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Job outlook for information systems interns in the United States
Information systems internship job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected information systems internship job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 83,100 new jobs for information systems interns are projected over the next decade.
Information systems internship salaries have increased 9% for information systems interns in the last 5 years.
There are over 26,971 information systems interns currently employed in the United States.
There are 164,783 active information systems internship job openings in the US.
The average information systems internship salary is $31,643.
Are information systems internship jobs in demand?
Information systems internship job and salary trends over time
Information systems internship jobs over time
Information systems internship job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 26,971 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 26,911 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 29,644 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 15,260 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 14,937 | 0.00% |
Average information systems internship salary over time
Information systems internship salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $31,643 | $15.21 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $30,600 | $14.71 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $29,907 | $14.38 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $29,456 | $14.16 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $28,975 | $13.93 | +1.6% |
Information systems internship jobs by state
Most common states for information systems interns
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 407 | 59% |
| 2 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 346 | 46% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 280 | 45% |
| 4 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 231 | 40% |
| 5 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 330 | 38% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 282 | 38% |
| 7 | Delaware | 961,939 | 343 | 36% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 360 | 34% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 449 | 33% |
| 10 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 301 | 29% |
| 11 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 533 | 28% |
| 12 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 482 | 28% |
| 13 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,889 | 26% |
| 14 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 803 | 26% |
| 15 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 539 | 26% |
| 16 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,051 | 25% |
| 17 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 335 | 25% |
| 18 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,363 | 24% |
| 19 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,541 | 22% |
| 20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 780 | 22% |
Most common cities for information systems interns
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus | 4 | 9% | $27,906 |
| 2 | Burlington | 1 | 4% | $30,282 |
| 3 | Ann Arbor | 2 | 2% | $26,370 |
| 4 | Hartford | 2 | 2% | $32,381 |
| 5 | Wichita | 4 | 1% | $24,480 |
| 6 | Atlanta | 3 | 1% | $25,520 |
| 7 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $30,299 |
| 8 | Boston | 2 | 0% | $30,300 |
| 9 | Sacramento | 2 | 0% | $37,673 |
| 10 | Washington | 2 | 0% | $27,098 |
| 11 | Austin | 1 | 0% | $26,851 |
| 12 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $29,787 |
| 13 | Chandler | 1 | 0% | $29,525 |
| 14 | Des Moines | 1 | 0% | $26,919 |
Information Systems Internship job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of information systems internship experts
Northwood University
Grambling State University
Albertus Magnus College
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Gannon University
University of North Carolina Greensboro
University of Oregon
Mount Saint Mary College
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Cleveland State University
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University at Albany - SUNY
George Washington University
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Rowan University
Arizona State University
SUNY at Binghamton
Siena College
DePaul University
University of Alabama at Huntsville
Troy University
Professor David Sanford
Associate Professor an Department Chair (MIS, CS, CYB MGT, IS CYB)Northwood University
Computer And Information Sciences
What general advice would you give to an Information Systems Internship?
Professor David Sanford: Workers like that they are challenged to solve problems and lead technological innovations.
They appreciate the diversity of projects
They enjoy the need for continuous improvement and education
Many see the global impact of their work.
They also desire and appreciate the need for versatile skills
A competitive salary is also an item that employees like
Workers dislike that the work can be stressful
Dealing with tight deadlines and/ or cybersecurity concerns.
This is a positive and a negative: The need to constantly stay up to date with technology can be a bit overwhelming for some.
There may be times of isolation, and
The unexpected system failures can be frustrating as they often require extra hours or the need to be on-call.
The multiple responsibilities and managing repetitive tasks are also issues workers point out in this field.
In short, the workplace offers exciting opportunities but comes with its fair share of pressures and challenges. Different people have different experiences based on their roles and personal preferences.
Yenumula Reddy
IEEE Senior Member, ACM Senior Member, IARIA FellowGrambling State University
College of Arts and Sciences
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Systems Internship job market given the pandemic?
Yenumula Reddy: The biggest trend - students do not have enough hands-on, means they get but not enough.. F2F training helps a lot. During the COVID, F2F is very difficult even though we try to provide facilities. Internships became limited and work from home and students have limited experience with industry and work with mentors and other group students in the projects as they do F2F. Sharing their information with other students is limited during COVID.
What soft skills should all Information Systems Interns possess?
Yenumula Reddy: Mini and large project implementation and work on group projects is very important. Presenting the results in the workshops, annual meetings will help to improve the students' confidence and meet other educators and share their experiences. Certification helps to get the good starting jobs.
David Garaventa
Director, Computer Information Systems and Cybersecurity Programs, Assistant Professor, CISAlbertus Magnus College
Business Administration and Management Department
What skills stand out on Information Systems Internship resumes?
David Garaventa: The skills/attributes required across a variety of jobs in the IT fields.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Systems Interns?
Derek Nazareth Ph.D.: The pandemic will have a lingering effect in several ways. The current holding pattern on hiring that characterizes many organizations will subside as organizations move towards normalcy. However, a number of practices that moved online will remain that way, due to convenience and cost, including recruitment and on-the-job training. Graduates will need to be more savvy in terms of working independently, as well as communicating and collaborating with others in remote fashion. Other practices that organizations were experimenting with pre-pandemic have become more prevalent in some cases. This includes reliance on consultants and external workers as embodied in the gig economy. That would mean more competition for graduates from outside the geographical area. On the flip side, it also offers graduates the opportunity to compete in remote markets.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Information Systems Interns?
Derek Nazareth Ph.D.: General certifications are likely to be of little value in enhancing employability. Niche certifications, on the other hand, can be quite valuable, though they need to be well established and recognized. The TS-410 for example is will get you ahead if you are looking to work with SAP (a form of ERP software). There are a number of certifications popping up in the business analytics area, though none are well established, and it is unclear what impact they will have. One area that will experience sustained demand which has recognized certifications is information security. The (ISC)2 certifications are likely more valuable than others, but they are more advanced. CompTIA Security+ would represent an entry-level certification. In terms of coursework, business analytics is very much in demand, and provides the opportunity to work in a variety of industries.
What will help Information Systems Interns increase their earning potential?
Derek Nazareth Ph.D.: Adaptability. We live in a world with constantly changing technology and evolving business practices. The traditional jobs of yore are no more. Being able to quickly acquire new skills, learn new technologies, and apply them to different contexts, will ensure sustained employability and the ability to move ahead.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Systems Interns?
Dr. Stephen Frezza Ph.D.: YES. You will see more remote work for computing graduates. Consequently, the need for more remote teamwork experience with tools and projects will become more desirable.
Apoorva Patipati Ramesh
Lecturer & Director - Graduate ProgramsUniversity of North Carolina Greensboro
Department of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Information Systems Interns?
Apoorva Patipati Ramesh: For students, courses and certificates that provide hands-on experience in skills like Tableau, Python, R, etc. can have a very positive impact on job prospects. Some of our academic graduate certificates also align very closely with industry certifications such as CISSP, CompTIA Network+ etc. These are highly valuable assets to have.
Hayden Harker
Senior Instructor, Head Undergraduate AdvisorUniversity of Oregon
Department of Mathematics
What soft skills should all Information Systems Interns possess?
Hayden Harker: For math majors, there are many jobs that specifically use mathematical techniques learned in a specific course and you don't prove theorems in jobs. However, these students need to be flexible and willing to solve many different problems even if they don't necessarily feel like a math calculation. Solid problem solving skills and logical thought process are some of the greatest assets for math majors.
How have salaries changed over time for Information Systems Interns?
Robin Rosenberg: In social sciences, the salaries have gone up marginally. This is not a field for people who want to make a fortune, but it is a great field for people who want to make a living while helping other people with the most challenging aspects of life.
Sathish Kumar Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Computer ScienceCleveland State University
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Systems Interns?
Sathish Kumar Ph.D.: I think the coronavirus pandemic has only accelerated the technology trends such as digital payment, tele health, ecommerce, telework, elearning, AI/Robotics etc., All these accelerations of the technology trends only increase the demand for the graduates especially for the graduates majoring in computer science, and information systems/technology.
I believe the concept of remote work and remote meetings is going to stay and has changed how one would be working and the new graduated or the junior professional should try to adapt or build the skills to be successful in the new work environment.
Dr. Patrick Madsen
Executive DirectorUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte
University Career Center
What's a good job out of college for Information Systems Interns?
Dr. Patrick Madsen: A "good job" is defined in many different ways and is somewhat subjective. Most people begin that conversation with "does it pay enough", but we have really seen students start to drift from salary being at the top of their list to more things like: does it connect to my strengths, does the company value what I value, do I see a "future" with the company or opportunity for growth, and the importance of work/life balance. In our line of work, we call this "Purposeful Work".
What will help Information Systems Interns increase their earning potential?
Dr. Patrick Madsen: What tends to help individuals do well in any field and increase their earning potential is to pay close attention to building a strong professional network, staying on top of the competencies/skills that the industry demands in candidates, and remembering to have a mindset of a "lifelong learner" - the future of work demands agile knowledge workers that are flexible to new situations and environments. The current pandemic is a perfect example of the need for an agile and flexible workforce.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Systems Interns?
Dr. Patrick Madsen: At this time, it is hard to know if there will be an "enduring impact" on graduates but I can say that there has been a big difference between what we saw during the "Great Recession" versus our current situation. With our current situation, I have noticed employers really making a good effort to continue their internship programs in a remote environment, create new online training opportunities for students, and new partnerships in the development of NEW internships for students. Our career center has really stepped up to the plate to show students the multitude of ways they can continue to build skills and "resume capital" aside from just traditional internships during this time and providing them the skills to "recession proof" their careers in the future.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Information Systems Interns?
Charalampos Chelmis: The interest in skilled computer scientists and engineers is still high, so well versed job seekers don't have much to worry about. Machine learning and data science related experience, software development skills and the ability to quickly adapt to new environments/technologies are be critical.
What technical skills for an Information Systems Internship stand out to employers?
Dr. Matthew Shirrell Ph.D.: I believe that technical skills are less important to employers in the field of educational leadership than are dispositions, experiences, and orientations to the work. School districts and others in the field of education are not necessarily looking for leaders with a set of particular technical skills, in my experience, beyond the obvious understanding of the nuts and bolts of school administration and some experience with instructional leadership. If the last year has shown anything, it is that the entire circumstances of schooling can change very quickly and unexpectedly. Potential leaders who have shown the ability and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances, whatever they may be, will be particularly valued, I think, by the job market in years to come. In addition, leaders' backgrounds, training, and understanding of the areas I previously described- technology; cultural, racial, linguistic, and socioeconomic diversity; and children's socio-emotional development - will all be valued by employers in the field.
How have salaries changed over time for Information Systems Interns?
Dr. Matthew Shirrell Ph.D.: Salaries have remained relatively constant, in general, compared to other lines of work. Educational leaders can expect to be well-paid, but they should also not go into educational leadership expecting to get rich. Educational leaders often work long hours, and are often expected to be on call at all hours of the day, including weekends. Relative to the amount of work that educational leaders engage in, and the challenges that educational leaders face, the compensation is not extraordinary. But educational leaders are rewarded in other ways, particularly by the influence their work can have on children and families.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Systems Internship job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Matthew Shirrell Ph.D.: The market for educational leaders will remain strong, overall, but the skills that are valued by the job market may shift to some extent. I think that, given the pandemic and other events of the past year, there will be several areas in which job seekers in the field of educational leadership will be in particular demand. First, the past year has seen deep disruptions to schooling, and educational leaders have had to adapt and improvise to meet changing demands. One area in which this has taken place has been in educational leaders' work to ensure equitable and efficient access to online learning for all students and families. I believe that educational leaders with strong backgrounds, training, and understanding of educational technology will be particularly valued in the job market in coming years. Given the events of the past year, there will also continue to be a particular focus on diversity in the field. This will involve recruiting and retaining more diverse leaders, but also an increased attention to leaders' training around issues of diversity. I believe that job seekers who have strong training that has prepared them to work with and support an increasingly diverse student population will have an advantage in the job market. Finally, the trauma that the pandemic has inflicted on many children and families will make the job of educational leaders particularly important in the coming years. I believe that prospective leaders who understand socio-emotional development, and how schools can support the socio-emotional health of students and families, will also be well-positioned in the job market in the years to come.
What technical skills for an Information Systems Internship stand out to employers?
John Talburt Ph.D.: While employers like to see technical skills like Python and machine learning, they also value experience in more people-oriented and team skills like courses in change management, project management, data governance, and data quality management. These are areas where the technology problems are easier to solve than the cultural change issues.
How have salaries changed over time for Information Systems Interns?
John Talburt Ph.D.: I see salaries continuing to rise for data skills, especially data science roles. Data science salaries are now on par with and sometimes more than salaires for programming and software development roles. Companies are beginning to value people who can build end-to-end solutions from customer requirements rather than those graduates highly trained in just one particular technology.
These are the major trends I see from the perspective of our programs.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Systems Internship job market given the pandemic?
John Talburt Ph.D.: I see demand for data skills rising significantly. Due to their training, most of our graduates are being hired for data roles including data governance, data quality, data analytics, master data management, and data science. From the supply side, the pandemic has significantly reduced the number of international students coming into our program. However, this has been more than compensated by the increase in domestic working professionals enrolling in our online graduate programs. It appears that data professionals working online from home see this as an opportunity to also enroll in online graduate programs to upgrade their degree credentials.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Systems Interns?
Patricia Coughlan: Human communication has experienced a paradigm shift due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Overly reliant "face to face" communication has shifted to embrace, even reluctantly, tech mediated communication. Yes, before the pandemic some of society was comfortable with emails and mobile phone use, while youthful society was more active on smartphones and social media, but now most everyone is experimenting and getting better at virtual communication. When the Oxford English Dictionary announced that it was not choosing one "Word of the Year" in 2020 but instead listed a series of words that reflect major societal change, it was not surprising to find many words related to workplace communication.
Words including unmute, remote, remotely, were up from previous years' usage by 300% or more (Collins, 2020). Plus, new words were coined and quickly became common place; Have you Zoomed? Were you Zoombombed? Clearly the popularity of workplace communication in our everyday speech shows that attitudes towards tech mediated communication has changed. The hesitance of both employers and jobseekers towards tech-mediated communication is no more. The barriers to using online professional resources or hosting/attending virtual events has diminished and is altering our notion of workspace and carbon footprints. Employers and jobseekers are seeing the potential benefits for maintaining brand relevance, posting timely information, and career networking. A new willingness to use tech is improving site navigation and personal online savviness. Competition in the workplace is now driven by deliberate acts of communication. Jobseekers are more conscious in the information they post.
Employers vet their job postings for accuracy and expectations to entice the most competitive of candidates. The ability at all hours of the day to seek jobs and hire employees from diverse global locations and times zones creates a cosmopolitan workforce. At the minimum, a best of all worlds approach that integrates tech-mediated platforms with "in person" components may exist after COVID-19 distancing restrictions are lifted. Future job opportunities will be better served through tech mediated communication platforms.
Collins, Barry. (2020). Zoom zings into the oxford dictionary words of the year. Forbes. Retrieved February 17, 2021, from forbes.com/sites/barrycollins/2020/11/23/zoom-zings-into-the-oxford-dictionary-words-of-the-year/?sh=5e8b0d78a465
What's a good job out of college for Information Systems Interns?
Patricia Coughlan: Communication majors are posed for success in the current job market. The nature of the discipline focuses on understanding and executing effective messaging to diverse audiences, in varied contexts, and communication modes (traditional such as writing and new tech platforms such as social media). The ability to understand verbal, non-verbal and written communication positions a Communication major as ready to impact the needs of employers and their clientele in a variety of fields. Because of the broad nature of a Communication Studies degree, graduates have greater flexibility for their career paths and ultimately their earning potential. Typically, Communication majors have the ability to complete courses in strategic, interpersonal, organizational, political, business, health, leadership, small group, family, and intercultural communication. Having a large swath of these courses broadens a student's portfolio.
Moreover, Communication majors are trained to consider ethical issues, rhetorical arguments, diversity, the power of persuasion, social influence, and to conduct research. In today's climate their strengths in mass media and digital communities are in demand. Communication graduates are easily employed as assistants and leaders in Public Relations, Human Resources, Advertising, Politics, Marketing, Event Planning, Social Media, Healthcare, Jurisprudence, plus more. It is impossible to think of a field that does not have the need for effective communication. My advice to my students on how to increase their earning potential begins early when they are freshman - recognize that every company and person has a need to effectively tell their story and your major suits you to help them do just that!
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Systems Internship job market given the pandemic?
Patricia Coughlan: Without doubt the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting both professional and personal communication. For nearly a year, we have been sitting behind screens. And despite tense shoulders, eye fatigue, and tech-neck (that is a real thing), the challenging screen time has taught us how valuable it is to possess good communication skills and the need to improve our communicative actions. Now more than ever, my students are realizing that the underlying assumptions of interpersonal communication that you cannot not communicate - "Hey, what's that going on in your background" and that communication is an interdependent process - "Why haven't you answered my email" are true!
Good communication relies on creating structure to our messages and to ensuring open channels to initiate and maintain relationships. Good communication requires time and acts of deliberation.
As I teach a course specifically designed for graduating college seniors who are transitioning to the workplace, I stress these assumptions. The impact of the pandemic is measurable. No longer can soon-to-be graduates attend "face to face" career fairs or interviews. A new dependence on online "mediated" platforms has emerged. Beyond what people think, creating a strong, effective, professional, yet personal, online persona takes lots of time, requires clear structure, real effort, and frequent upkeep. In the past students would focus on creating a strong resume based upon current professional resume trends, signing up to attend a career fair, and deciding what to wear on the day of the event to ensure professional appearance. Now students still need the polished, structured resume and professional look, but they also need to search for online events to attend, and spend numerous hours creating a grammatically correct, visually appealing, and professional online presence. They need to professionally dress for a remote interview, make sure that their background is professional looking, test their technology, and log on in advance. Finding the right platform is a challenge too. Do they use Zippia, LinkedIn, Indeed, another career site, or numerous sites? So, this spring while filling out forms to graduate and completing their studies, all students - regardless of major - have to be actively engaged in "online self-branding."
Hemanth Kumar Demakethepalli Venkateswara Ph.D.
Assistant Research ProfessorArizona State University
School of Computing Informatics
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Systems Interns?
Hemanth Kumar Demakethepalli Venkateswara Ph.D.: The current batch of students graduating this year have all been equally affected by the pandemic. Newly graduated students are all facing the same challenge - the downturn in the economy which will affect the entire job market. As always, if the graduate is able to stand out from the crowd, they will have a better chance at landing a good job. The converse is also true - a poor job market will make it difficult for more graduates to find good jobs. The trick as always is to be better prepared. However, this situation will not last forever. The end of the pandemic will revive the chances of landing a good job. So, graduates should not despair if they do not get a good job in these times. They must be prepared to invest more effort towards improving their chances by taking up more courses and earning new certifications.
There is no doubt the pandemic is a defining moment in this century. It has set the marker for a 'Before Covid' and 'After Covid' timeline. However, with successful vaccination, we will soon see the end of the pandemic and get back to living how we did before the pandemic. Nonetheless, the pandemic has demonstrated the possibilities and opportunities in online learning. In the post-pandemic era, educational institutions and online learning platforms will take advantage of the promise in online learning. There will be an increase in demand for online learning leading to more affordable college education. We will reach a new equilibrium in the percentage of online to in-person curriculum. Students will benefit by having the opportunity to attend classes remotely. The benefits of online learning will outweigh the challenges. With improvements in technology and standardization of online pedagogy, online learning will be of great benefit to the institutions, faculty and the students. In this way the pandemic will have an enduring impact on the lives of graduates.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Information Systems Interns?
Hemanth Kumar Demakethepalli Venkateswara Ph.D.: There has been increasing interest in data science with the rise of AI related technology. This has led to most students opting for data science and AI-related specializations. This trend will continue for the foreseeable future. It is therefore a great time to invest in AI-related courses and certifications. However, students need to have expertise in one or more core computer science specializations like programming, databases, distributed systems, systems software, networks, full-stack development, etc. This will enable them to take advantage of the boom in AI. An AI-related certification on top of core computer science specialization is a great recipe for good job prospects.
What will help Information Systems Interns increase their earning potential?
Hemanth Kumar Demakethepalli Venkateswara Ph.D.: Technology is always rapidly changing. A tried and tested approach to improve professionally is by updating oneself through a process of life-long learning. For example, in the AI field, a researcher updates themselves by attending top-tier AI conferences, reading the latest publications from top-tier conferences, re-implementing the results published in a paper, testing out new libraries that are published, and attempting to generate new ideas. A similar approach can be applied to other areas as well.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Systems Interns?
Alexey Kolmogorov Ph.D.: I can say that we have received about 25% more PhD applications this year. It could be because there are fewer non-academic jobs available at the moment or because our department continues to grow. Unfortunately, several admitted international students could not enter the country and have had to defer the start of their graduate study.
What's a day at work look like for an Information Systems Internship?
Alexey Kolmogorov Ph.D.: I have been in touch with a few BU graduates who joined strong PhD programs last summer. Their experience is consistent with what we see in our department: experimental groups have been indeed affected by lab access regulations but theoretical/computational groups have adapted to the remote work quite naturally.
What will help Information Systems Interns increase their earning potential?
Alexey Kolmogorov Ph.D.: I think the biggest impact on the academic research has been the lack of in-person conferences. Online conferences are useful but they are missing a traditionally important element for the development of young researchers, which is students' informal interaction and networking outside of presentation rooms.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Systems Internship job market given the pandemic?
Jami Cotler Ph.D.: In the past I've known of tech shops offering work hour flexibility often with required face-to-face team meetings. I think the pandemic has shown across many industries that work can be distributed while maintaining a high level of efficiency and effectiveness. I think we will see more employees in the tech industry having more work from home options post pandemic.
I think the need for tech has also been both recognized and has increased as we have had to rely on it to track and report pandemic data. I think there has also been a great awareness of tech tools such as web conferencing tools such as zoom that have now become commonplace tools for everyone to use. Online delivery services have also experienced greater demand, which increases the demand for tech professionals to work in these areas as well. As I tell my students, it is a really good time to be in this industry.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Information Systems Interns?
Jami Cotler Ph.D.: At Siena we have started to encourage students to get AWS certified. We had a long break and many students took advantage of it to get their certification. We are strongly considering making it a requirement for future cohorts. Having an understanding of cloud computing is important and demonstrating this knowledge in the form of a recognized certification has offered a really nice impact and competitive advantage for our students. Another area of certification is in security. Many of our students earned security certifications over the break as well.
How have salaries changed over time for Information Systems Interns?
Jami Cotler Ph.D.: Overtime, I have seen that the competition to hire our students has increased and with this the salaries have also increased. When I first started teaching, some students had a difficult time finding a job after graduating. Now I'm finding that close to 94% of our graduates either have jobs or are enrolled in graduate school when they graduate. Another trend I'm seeing is more students pursuing their PhD directly from undergraduate school rather than going for their master's degree first. The salaries are very competitive for our graduates and companies are offering additional incentives such as free food, longer time off, etc. to find and keep talented students.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Systems Interns?
Jacob Furst: Unlikely. While a significant phenomenon culturally, the pandemic has affected technology significantly less.
What's a good job out of college for Information Systems Interns?
Jacob Furst: Any job that allows you to explore the limits of your knowledge and capacity, that you enjoy, and that pays the bills. If it occasionally makes you uncomfortable, even better. There is no "good job" without the context of the person working the job. Find a fit.
What will help Information Systems Interns increase their earning potential?
Jacob Furst: Anything you do in your work that goes beyond expectations will provide benefit later on. Extra education, certifications, volunteering for tough assignments, getting to know you coworkers better, creating a fun and interesting workplace for you and peers. Again, no magic. Always be looking for ways to be better.
Dr. Ravi Patnayakuni
Associate chairUniversity of Alabama at Huntsville
Information Systems Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Systems Interns?
Dr. Ravi Patnayakuni: Most definitely, in my opinion. There are going to be lasting effects which many have characterized as 'acceleration' of change and 'dispersion' of how work is performed. In the short term, I expect it will be harder for graduates to find employment as hiring adjusts to the new landscape of remote hiring and remote work. For the long term, both the nature of work and sectors of job growth will change.
What's a good job out of college for Information Systems Interns?
Dr. Ravi Patnayakuni: That is a very individual choice. However, areas that will be seeing growth are areas that are ripe for disruption. Energy is one of them, where we will see growth in renewables. Similarly, delivery of health and healthcare as we watch Amazon and Wal Mart take initial steps into the industry. The pandemic has demonstrated the feasibility of telemedicine and this is one of the trends we will see accelerating. Information Technology continues to be the engine that is accelerating many of these changes. With Information Technology comes data which is the new oil and harnessing that will continue to see growth in the form of Analytics, Data Science and Cloud Computing.
What will help Information Systems Interns increase their earning potential?
Dr. Ravi Patnayakuni: Being agile and life-long learners. Having good communication skills. Taking initiative and demonstrating potential to be leaders.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Systems Interns?
Lauren Cole: We are currently seeing a trend of full-time employment at graduation falling an average of 10% over the last year, primarily due to the global pandemic. Though this may mean greater underemployment for a time and a longer wait for graduates to enter the workforce, thankfully the decrease was not quite as bad as first imagined. We do still have employers recruiting our students for internships and jobs, though the style in which they meet with students is now fully virtual. Since employers are now connecting with our students online, this has allowed for a greater variety of employers to be represented from a variety of locations outside of driving distance to campus. I believe the switch to virtual recruiting will be a lasting change in employer recruiting.
What's a good job out of college for Information Systems Interns?
Lauren Cole: Since your article is focusing on the area of communication, I searched our First Destination Survey data to give you a sense of the type of jobs our communication graduates are pursuing because defining a good job is very specific to the individual based on their personality, skills, values and interests coupled with job market data. A popular industry for our communication graduates is the non-profit sector such as a student who took a job recently with the Equal Justice Initiative and another with a religious institution as a youth pastor. Journalism, Media and Publishing companies also rank high on our list of employers for these graduates. Since communication studies equips students with a broad skill set, several of our graduates went to work for private and public industries as well, ranging from insurance sales to staffing agencies and jobs in management and logistics.
What will help Information Systems Interns increase their earning potential?
Lauren Cole: New graduates will have a stronger resume, allowing them to negotiate for greater earning potential, the more experience they come out of college with. An internship, for example, is one way students can both solidify their industry of choice due to on-the-ground exposure, while also fortifying their resume, showing employers they have real-world experience. If approved by an advisor, our communication students have the option of receiving academic credit for internships, providing the job meets the learning outcomes required by their program. Other opportunities may include a part time job within their field of interest or simply shadowing or discussing the daily activities of a professional in the student's desired job sector.