached or overcommit yourself to what you've already done.”
Finally, Jonathan offers some tips and advice for students looking to pursue this fulfilling major:
- “Get involved with societies and go on exchange if you can
- Make friends early on: many courses require group work and a bad group could mean many late nights
- Explore your career interests during uni: (IS) gives you opportunities to explore wide interests from cybersecurity to user experience. Take advantage of this.
- Use your time at uni to explore jobs that you're interested in. Not only will it help you narrow your options down but it will also be more flexible for you to switch around different part time jobs and to get used to an office environment.”
IS Major Core Courses:
INFS1602- Digital Transformation in Business
INFS1603- Intro to Business Databases
INFS2603- Business Analysis using Design Thinking
INFS2621- Enterprise Systems
INFS3603- Introduction to Business Analytics
Career Paths:
Cyber security analyst
Data analyst
Data scientist
Information systems manager
IT consultant
IT technical support officer
Penetration tester
Software analyst
Systems analyst
Professional Accreditation
Students who complete an IS major at UNSW will be accredited to the Australian Computer Society (ACS), the largest Australian ICT professional body. In addition, as ACS is signatory to the Seoul Accord (an international accreditation agreement), ACS is recognised worldwide. Thus, Australian graduates will also be able to take their career paths on a global scale. ACS also offers a professional accreditation in cyber security.
You can also check out the careers guide for more information regarding the different commerce majors!
Link to careers guide: issuu.com/unswbusinesssociety/docs/cg2020_