IT skills needed in all areas of business, panelists say

Featured Events | Apr 14, 2016 | Gabelli School of Business

Students gathered for the annual IT in Your Career presentation. (Photo by Bailey Link)

By Bailey Link, BS ’16

Nearly every career in the current job market has a technology component, so it is crucial to be fluent in the complex languages used to create programming, crunch data and perform other important tasks.

How can students enter the workforce ready to take advantage of the growth in tech-related jobs?

At last week’s Gabelli School of Business “Careers in Business IT” event, organized by the Digital Business Society, six panelists from across business sectors discussed the need to be open to learning.

“There are always people willing to teach you, especially while you’re an intern, so you should have a willingness to learn and take good notes the first time you are taught,” said George John of KPMG, who has worked on internal control testing for external investors and individuals.

According to data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics offered during the presentation, “employment growth in IS/MIS jobs will be about 50 percent greater than average job growth in other fields.”

Jonathan Powers, FCRH ’80 GABELLI MBA ’82, vice president of global operations for S&P Capital IQ and an adjunct instructor at Fordham, recalled his experience at the beginning of the tech boom. After completing his education, he worked at the New York Stock Exchange and went on to help launch the first website for JPMorgan Chase. He then worked in infrastructure services and product development at KPMG and S&P Capital IQ.

“Make sure you’re close to the business,” he told the students. “[A] balance of business and technology knowledge is important when you start working.”

In addition to George and Powers, the panelists included Alexandra Sullivan of EY, Devam Gandhi of IBM, Kristen Nowak of PwC and Jim Doyle of Deloitte. The speakers showed how business and technology are interconnected, said Yancy Carrasco, BS ’16, president of the Digital Business Society.

“All parts of a business require tech, and the panelists showed that specializing in even just one area of tech can make you an invaluable asset wherever you decide to launch your career,” Carrasco said.