My University of South Florida (USF) Experience

I chose USF to complete my formal degree program in Information Technology (IT) mainly because of the “capstone” senior project experience required for the degree. I wanted a program where I could acquire hands-on experience and this internship provides valuable work experience specifically in the IT field. In addition, participation in a colloquium program is required, providing networking opportunities for students. The focus of this program is to produce marketable graduates who possess employable skills in the IT field, which lined up with my plans.

Over my college career, my learning processes took place in seated and virtual classroom settings. In either setting, my preference is the structure of a rubric for following lectures and assignments. My learning styles are visual and analytical. Group collaboration during my college experience did not compare to working in teams in my previous work experience. I found members of work teams more accountable for deliverables than fellow classmates.

USF’s BSIT degree permits a choice of five IT-related elective classes. For example, I have taken Health Information Systems, Principles of Information Security, and IT Web Design. The subject matter of these courses is distinctly different, but they each helped me to develop in different competency areas. I have learned to better communicate, be it via Power Point presentations or writing research papers. The design of the curriculum works to build competencies like critical thinking and analysis, problem solving, and IT. I have experienced the most growth in the problem-solving competency, with the majority of my core coursework residing in this area.

Area of Concentration

IT is a broad term used to describe computer hardware and its inner workings all the way to management information systems or just information systems. Information about raw data and more importantly, what to do with the data and how to present the results is what IT means to me. For this reason, I am drawn to data analytics. According to www.cio.com, 90% of the data in the world today was created in the past two years. Today we call people who make sense of this information Data Analysts.

In the future, I think the job title of Data Analyst will evolve to Data Scientist. A Data Scientist will need to know where to find data and how to evaluate it. I plan to heighten my understanding of data mining and algorithms to one day be a Data Scientist. Once I attain the needed work experience, I will obtain my SAS Analytics certification. This certification is for SAS Enterprise Miner users who perform predictive analytics.

Proficiency with writing SQL queries will round out my technical expertise. I should also know how to query large data sets using T-SQL. I already have reporting experience using Crystal Reports and Business Objects. Furthermore, I used advanced-level Excel skills as an accountant in the design and preparation of spreadsheets to explain my analysis of raw derivative trade data. I think a good Data Analyst can run analysis using Excel, Access, or SQL. My database development skills will improve with a class in database systems.

Career Goals

I worked with the analysis of sophisticated energy derivative trade data for seven years as an accountant. Now, I am formally making the transition to the IT field with the intent to specialize in health care informatics technology. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the federally mandated International Classification of Diseases (ICD) upgrade from ICD-9 to ICD-10 code set are just two initiatives making health care IT fertile ground for data analysts. Health care data analytics uses predictive analysis to detect fraud and prevent abuse and waste. It is an enormous opportunity in the reform of health information systems.

Artifacts

According to Randall S. Hansen, marketing professor and career coaching guru, the e-portfolio is an opportunity for the candidate to offer “proof” of what is on the resume. One of my artifacts is a Job Analysis Essay that I prepared in ENC3246, Communications for Engineers. This project demonstrates my ability to gather, analyze, and report data. This type of work is my strength, as I used these skills often working as an accountant.  

Another artifact is a project on web site design assigned in CEN3722, Human Computer Interface by Dr. Weitzenfeld. Web building is not my strongpoint, but I want to show that I am knowledgeable in the phychology of web design. 

e-Portfolio Construction Reflection

Creating the e-portfolio was a thought-provoking process requiring self-reflection. I learned that an educational portfolio contains work that a learner has collected, reflected, selected, and presented to show growth and change over time. While an artist’s portfolio usually reflects their best work, this e-portfolio gives me an opportunity as a learner to reflect over my pieces of work, also termed as artifacts. This permits access to varied interested parties such as instructors or potential employers.

 In fact, exploring and writing about the various competencies was a more involved process than constructing the e-portfolio using the Taskstream.com web site. I have been involved in web applications throughout my time at USF and I was very comfortable negotiating the web site. I have several more core IT courses and I plan to maintain my e-portfolio with relevant artifacts through graduation. I believe this tool will aid my job search.