ba3264059d9f4a3ebcbabedd6e5a9fd5

MISA Almuni Spotlight -Ali Nour

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 06:08:08 GMT

Happy November MISA Alumni!
Hope you all are having a great week!

Since our members are always striving for personal and professional growth, we asked one of our MISA alumni, Ali Nour, about any extra projects or skills he worked on to improve professionally.

Here’s what Ali had to say:

�� Having a growth mindset is essential to me; I follow two principles regarding personal and professional growth, "Continuous Learning - learning does not stop after college" and "The Marathon Continues."

�� Extracurricular projects will help you learn more quicker by turning theoretical concepts into practical knowledge.

For example, working on a simple data visualization project on Tableau or utilizing business knowledge in MISA’s consulting program. One of Ali’s favorite recent projects was consolidating marketing services for a small business into an easy-to-use Saas application.

�� Certify in skills you would like to gain to become a subject matter expert.

Take additional training to help leverage your knowledge and skills.

Use your Summer and Winter wisely by upgrading your skills by using these platforms:

LinkedIn Learning (free for SJSU students)

Udemy

Coursera

Juniper Training

Google Analytics Certifications (Grow with Google)

Another project Ali worked on this year that has helped him grow professionally is when he began working on a peer-to-peer community-based lending platform that has allowed him to manage an overseas DevOps team that builds the fintech application. This project is primarily responsible for passing his Certified Scrum Master certification. Way to go Ali!

Ali’s takeaway was to put effort into projects and certifications that you’re interested in as it is the best way to help you to grow personally and professionally. Thank you so much for providing us with these amazing tips and for encouraging us to continue striving for success

✏️ Please comment with your favorite tip and any project ideas you have!

MISA Almuni Spotlight - Vansh Gupta

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 06:08:05 GMT

Happy Halloween MISA Alumni!
Hope you all are having a great week! ��

Happy Halloween MISA Alumni! Hope you all are having a great week! ��

Our third MISA Alumni Spotlight of the month is Vansh Gupta who graduated from SJSU in May 2022. Vansh currently works as a Customer Growth Executive at Crown Worldwide Group.

Upper-division courses can seem difficult, but it is important to be proactive in your classes to succeed academically and professionally. Use these tips from Vansh Gupta, a former MISA alum to make the most of your university courses.

Take hard courses! I believe the hardest courses are the most impactful in the SJSU MIS program. Bear with me on this one.

BUS 119B and BUS119A/H tend to be work-intensive but they prepare you well for the real world. Since there is no set rubric and the classes are mostly project-based, it sets you up for what the corporate world actually looks like.

Key pillars of success in major SJSU MIS courses:

��Business presentations

�� Reports

�� Critical feedback

�� Being comfortable with the unknown

I would say to make the most of these classes it is important to retain the information and actively apply it in your daily projects and work.

Following along in class, grasping key concepts, and applying the learning in real work will help one realize results and be thankful for the education they receive in these courses.

MISA Almuni Spotlight - Christopher James Manalili

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 06:08:03 GMT

Happy Monday MISA Alumni!
Hope you all are having a great week!

Our second MISA Alumni Spotlight of the month is Christopher James Manalili who was the previous VP of Corporate Relations at MISA. James currently works at EY as a Technology Consultant.

Recruiting season can be a stressful time but it is important to be strategic about landing and preparing for the interview. Use these tips from Christopher James Manalili, former MISA alum to plan out this recruiting season. Good luck!

Here’s a summary of the tips that James has provided:

Landing the interview:

�� Cater your resume separately for each role.

When applying, use keywords in the job description to demonstrate your interest.

�� Apply to specific roles.

During the application process, make sure to choose jobs that you are excited about!

�� Attend recruiting events and network!

Use your school organizations (like MISA!) to see what companies are holding information sessions or events.

The Interview:

�� Do your research!

Take the time to research the company and the role you are interviewing for. Check their core values, mission statements, and the type of skills required for the role.

⭐️ Use the STAR method. Situation, Task, Action, Result.

❓ Prepare questions to ask the interviewer.

Remember that you are also interviewing them. Ask relevant questions about the role that you are genuinely curious about.

Comment what your favorite interview tip was!

Check out the wonderful article that James has written:

https://lnkd.in/g3nYzWmb

MISA Alumni Spotlight - Kishu Bhatnagar

Wed, 04 May 2022 02:48:47 GMT

It is always interesting to hear how our MISA alumni have given us plenty of advice over the years, whether it be from a simple coffee chat to meeting them virtually or in-person through a MISA networking event. This month’s alumni article will talk about Kishu Bhatnagar, who was one of MISA’s former officers who served on the E-board from 2020-to 2021 as the VP of External Affairs. Kishu currently works for VISA as an IT Service Manager and has multiple experiences taking on various internship roles that span from business analysis, project management, data analysis, and technical product support from companies like BlackBerry, NASA, and PwC.

Alan: As a recent MIS graduate, do you have any plans for the next five years?

Kishu: I want to continue my studies right after obtaining a degree in Business MIS. Ever since working at VISA, I already have a goal in mind on where I want to go in my career, which is pursuing an MBA at SJSU or any university around the Bay Area.

Alan: Can you tell us what it’s like working at VISA and also explain the culture?

Kishu: When I started working for VISA right after my graduation last year, I would describe my time working at the company as an absolute pleasure. VISA has exemplified what its culture is by focusing on work-life balance, collaboration, and innovation. Everyone I have interacted with on my team and my fellow colleagues, in general, have expressed how they have enjoyed working for the company.

Alan: What are you looking forward to in the future of the IT field?

Kishu: The IT field is constantly evolving, and it’s no surprise that things are changing rapidly. There’s a lot already going on within the technology field as we see new technologies and processes being introduced each and every day. The one I’m looking forward to the most is the continued emergence of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, blockchain, and especially the most important part of the next digital revolution: the Metaverse.

Sagar: What is your role in Visa and what do you enjoy the most about Visa?

Kishu: Visa has been a wonderful company to work for so far. Currently, I am an IT Service Manager in Visa’s Corporate IT organization. My role is to support the success of our technology and business partners and ensure that they’re able to maximize the value of IT. What I enjoy most about Visa is having the ability to choose and work in specific areas that interests me most. This gives me the flexibility to learn and master new technologies and job roles. I believe that other companies should also allow their employees to have such flexibility.

Sagar: How does Visa stand out to you when compared to other companies?

Kishu: Visa stands out compared to other companies because of the impact it’s already had and will continue to have in people’s lives. Being the leading global payments technology company and having VisaNet connecting millions of people over 200+ countries/territories, Visa is the best way to pay and get paid for all. Money is evolving daily and the way we spend is also changing with digital currencies becoming increasingly popular. Visa needed to adapt and did so with a crypto-linked card that hit $2.5B in the first quarter of usage this year. The potential is endless and the past proves that Visa will continue to find ways to lead in the payment technology space.

Sagar: What are some benefits that Visa provides to their employees?

Kishu: Aside from the great health, savings/retirement, and time-off benefits, Visa also focuses on overall well-being and giving back to the community. Employees can sign up for guided mindfulness sessions, 1:1 wellness coaching, & therapy sessions. Visa also provides employees with time off to volunteer and receive up to $10k in matching dollars for contributions to charity. For example, Visa’s Austin Campus provides onsite fitness centers, gaming /resting lounges, and great food!

Sagar: Are you a part of any programs that Visa provides?

Kishu: Visa provides plenty of programs for its employees to grow key skills and become stronger leaders. So far while working for Visa, I’ve taken the initiative of being part of Visa’s Young Professional Network. I have also represented Visa University Recruiting at the 2022 Center & Internship Fairs at UC Berkeley, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, and more.

Summary:

Having Kishu to be interviewed for this month’s alumni spotlight was truly a privilege to have, especially as a former MISA E-Board officer. Kishu provides his first-hand experience of knowing what it’s like to work in the MIS field by offering a glimpse of what will happen in the next five years. Overall, Kishu enjoys working for Visa and he strongly suggests to members to never be afraid of taking on new challenges or roles in college, as this can benefit one’s future job position.

This article was brought to you by Alan Nguyen and Sagar Kumar, members of the SJSU Alumni Committee.

Alumni Committee

MISA Alumni Spotlight - Brendan

Wed, 04 May 2022 02:36:24 GMT

One of the most common questions members ask in meetings is “How do you make your resume stand out?” While having a lot of internship and project experience may be one of the ways to make your resume stand out to companies, alumni Brendan O’Donoghue says that if you plan your classes right at SJSU, you just may have all of the experience you need to succeed in finding an internship or job at your dream company.

Jennifer: Can you tell us more about your role at ThreatMatrix?

Brendan: “So I actually just got promoted to my role recently and it’s been pretty good. For my role, I lead a team with Scrum and we basically monitor our production team and how they’re doing. When the team runs into any problems, we get called in to help them solve their problems.”

Jaspreet: How do you feel SJSU has prepared you for your role?

Brendan: “Honestly, I thought that all of the business and general education classes were very helpful for my job. But one class that I really wished I paid attention to was BUS4 111 (Networking and Data Communications). No one in my class took it seriously, I didn’t even take it seriously, but that class pretty much covers how networks are put together, network ranges, IP addresses, and these were all things that came up in my job a lot. If I just paid more attention to that class, I wouldn’t be asking so many simple questions.”

“…one class that I really wished I paid attention to was BUS4 111…”

Jennifer: Since you brought up classes, what are some other classes that proved really helpful in your career?

Brendan: “For members looking at an entry level role or internships, I’d say to really pay attention to the basic MIS courses since you’ll refer to what you learned from there a lot. Any classes that are technology-based are also good if you’re looking to work with smaller companies. The best class other than the networking one I talked about is Professor Sessions’ capstone project (BUS4 119B). It’s a hard class, but it really teaches you how to break down larger projects that you’ll see a lot in this field.”

“…really pay attention to the basic MIS courses since you’ll refer to what you learned from there a lot…”

Jaspreet: What are some projects that you suggest students should highlight on their resumes?

Brendan: “So first off, I’d say that any project that you do for a class should be highlighted on your resume since a lot of classes have really good projects. If you took the Big Data class (BUS4 118D), definitely highlight it! Even if you didn’t exactly write the code, just say you participated in it. It’s honestly fine to express uncertainty because it shows that you’re willing to be honest about your skills.”

“…any project that you do for a class should be highlighted on your resume…”

Jennifer: One last thing, how can students get themselves referred to a company?

Brendan: “I’d say just don’t be afraid to do some cold calling. Some of the things I did was that I messaged someone at Twitch and asked them what they were doing in their role. I also wanted to talk to someone about their experience in Microsoft, and asked my brother to connect me with him; we ended up chatting for 30 minutes about what he does. I’d say just definitely put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to ask other people what their jobs are like. You never know what’ll come out of it!”

“…just don’t be afraid to do some cold calling…”

Summary:

As members prepare to apply for their dream companies, they may feel nervous about their resume because they might not have enough experience for the job. However, Brendan’s journey through SJSU shows that the classes you take now will have an impact on your career, whether you realize it or not. Furthermore, Brendan encourages members to really highlight their class projects on their resumes. Even though these projects may have been done for a grade, they are still valuable experiences that demonstrate your knowledge of business and technology.

This article was brought to you by Jennifer Gili and Jaspreet Kaur, members of the SJSU Alumni Committee.

MISA Alumni Spotlight - Nhat Trinh

Wed, 04 May 2022 02:29:12 GMT

Alumni Spotlight

Nhat Trinh

Did you know that working as a software engineer falls under the Management Information Systems field? MIS is a very broad field that ranges from the non-technical side, such as project management, to the technical side, such as software engineering. That was the case for Nhat Trinh, who graduated from SJSU in 2019 with a Bachelors in Software Engineering. He is working full-time as a Software Engineer at Cisco. Although Nhat did not major in Business Management Information Systems, he shares many similarities in the soft and hard skills MIS professionals need for a successful career.

When Nhat transferred from Mission College to SJSU, he was always fascinated by what it was like working at a tech company in the Bay Area. Nhat continues to build his experience working as an intern for a startup company called Stealth Mode and Affine Finance while being a club officer for Hoplite SJSU. His professional experience allows him to secure a position at the company he enjoys working on a daily basis.

Alan: Can you tell us what it is like working at Cisco?

Nhat: “I have to say, working at Cisco is an amazing place to work for, especially within Silicon Valley. The people there are accommodating, and they’re always ready for feedback to make improvements to help serve customers better. I usually work with a team of eight to nine people, and everything is fast-paced, but my projects do not have harsh deadlines. We cater to various customers, ranging from small, medium, and large companies. Cisco is also very generous in offering time off or holiday breaks for their employees because they understand the importance of our mental health and well-being. At Cisco, I explored different kinds of business activities, work culture, and. Accepting this position allowed me to explore my career options and work with different clients. Overall, I really enjoy working for the company, and I have high expectations for Cisco to have a bright future!”

“People are very helpful and they’re always ready for feedback to make improvements”

Sagar: What is your opinion on the hybrid/online or in-person workspace? Do you think companies should place more emphasis on that work environment or the traditional in-person work setting?

Nhat: “I prefer the online workspace instead of going in person for work. This is simply because working from home helps reduce the spread of COVID in the company offices, which ensures every employee’s safety. Working from home can save the time spent on commuting. The time spent on commuting can now be used to focus on work or doing outside activities to destress from stressful conditions. A hybrid workspace is also a good option because there’s a lot of flexibility to go to the office. Working in person a few days throughout the week can help boost productivity and remove any feeling of laziness because of the online workspace. For some topics, it’s important to have in-person meetings. Companies should aim to create more possibilities for long term online or hybrid workspaces because a lot of the work, especially for engineers, can be done online, and communication is not a problem.”

“Working from home helps reduce the spread of COVID in the company offices”

Alan: What was the hardest part of working as a software engineer?

Nhat: “The hardest part of working as a software engineer was being able to think quickly on your feet to optimize a solution. You are always working in a very fast-paced environment, so it is no surprise everything you do is on a set deadline and tight work schedule.

“Easy solutions can turn into hard ones depending on your projects”

Easy solutions can turn into hard ones depending on your projects. Your work will affect customer users or your very own team. An example is working for a small app development for your team versus implementing an app with thousands of users, fellow employees, or customers. One little mistake can be costly for our stakeholders, so it is essential to consider our decisions when taking on a project assignment. You would need to have a strong background in hard skills with programming languages and the necessary soft skills.”

Sagar: What is it about Cisco that stands out to you from other companies in the same field?

Nhat: “Cisco stands out to me because it cares more about their employees than other companies in the same field do. Working at Cisco has shown me that this company is very engaging towards its employees. The culture is extremely positive, making employees feel proud to work and work harder. One of the best reasons why Cisco stands out to me is because it emphasizes work-life balance and how to manage this concept. For example, there will always be a calming sight on tasks, and there will be no panic if there are any issues. Cisco works towards giving their employees a reminder of the importance of work-life balance, which ultimately strengthens the employee & company relationship. Lastly, Cisco also gives many more days off work than other companies do. In general, there’s a lot more flexibility in Cisco than in other companies. ”

“Cisco emphasizes the importance of work-life balance for an employee”

Summary:

The beauty of working in MIS is a field full of opportunities for anyone to choose from, whether you want to pursue the field’s technical or non-technical side. Nhat was able to take full advantage of developing a solid background experience when working as a club officer at Hoplite SJSU and as an intern for a startup, which ultimately allowed him to land the job at Cisco.

This article was brought to you by Alan Nguyen and Sagar Kumar, members of the SJSU Alumni Committee.

Alumni Committee

MISA Future Alumni Spotlight: Jorge Pineda

Wed, 04 May 2022 02:02:35 GMT

An upcoming graduating senior: Jorge Pineda

Picture this: You’re an MIS student at SJSU, but you don’t have a clue on where to start, let alone navigate through your career path. It can be daunting at first to understand how to utilize the necessary skills to gain some new experience that would land you an internship or full-time job position.

My colleague and I took the opportunity to sit down with one of our own MISA members and graduating senior for this fall semester Jorge Pineda. Jorge has a strong passion for the technical side of MIS, specifically he enjoys learning about cybersecurity.

Outside of class, Jorge is currently working as a sales professional at a car dealer in San Jose, while previously working as an intern for Year Up. Upon graduation, Jorge hopes to land a job in the tech industry in the near future as an IT Manager, Quality Assurance Engineer, Business Analyst, or role that is related to cybersecurity. As an active member in MISA and LBSA (Latino Business Student Association), Jorge stresses how important it is for students to plan ahead accordingly on their time at college.

Alan Nguyen: “How can MISA members understand the importance of networking?”

Jorge Pineda: “I will give you an analogy on how important it is to network with people. Networking is like your credit score: you have to discipline yourself by reaching out to as many individuals as you can without going desperate. In today’s world, it’s who you know and who you can make connections with. Many clubs on campus like LBSA and MISA also do networking events and even taking the time to visit the career center can be effective in meeting new people, specifically the college recruiters. The MISA officers I’ve met throughout my time at SJSU will always give you a helping hand, especially when you don’t know where to start. It goes back to the credit score analogy by discipline to put yourself out there. By networking with the people around you, you will be able to find the position you’re passionate about in a specific job role or company you want to work for.”

“Networking is like a credit score.”

Alan Nguyen: “Is it a good idea for students to apply to a job/internship position even though they don’t have the necessary skills & what should they do about it?”

Jorge Pineda: “Yes, it’s always a good idea to apply for job roles that do require the necessary skills, but there is a catch to it. It’s true that some of my fellow students weren’t able to find an internship or full-time job role because of the fact that everything is competitive in the job market. I believe that students shouldn’t just focus on classes alone: they should always go above and beyond to take up leadership roles, case competitions, externships, certifications, and even Linkedin Learning. These are important skills to add to your resume, and it shows that you’ve acquired the necessary skills for the job position you’ve been wanting to apply for. I was fortunate to take MISA’s Externship Program over the summer to build new skills in project management and to tackle a business case solution. So it all comes down to taking the initiative to learn the new skills on your own and be able to present it once you land that interview. ”

“It all comes down to taking the initiative to learn new skills.”

Alan Nguyen: “What are some of the steps that will guarantee you to land an interview & a job offer?”

Jorge Pineda: “Landing that interview for the role you wanted can be difficult if you don’t know what to do. It goes back to the importance of networking and getting a referral from a friend or family member. You need to tweak your resume to match what the job position requires since you could be applying for a cybersecurity or project management role and they’re all different in terms of qualifications. You should also take the team to learn about the company beforehand such as the company’s work culture, their mission statement, and how that aligns with your career goals. When you finally get to the interview, you need to articulate your key strengths and weaknesses and find your core competencies. Practicing is key because more repetition during a mock interview can help you prepare for what is coming in a real interview. Bring up some of the new skills you’ve learned like class projects, certifications, leadership roles, etc.”

“Practicing is key!”

Sagar Kumar : “What is the biggest advice you can give to our MIS members?”

Jorge Pineda: “I can give you three valuable pieces of advice for students who are still pursuing an MIS degree. The earlier students recognize what they want to follow in a technical or business role later in life, the more time they can prepare for future careers like project management or systems analyst. The second piece of advice is don’t compare yourself to a CS or engineer degree. They are two different things. Please don’t do a job that you are uncomfortable with even though they look similar to one another. Also, don’t be too worried about rejection! It happens to everyone in life, so you have to make the most out of it when it comes to professional development.”

“Don’t be too worried about rejection!”

Sagar Kumar : “What has been the biggest shift from you being a student in college to you now working professionally?”

Jorge Pineda : “Let me get started with this, college and professional work are somewhat intertwined and very similar. Both require similar habits and what you do in college will represent how quickly you adapt to the workplace and how well you perform. College is a blueprint for you to take responsibility into your hands and also further progress your knowledge for the future. Your performance in college and your discipline towards the consistency of your good habits play a big role in professional work. Take me for example, I’ve worked in car dealerships for the past 6 years while also handling college classes. I’ve been working hands-on for tasks and in college finding what I’m passionate about as well as managing classes. The habits you make in college will translate to the habits you will make in professional work. It’s important to always create good circles and talk about success and positive life goals to push yourself to be better. I would recommend every member to create a more professional friend circle as well as join new clubs as they are what give you a small exposure to how life is during professional work. Finally, I want to say that the professional setting made me have to pay more attention to standing up for myself and what I want as well as stepping out of my comfort zone. I would advise that each member take initiative and step out of their comfort zone as well because it is one of the core shifts from college to professional work.”

“Step out of your comfort zone!”

Summary:

One of the best things about going into an MIS field is that students can take on a wide variety of different career paths. Jorge explains it very well in that it is up to students to find what they are passionate about, whether it is going into the technical or business aspects of MIS. It is also worth mentioning that they should also reach out to anyone in MISA by networking with them to learn more on how to become a successful student and eventually an employee for a company.

This article was brought to you by Alan Nguyen and Sagar Kumar, members of the SJSU MISA Alumni Committee.

#MISA #graduation #sjsumisaalumni #MIS

MISA Alumni Spotlight - Ali Nour

Wed, 04 May 2022 01:38:23 GMT

Did you always think that everything is planned and ready to go in life? Did you think you knew exactly what to study in, what you’re good at, and what job you’re going to work at? However, when that planned future becomes present, some things tend to change. Did it change for you? It changed for Ali.

My colleague and I had the chance to sit down with SJSU alumni, Ali Nour, who is currently working at Accenture as a Business and Technology Integration Architect Senior Analyst.

Going to a college in Silicon Valley changes your perspective for technology and innovation. Someone coming from a family of doctors and expected to follow the family path can never think of switching to a whole different major. When Ali joined SJSU and started to live in the Bay Area, it switched his perspective towards his career path. Ali continues to discuss this experience at SJSU, joining Accenture, his experience at the company, the different roles he got to work as, and the expansion of his skillset till now.

Jennifer: What made you realize you had a passion for technology, and how did that lead to your position at Accenture?

Ali: “I lived in San Diego first, and I had a family background for science. All of my siblings were doctors, so I knew that I wanted to be a dentist before I went to SJSU. When I came to SJSU, riding the light rail, you realize that you’re surrounded by all these technology companies like eBay, so I began to imagine myself as an employee at one of them. Since I found chemistry to be boring, I switched to MIS and realized that being an end user is a totally different thing than understanding the role that these kinds of technologies provide. It also opened up an umbrella of opportunities and different things to explore.

“… you’re surrounded by all these technology companies like eBay….”

I began attending a lot of career fairs, and I just kept sending in resumes. I met with a lot of companies, but I ended up at Accenture because I realized that I wanted to be a business consultant. At Accenture, I was able to explore different kinds of companies, roles, and workplace cultures. Accepting this position allowed me to explore my career options, skills, and work with different types of clients. It also lets me play different roles at each project.”

Jaspreet: What are some skills you had to use at Accenture?

Ali: “I joined Accenture less than two years ago and worked on many different projects. I played a different role for each project which allowed me to expand my skill set. Some of the projects I worked on were related to Covid and capturing its metrics on businesses. In these projects, I had to put my findings in reports and pivot tables on Excel. I also had to express ideas on LucidChart. I began to make a habit out of sharing information, allowing me to improve on my communication skills with my team and upper management. I also tried to implement my Excel skills on Tableau because I knew I could make more impactful reports to present to upper management, my team, and clients.

“I began to make a habit out of sharing information…”

Thanks to these skills, I was promoted to a senior analyst role. I never stopped learning and thinking about how I can make each step of the project more productive. I was always exploring different types of tools that can be used on projects as developments of software technology occur everyday. This attitude allowed me to also shift into being a scrum master at Accenture which allowed me to organize and manage other team members and communicate their progress to upper management.”

Jennifer: Can you tell us about any exciting projects that you’re currently involved in?

Ali: “Since I have joined Accenture, some of the most exciting projects I have done are short-term contract projects. The first one was working with Silicon Valley Bank as they were overwhelmed with the amount of applications for PPP by their customers. One of the biggest challenges was that I had no financial experience or background; it was a big learning curve, but I was able to quickly learn on the job.

“…I had no financial experience or background…”

The second project I worked on was a COVID relief project that lasted for 6 weeks. I worked closely with the reporting analytics team. I knew I wanted a project where I could continuously learn. Thanks to the Big Data class I took at SJSU, I realized how powerful data is and how companies often don’t know what to do with it. Under this new project with the reporting analytics team, I was able to learn new tools such as Salesforce and other CRM tools.”

Jaspreet: Can you tell us about how Accenture celebrates diversity and inclusion in their workplace?

Ali: “Like every other company, Accenture talks a lot about diversity and culture. However, one thing that Accenture does differently from other companies is that it provides measurable and achievable goals. One example of this is making the workplace 50% women by a specific time and date. Another way Accenture celebrated diversity and inclusion was by expanding its recruiting towards a mixture of skill sets and educational backgrounds.

Summary:

MIS is a field full of opportunities for anyone who is willing to challenge themselves to keep learning. Ali takes full advantage of the broad nature of MIS by taking on many different projects while also asking himself how he can keep growing as a professional. Thanks to his enthusiasm for learning and technology, Ali is able to expand his skillset and understanding of the diverse nature of MIS.

This article was brought to you by Jaspreet Kaur and Jennifer June Gili, members of the SJSU Alumni Committee.

Alumni Spotlight: Landing a Technical Role With Jiaxian (Neo) Cai

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 02:31:48 GMT

Future Alumni Spotlight :A Spartan Blossom with Neda Amin

Mon, 17 May 2021 02:35:11 GMT

Spring is the season that symbolizes growth. It’s the time of year where we’re graced by the Sun’s bright rays, and nature’s beautiful colors. Spring is a joyous time to remind us of all of the celebrations of life. As the school year comes to a close, we celebrate the graduating Seniors of San Jose State University. It was a moment that the alumni reading this have proudly experienced. It was a time you all blossomed.

This month, we decided to spotlight a future alumna; graduating Senior Neda Amin. Neda has been a driving force at San Jose State University. Chatting with her, it was easy to see why. I found that it was her experiences at SJSU that have helped Neda bloom into who she is today.

What was your best memory as a college student at SJSU?

Neda: I would have to say joining MISA. With this organization, I’ve been able to make valuable connections that I’ll continue to keep. We’ve created an unforgettable bond, built friendships., and I’m so glad to have been part of it.

“I’ve been able to make valuable connections that I’ll continue to keep.”

Neda wanted to take advantage of the powerful connections MISA has to offer by establishing the Alumni Committee in 2020. Under her direction, the Alumni Committee was able to grow into what it is today, as the student-run Alumni Network. Having personally experienced her dedication to molding this project, I wanted to know more about how she was able to develop her leadership abilities through MISA.

What leadership traits has MISA helped you develop?

Neda: As a leader, I’m a lot stronger and more confident with myself. I’ve learned how to set my boundaries and put my foot down when it’s too much for me to handle. Working with such a dynamic team has helped me understand what I’m capable of as a leader, and I wouldn’t have been able to realize this without MISA.

“As a leader, I’m a lot stronger and more confident with myself.”

For Neda, the leadership traits she developed naturally transferred over into her work ethic. She flourished in the Gary J. Sbona Honors Program and even earned herself the distinction of President’s Scholar. With those achievements, it was obvious that academics would play a huge role in helping her with the next chapter of her life; earning her MBA.

What role has SJSU academics played in your decision to go and obtain an MBA?

Neda: SJSU has such a great MIS academic program. They introduce us to the fundamentals of the business and tech world, and that led me to want to know more. The program made me realize that there’s still so much more to learn out there!

“Academics made me realize that there’s still so much more to learn out there!”

What was the process of applying to graduate school like?

Neda: It’s like applying to college and a job. It’s like a college in the submitting an application sense, but with the exception that most programs look for a minimum of 2 years of work experience. Internships, the Honors Program, and MISA helped land me a spot in my upcoming MBA program because it still is work. It’s like applying to a job also because there is that interview process where you want to put your best foot forward, and see if you fit such the culture and environment.

“Internships, the Honors Program, and MISA helped land me a spot in my upcoming MBA program.”

What advice do you give to students aspiring to accomplish goals such as yours?

Neda: Join an organization sooner. Being involved with any organization helps you grow your connections and network that way. And also, don’t freak out! Everything will work out according to plan. Don’t compare yourself to others. Just know you’re doing your 100% best and you should be proud of that.

“Everything will work out according to plan.

…and just know you’re doing your 100% best, and you should be proud of that!”

Like Spring into Summer, we can’t wait to see the bright future Neda has ahead of her. As we all plant our own seeds and hope to watch ourselves blossom, never forget that we’re all on our own paths. As Neda, says, everything will work out according to plan!

Bests wishes and congratulations to the Spartan Class of 2021!

MISA Senior Insights

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 02:44:58 GMT

Job hunting can be stressful and difficult, and everyone has unique strategies when it comes to preparing for interviews. We spoke with MISA seniors that have been through their fair share of interviews, Neda Amin, Kush Patel and Aneet Jandir, and asked them to share their expertise on how to best prepare.

Figuring out the right approach to networking can be extremely difficult, and there is no definite structure when it comes to making a good first impression. We spoke with two MISA seniors about the networking strategies that helped them land full-time roles during a pandemic

Resumes are an essential part of the job hunting process. Before you can even get an interview, employers ask for applicant’s resumes to see who's the most qualified for the role. Qualifications aside, there are ways to make your resume stand out from the rest of the applicants. We spoke to MISA Seniors Eiman Chaudhry, Nikhil Kothavale, and Alex Belarmino and asked them to share some tips to bolster their resumes.

Time management is very important in order to effectively manage all of your tasks. Especially during finals, students have many tests, projects, and assignments that are due. We asked MISA seniors Jason B., Terri L., and Kishu Bhatnagar about their thoughts and tips on time management

Alumni Spotlight: Technical Support Pathway with Ray Chong

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 18:17:43 GMT

Management information systems (MIS) is a broad field that students may enter during their undergraduate years. MIS introduces students to both business and technology, and it is up to the students to pursue one of the many paths within the field. One of the most common paths is data analytics, but other options are less common. For example, one may become a systems engineer or a consultant. Nevertheless, it is wise to choose the career path that speaks to you and aligns with your passions.

To learn more about career opportunities in the MIS field, I reached out to Ray Chong, a former MISA Board Member who graduated as a Gary J. Sbona Honors student from SJSU in 2016. During our discussion, I learned more about the value of an MIS degree and technical support engineering.

Ray spent his undergraduate years as a MISA Vice President, teaching assistant, and honors student. He started his career during college as an Implementation Engineer at Sciforma Corporation. Ray is currently a Technical Support Engineer at Vocera Communications, a telecommunications company specializing in communication systems for mobile teams in high-stakes environments. Ray knows how difficult it is to choose a career path as an MIS major, and he provided the following information to help you determine if technical support engineering is the right path for you.

What is a Technical Support Engineer?

According to Glassdoor, a technical support engineer oversees a company’s software and hardware systems. They spend most of their time resolving technical issues that customers face, and they must have a good understanding of the software infrastructure.

“Oversees a company’s software and hardware systems.”

At Vocera Communications, Ray uses Salesforce to manage cases in the queue and contact customers to provide technical support. Many of his clients are hospital networks, so he takes his job very seriously since his actions could mean “the difference between life and death.”

“The difference between life and death.”

No matter which industry you work in, technical support engineer roles are client-facing. This type of role will often put you into difficult situations, and you must remember to always “keep your composure” to succeed in your position. Technical support engineers possess a combination of technical and people skills, and maintaining a balance between the two is critical.

“Keep your composure.”

As students prepare to graduate, consider pursuing a technical support engineer role as it is “perfect for MIS students.” The position requires both technical and business skills, and MIS programs provide just that. However, technical skill requirements will vary by industry and company. The soft skills you develop during your career are transferable, and companies often provide training for your desired role. If you are looking for a career change, research your desired role’s job qualifications to determine which skills you need to learn before applying. Once you have identified these, you may use a free online learning platform, such as Coursera or Udemy, to upskill yourself during your free time.

“Perfect for MIS students.”

Alumni Spotlight: The Big Move with Drew Mackey

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 17:02:41 GMT

Many people move away for college. Some fly far away from home while others stay near. Leaving the nest for the first time is an exciting and big decision to make as a young adult (#adulting). Students move away, settle in, and embark on their college journeys . They study hard, have a blast, then suddenly realize that they have morphed into adults, and it’s almost time for graduation. Little did they know that a daunting question would await. Going out into the real world, many people find themselves asking, “Where do I go from here?”

In the case of Drew Mackey, that place was to Austin, TX.

Drew is an MIS alumni who graduated from SJSU in 2017 and landed a job as a Senior Enterprise BDR at Medallia. Medallia is one of many tech companies, such as Apple and Google, that have acquired real estate in Austin, TX. These companies have helped expand the reputation of Texas as one of the new major tech hubs in the United States.

Drew is a Bay Area local that grew up in Oakland, attending school here from elementary all the way up to his college years at SJSU.

What can you do with an MIS degree?

Drew has always been a man of travel. In fact, he once received news that he earned an internship at Kaiser Permanente in IT infrastructure as he was boarding a flight to Cuba.

I began to wonder what his motivation for the big move to Texas was. The Lone Star State is halfway across the country, after all.

As it turns out, Drew had been job searching in the Bay Area, but he wasn’t getting the kind of offers he wanted. That’s when he realized he would start looking for opportunities outside of his comfort zone. During his job search, he saw an old friend’s post on LinkedIn about a job in Austin which intrigued him.

Drew: “I saw a job posting on LinkedIn from a friend of mine in Austin, and I thought to myself, ‘Why not go for it?’”

“I saw a job posting on LinkedIn from a friend of mine in Austin, and thought to myself, ‘Why not go for it?”

And go for it he did. He reached out to an old pal, had a nice coffee and chat, and eventually landed his current role at Medallia.

What was your mindset that led to your big move?

Drew: “I just wanted to start fresh in a new city; in a new state.”

“I just wanted to start fresh in a new city; in a new state”

The move came with a few prerequisites. He wanted to visit the city first to make sure he liked it. He described the Southern hospitality, food, and unique culture as being some of the key factors in his decision to move.

Once he decided he was game, he packed up his car and drove to Texas. Drew took a three day long road trip with his best friend in tow, and he shared with me some memories that he will never forget.

It was during this road trip that he realized he was doing something big and knew that he had made the right choice in trusting his instincts.

Drew: “Looking back, I took a big leap of faith.”

“Looking back, I took a big leap of faith.”

That leap of faith paid off as he has been successful in his business development role, learning new trades in the process. He is enthusiastic about working with and learning what’s on trend with technologies such as Blockchain and he plans to further his career in Austin.

Yee-haw, Drew!

First Gen Stories

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 18:05:59 GMT

First Gen Stories is a platform to encourage first generation college students to write about their unique experiences and struggles going to college. Students may write topics such as, applying to colleges, transferring to a 4-year college, landing internships, and interviewing.

Alumni Spotlight: Exploring the MIS Field with Alexandre Chung

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 17:59:17 GMT

As students prepare to enter the workforce, they must identify their path to success. Success comes in many forms and is unique to every individual. Nevertheless, students should pick a career that is well suited for them. Depending on one’s major, there are many career paths that one can take, and choosing one poses a significant challenge.

In an effort to learn more about career opportunities in the MIS field, I reached out to Alexandre Chung, a former MISA Board Member who graduated from SJSU in 2012. During our discussion, I learned more about current industry trends and the opportunities that come with having a degree in MIS.

Alexandre spent his undergraduate years as a MISA historian, club officer, and intern. His career started while he was in college and interning at Marvell as a Desktop Support Engineer. Now, he is a Video Collaboration Engineer at Electronic Arts, a digital interactive entertainment company that specializes in games, content, and online services for consoles, mobile devices, and personal computers. Alexandre is well aware that choosing your career path as an MIS major can be quite difficult. To help you choose the right path for yourself, Alexandre shared the following tips.

What can you do with an MIS degree?

Identifying the right path starts with answering the following question: Do you like to create project plans and handle the business side of things or do you enjoy diving into the technical aspects of a particular technology? Your answer to this question will help you determine whether you should take the project management route or the technical route.

“ There is a project management route and a technical route. ”

To help you identify which path may best fit you, the SJSU MIS program offers a wide range of available courses, including programming, networking, database management, and project management. Take a few courses in each of these subjects and “identify the one that excites you and makes you passionate and focus on that.”

“ Identify the one that excites you and makes you passionate and focus on that. ”

Now that you have narrowed your path down to its core, prepare to enter the workforce. After gaining real-world work experience, you can decide whether you wish to further your career or to try something new. Just know that if you are not happy with your chosen career, “there are opportunities to switch once you’ve gotten your foot in the door.”

“ There are opportunities to switch once you’ve gotten your foot in the door. ”

As you progress in your career, continue to “further yourself in the educational space.” If you find yourself in the project management route, consider pursuing a master’s degree. Master programs offer a wide range of business skills that will enhance your management capabilities and will help you in leading successful teams. If you take the technical route, consider pursuing technical certifications to become a subject matter expert in your field. Regardless of the path you choose, always make an effort to learn and enhance your skills.

“ Further yourself in the educational space. ”

Spartan Spotlight: The Balancing Act with Andrew Jenkins

websitebuilder@1and1.de — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 05:14:39 GMT

In MIS, we manage the delicate balance between business and technology. We study for our classes and have extracurricular activities or jobs that take up our time. We ask ourselves, “How is this possible?” In the same light, student athletes must find balance as well to preserve the stamina and responsibilities that their sport asks of them.

This month, we did a Spartan Spotlight in collaboration with MISA’s Fundraising Committee to coincide with the release of the The MISA Podcast. We spoke to Andrew Jenkins, a defensive back for the San Jose State University football team, to give our members a different insight into the world of a fellow SJSU student athlete.

As we got to know Andrew and learned of his day to day routine, it became clear that he was more than just a Division 1 athlete. His role within the football community is all about building his skills both on and off the field.

One of the skills he focuses on practicing at SJSU is balance; his daily routine involves working out, going to a practice or team meeting, going to work at his internship, and tutoring his teammates.

As a tutor in the Beyond Football tutoring program which caters to his football team and other athletes, Andrew finds himself putting in the time to also help out his peers. Simply put, his life is a constant balancing act.

Andrew: “ Anything I can do to help them, helps the team.”

“Anything I can do to help them, helps the team.”

How does he balance all of these responsibilities in a single day? He says he’s always made the time to get things done.

Andrew: “From a young age, I always made time for extras. A lot of people were taller than me, faster than me, better than me so I had to put in the extra effort and time.”

“From a young age, I always made time for extras. A lot of people were taller than me, faster than me, better than me so I had to put in the extra effort and time.”

Andrew also discussed the integration of his personal football mentality into school itself. He maintains that he treats school the way he treats football.

Andrew: “As an athlete, everything you put into football… if you put it into school you will be successful. The work ethic. The grind. That is definitely something that football has taught me with regard to how to approach school.”

“As an athlete, everything you put into football… if you put it into school you will be successful. The work ethic. The grind. That is definitely something that football has taught me with regard to how to approach school.”

The difference between business students and athletes is minimal when it comes to balancing life. We all have to find a way to find that balance whether it be on a computer screen, a board room, or on the football field.

When asked for some parting advice, Andrew maintained that maintaining a balance with your mental health and time management is key.

Andrew: “ Take care of your mental health. It’s a lot to go to school and deal with extracurriculars. Also, time management. You need to make time to have a social life, but also make time to put yourself in a position to do well in school.”

“ Take care of your mental health. It’s a lot to go to school and deal with extracurriculars. Also, time management. You need to make time to have a social life, but also make time to put yourself in a position to do well in school.”

As this article shows, being a student in any practicum has its challenge to maintain balance. While we may have areas of different studies and activities, the most important thing to remember is that we are all SJSU students in it together.

The Kaizen Philosophy with Roshan Lala

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 03:33:13 GMT

College is a time to learn and grow. We learn the material from the classes we take, and at the same time, we start to grow as adults. But does the process of learning and growing ever really stop?

We recently had the opportunity to chat with Roshan Lala, an SJSU MIS Class of 2016 Alumni, who is now the Technical Support Manager at the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), the autonomous and robotics division of Toyota.

Roshan started college off as a Mechanical Engineering student but noticed his growing fascination with technology and business. He soon realized MIS was better suited for his career aspirations. During his time as an MIS student, Roshan became an active member of MISA, and even got an IT internship through one of the networking events. Shortly after graduation, he landed various jobs including a short stint at Zoom doing Product Support. It was this job that led him to the decision of pursuing a role in IT.

Roshan eventually found his footing in IT at TRI where he started off as a Help Desk Specialist and Junior Administrator. He worked his way up to Lead and is now serving as his managerial role.

His growth trajectory at TRI lines up with Toyota’s well-recognized concept of Kaizen. Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy which translates to continuous improvement. This way of thinking is heavily used within Toyota to encourage new ideas and foster an environment of continuous learning and growth. The mindset behind it helped create and craft the world-renowned Toyota Production System, which is often replicated and studied in the manufacturing world.

Roshan mentioned Kaizen on his LinkedIn profile, and I decided to ask him more about how Kaizen can influence oneself in work and life.

How do you implement the concept of Kaizen at TRI?

“We always practice Kaizen at work, especially with our company goals. For my team, it’s always a process of improvement — continuous improvement. For example, in IT, we do a lot of automation. So let’s say right now we’re at about an hour for a process. What we’ll do is constantly ask ourselves, ‘How can we make it faster?’.”

“It’s always a process of improvement - continuous improvement.”

Is there an example of a time you’ve noticed your own self-growth while at TRI?

“For me, it was the time I had to create my own team. It was actually a challenge for me in the beginning. I asked myself, ‘How do I even do this?’. My managers trusted me with creating it. It was a bumpy road at first, but now I have an established team and it’s one of my proudest accomplishments.”

“…it’s one of my proudest accomplishments.”

Do you limit that philosophy to just work?

“Definitely not. It’s a never-ending process. You don’t only use it at work, you can use it in life too. Sometimes I just stop and think, ‘How can I improve myself?’. I’ve actually adopted it as a way of life.”

“How can I improve myself?”

Do you have any advice for our MISA members?

“Always keep learning, and that ties back to Kaizen. Once you’re out of school, keep learning, and keep going. There are so many programs out there like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning that you can use to continue to stand out and update that resume for some eye-catchers. Also, never give up. It may be tough at times to find the right job, but you’ll get there. Just never give up. “

“K eep learning and keep going.”

Roshan’s encouragement of practicing Kaizen is one we can all try to incorporate into our daily lives.

Finding Your Career Pathway with Justin Lau

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 00:51:16 GMT

Finding “MIS is such a flexible major!” and, “There are so many career fields you can get into with an MIS degree!” are phrases that MIS students hear often. These statements are true. Every institute, every company, and every department needs someone who can bring technical skills and business skills together. In fact, MIS skill sets are so sought after that this major has become one of the highest paying business concentrations in the US. That’s great news! However, with so many different career paths to choose from, selecting the right one naturally becomes a bit of a headache.

About a month ago, I had the opportunity to speak to Justin Lau, an SJSU alumnus who graduated in 2016. I wanted to interview Justin because I was especially interested in why Justin had become a Solutions Architect when most of his previous experiences were in the IT field.

During college, he was not only part of MISA, but he was also part of SJSU’s Gary J. Sbona MIS Honors Program. He even went on to receive the Thompson Scholarship during his senior year. Justin started his work journey as an IT intern during his senior year at SJSU. Eventually, he became a Technical Consulting Engineer at Cisco and later transitioned to a Cybersecurity Design Specialist at Boeing. Now, he is a Solutions Architect at Amazon Web Services.

To find out how Justin was able to transition seamlessly from career to career, I wanted to ask about his definition of a successful MIS graduate.

What does success look like in the MIS field?

Justin: Success is really hard to define in MIS. This is because one could have a very in-depth technical skillset and be successful, yet one could also be successful by having really good business skills. I think one should pursue more than what is being taught in the textbooks. A lot of times in MIS classes, we learn about the basics of a certain topic, python for example. However, just that knowledge simply isn’t enough, especially when technology is growing rapidly. Be an expert in a certain area of your career field, maybe an area you’re interested in. I was interested in IT infrastructure so I got the Cisco Certified Network Associate certificate.

“Be an expert in a certain area of your career field.”

Understanding how Justin values a successful MIS graduate, I wanted to dig deeper to find out how he was able to transition his career smoothly. What sparked his interest in becoming a Solutions Architect? And how did he acquire the skill sets to do so?

Justin: It’s actually not as magical as it looks. When I was working in my IT internships, I learned a lot about It infrastructure. Then I transitioned into working as a Cybersecurity Design Specialist at Boeing because cybersecurity was the “hottest field‘. Later, I realized that working as a Cybersecurity Design Specialist wasn’t as exciting as most people thought. I gave this field a try and realized that it wasn’t for me. Due to having previous experience in IT infrastructure, I was able to move to AWS easily. One advice I would give is that you should research and try out different career fields. Then, pick out the ones you don’t like. That way, you could unravel a career path for you as you cross out roads that you don’t want to take.”

“Pick out the career paths you don’t want. Then, choosing a career becomes easier.”

As a current MIS student at SJSU, I understand that choosing a career might be difficult and complicated. After speaking with Justin however, I felt like my path ahead became clearer as now I have a solution to one of the greatest headaches an MIS major could have.

Managing the Home Office with Tanya DSilva

Fri, 04 Sep 2020 18:49:51 GMT

In the past six months, millions of people around the world had to adapt to a new way of living due to the recent pandemic. It is no longer safe to leave the house without a proper face-covering because it helps protect you and others. The corporate world also had new challenges to overcome, such as the sudden transition to a remote work setting. Many managers and employees had to become familiar with new collaboration tools while also finding new ways to stay productive in their “home offices.”

In an effort to learn more about this transition, I reached out to Tanya DSilva, a former MISA Board Member who graduated as a Gary J. Sbona Honors student here at SJSU in 2013. During our discussion, I learned more about what SJSU has to offer and how to work from home efficiently.

Tanya spent her undergraduate years as a volunteer, club officer, and intern. Her efforts in college helped her land a full-time position at Cisco after graduation. Now, she is a Senior Program Manager at VMware, a computer software company

that specializes in Cloud Infrastructure, Virtualization, and Cloud Management. Tanya is well aware that “your personal life blends into your work-life” when you work from home. As you may have experienced, there are many difficulties with this blended lifestyle. To help you manage your home office, Tanya shared the following tips.

How can I work from home efficiently while mitigating stress?

Creating a routine for yourself and setting boundaries to simulate the workplace as it was before can aid efficiency. While working from home, you may struggle to separate work from your personal life, so it is important to establish a work routine to help you stay focused. Moreover, this will help prevent burnout in the new blended lifestyle.

“Create a routine for yourself.”

Similarly, “don’t feel like you need to be working around the clock.” Before the pandemic, walking out of the office may have been your mental signal that the workday was over. However, you must create a new signal to let your mind know that it is time to relax. Do not feel the need to check your inbox constantly just because your home has become your new office.

“Don’t feel like you need to be working around the clock.”

Tanya also suggested to “use your camera as much as possible during your meetings.” Now that we no longer have face-to-face meetings, it is difficult to stay connected with your peers. Therefore, it is important to maximize your facetime during meetings to achieve this while also showing your company that you are a valuable asset to the team. However, do not feel obligated to turn your camera on for every meeting as this may lead to Zoom fatigue.

“Use your camera as much as possible during your meetings.”

Now that we are tied to our desks at home, remember to “take time off for yourself.” Although you may not be able to travel to your favorite location right now, it is important to “be present.” Do something that allows you to relieve any stress that you may have. For example, take a short trip, go on a hike, start a new house project, etc. Do not hesitate to take time off to maintain your happiness.

“Don’t be afraid to take time off for yourself.”

Lastly, try your best to “stay active.” Doing so will help relieve stress and increase your energy levels. According to the British Journal of Pharmacology, regular exercise can have “very pronounced relaxing effects” on one’s body (Vina et. al, 2012). If you are new to exercising, start light, and progressively increase the intensity of your workouts. There are many ways in which you can stay active, including hiking, biking, and yoga. Find a form of exercise that is enjoyable for you and make it a habit to exercise regularly.

“Stay active.”

Zooming Towards Success: Tips for Staying on Track While Virtual Learning

Sun, 23 Aug 2020 15:45:23 GMT

I never thought that I would be starting my senior year from behind a computer screen. I’ve always been someone that thrives in collaborative settings with physical interaction, so transitioning to remote learning has been and continues to be a huge challenge. This adjustment is especially difficult for students who don’t have access to proper materials and/or a comfortable work environment. In this article, I will go over some of my favorite, free tips for staying on track!

1. Plan Ahead & Stick to a Schedule

I know what you’re thinking; this isn’t new advice. Any article about staying on track will have something along these lines written in it. That being said, this is probably one of the most effective ways to keep up with responsibilities. My favorite way to plan my schedule is with Google Calendar. This free tool helps to visualize your weekly layout and plan activities accordingly. In my opinion, the best way to start using this calendar is to input events that repeat each week (classes, work shifts, meetings); this can help you get a feel for what your average schedule will look like. If you want to take it a step further, color-code each event by type. Once you’re comfortable with this, start adding exams, plans, and other events as they arise.

2. Create Physical To-Do Lists

Aside from Google Calendar, I love using a physical planner to keep track of daily assignments, random projects, and various errands. Writing out everyday to-do lists in journals, or even on scraps of paper, helps to keep up with smaller tasks that don’t require an entire block of time on your calendar. It also feels great to check responsibilities off of lists when they are completed, especially if they’ve been put off for a long time. Writing to-do lists every night before bed sets a productive mood for the next day, and checking in with your list when you end the day promotes a sense of accomplishment .

3. Find Stress-Relievers That Work For You

Just when it seems like this year can’t get any crazier, it finds a way to do just that. While it’s important to keep up with current events, work, school, and your social life, this can become overwhelming very quickly. If you notice yourself falling into a perpetual hole of news articles, spending too much time on Twitter, or letting work seep into your time off, take a step back. If that means turning off your phone or computer completely, do it. My favorite way to unplug is by taking a walk and listening to a podcast or music. While it may seem counterintuitive to take a break when there is a lot of work to do, I find that removing myself from a stressful environment is better than procrastinating within it and becoming more distracted . Other great ways to relieve stress are working out, reading a book you enjoy, baking, or taking a nap. Test out various activities until you find what works best for you!

4. Break Large Goals Into Smaller Tasks

Assignments often feel daunting when they are given out, especially when there are many of them and they all involve staring at a computer screen. I noticed that splitting large projects into smaller pieces helps me dread them less. For example, if you have an essay due in a week, break it down into short daily tasks (pictured below). This method can be repeated with almost any project ; it’s just a matter of creating and following attainable steps.

5. Do Your Best to Create a Comfortable Work Environment

Many of us have found ourselves trapped in homes with numerous roommates, loud families, or less than ideal work conditions. While it is difficult to create a perfect learning environment, there are some ways you can improve your surroundings. I have found that communicating my schedule with my family is the best way to squeeze in some quiet time during school days. Headphones and a locked door have become symbols for my “busy hours.” One thing I struggle with most is keeping my work area clean. Taking 5–10 minutes to rid clutter off of your desk before you start working can be the difference between maintaining or losing focus . If weather permits, some coffee shops and public areas with free WiFi have made outdoor seating available to guests. This is a great way to change up your environment and get some fresh air at the same time.

With all of this being said, transitioning from in-person learning to online school takes time, and everyone goes through the adjustment period at their own pace . Virtual school is not ideal, but it can be manageable when you approach it with a positive mindset. At times, it can feel like the world is throwing you nonstop curveballs, so don’t be afraid to reach out to professors, employers, or friends if life becomes overwhelming. Hopefully, you have found these tips helpful. If you have any other advice, feel free to share it in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

A Solution Pathway with Tina Do

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 23:30:04 GMT

Management Information Systems, or MIS as we call it, is best known as the intersection where business and technology meet. It’s a great crossroad to reach, especially for San Jose State University being in the heart of Silicon Valley where tech staples such as Google and Facebook are just around the corner. While it may seem that our path to a career is obvious, it isn’t always easy to decide what route we want to choose with our degrees.

To help clear that up, I reached out to Tina Do, a former MISA Board Member who graduated as a Gary J. Sbona Honors student with Cum Laude distinction here at SJSU in 2016. While talking to Tina, it was interesting to note that her career roles have changed over her time as a working professional.

Tina spent her student years as an intern for a construction company mainly working with IT. Upon graduation, she got a position as a configuration engineer which dealt with implementation. Though she liked her job, she came to a realization that onboarding wasn’t her thing.

Eventually, Tina landed a gig at Freshworks, a SaaS company, where she is currently a Senior Solutions Engineer. When she told me her position, she asked me if I knew what it entailed. My guess of “providing solutions” was a vague one. Luckily for me, she said, “When I graduated, I didn’t even know my role existed!”

“When I graduated, I didn’t even know my role existed!”

So what is Solutions Engineering?

Tina Do : “What I do is build solutions for prospects, along with the sales team. The sales team finds the prospects, and the customers come in. I meet with them to listen so I can understand their business needs. From there, I build what they need with the software that I’m selling.”

James Manalili : “Is that similar to Sales Enablement?”

Tina Do : “No. Sales enablement is more of an internal role. I am still customer-facing. So I speak to customers every single day.

James Manalili : “So you’re more into the technical aspect, than the business aspect?”

Tina Do : “While the account executive does the business wing, I do the technical wing and check off all their needs to make sure we bring value to them. It’s a lot of fun.”

“I check off all their needs to make sure we bring value to them. It’s a lot of fun.”

After describing her role, I was curious to find out more about it. Supporting Tina’s description, I found that Solutions Engineers face many responsibilities! There is no preset path to become a solutions engineer. Since it requires so many different skills, one will need to work with different technologies, businesses, and wear multiple hats to become a successful Solutions Engineer (Safanov, 2019, para. 15).

Solutions Engineering is a great way to utilize the skills we learn as MIS students. On one end, we provide the business acumen to help understand our customer, and on the other, we help find solutions based on the technologies around us.

“There is no preset path to becoming a solutions engineer.”

The road Tina took to where she is now wasn’t always clear, but the passion for her job shows she ended up right where she wanted to be. When we asked Tina about what she wants us to remember when driving into our careers, she encouraged all of us to “Never let yourself down and give up”. In a way, she’s telling us to just keep going down the road until we find our own destination.

“Never let yourself down and give up.”

Introducing the Alumni Committee

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 15:52:28 GMT

Hello,

The new 2020–2021 MISA Executive Board is excited to announce this year’s Alumni Committee. Throughout this year, the Alumni Committee hopes to connect our current MISA members with our alumni network by interviewing them and hosting virtual events. These events provide an opportunity to learn more about our alumni and their journey after college. The goal of the interviews is to learn more about their personal life. During these interviews, we will be asking simple questions such as “What is your current job position?” and “What do you do outside work to relieve stress?”. The spotlights that we choose will then be featured on our monthly newsletters, published as an article on our SJSU MISA LinkedIn page and on our MISA Instagram .

Introducing the 2020-2021 Alumni Committee:

James Manalili :

Hello everyone! I’m James Manalili and I am currently a Junior who transferred to San Jose State University from Las Positas College during the Spring semester of 2020. I have an A.S. in Business Administration and am working towards a B.S. in Business, Management Information Systems. I am pursuing MIS because I believe that this major will set me up for success in San Jose’s technology-driven area. I love to spend my free time researching cars and hope to one day apply my skills toward a job in the automotive industry. My favorite company is Toyota/Lexus and my dream car is a Lexus LC 500. I hope to one day meet Britney Spears.

Florentino Lopez :

Hi, I’m Tino Lopez and I am currently an MIS undergraduate student at San Jose State University. Last semester, I received the President’s Scholar award for achieving a 4.0 GPA. As a first-generation college student, I aim to inspire others to become the best version of themselves. During my free time, I like to exercise and listen to podcasts.

Douglas Chan :

Hi everyone! My name is Douglas Chan and I am excited to be part of the Alumni Committee this year. I am currently a Junior pursuing an MIS degree and minoring in Computer Science. I love to travel, especially Asia, and I hope to become a travel photographer one day! Aside from work, I like to workout and do martial arts training. I see so much potential in our alumni network and hope to provide everyone in MISA an opportunity to network with our alumni this year. This year we have some new events to share with you guys so stay tuned!

Here’s a short video clip from the Alumni Committee that talks about what we are about and what we plan on doing next year! To sign up to be a part of our Alumni Network (for alumni only), simply fill in this form !

Why I Finally Decided to Start a Food Blog

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 04:26:20 GMT

I wanted to start a food blog for about 2 years prior to creating @nicolesfoodbowls . I put it off constantly, rationalizing my procrastination by convincing myself that people would judge me, that I’m not good enough at cooking to create a page dedicated to it, and that I don’t know how to take good photos; this list went on and on. In 2020, I made it my resolution to finally stop making excuses, start the page, and pursue my passion. At first, my posts were awkward to say the least; my pictures were taken from strange angles and improperly lit, my captions were too forced, and I worried that people I know would find my page and make fun of me for it.

As soon as I started the page, I quickly fell in love with the process of cooking, plating, and photographing my meals. I began posting regularly and slowly learned where to find the best lighting in my house, how to write captions that show off an appropriate amount of my genuine personality, and how to interact with other food accounts and health food brands. I was shocked by the unexpected amount of support I received from my friends and the amount of fun I had throughout the process.

Within a few months of starting my account, I became extremely discouraged. I felt like I was putting a lot of effort into my page and not seeing the results I wanted. To combat this, I compared my older posts with new ones, and the improvement was stark. It felt good to see that even though my page had not grown exponentially, I was still able to learn a few things along the way. Now, I try to gear my focus towards producing content that is enjoyable for me to create and share, and I love seeing others do the same. If you’re toying with the idea of pursuing a personal passion, stop making excuses and act on it ! I promise that you’re capable of much more than you think; you are truly the only thing standing in your way. I compiled a list of some of the lessons that I’ve learned from creating my food blog and, hopefully, they inspire you to follow the ambitions you’ve been putting off!

Here are my biggest takeaways; some food (bowls) for thought, if you will:

1. Re align Your Focus; Numbers Aren’t Everything

The moment you begin to worry about not having enough followers or likes, the fun gets sucked out of having a side project dedicated to something that you’re passionate about. Focus on doing what made you want to pursue your interest in the first place. Work on making genuine connections with other like-minded individuals, as well as people who are interested in what you do. If your ultimate objective is to amass a large following, set small goals (e.g. gain 100 new followers in the span of this month) and work towards them, but keep in mind that numbers aren’t everything.

2. Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others

There are a lot of food pages on Instagram. Like a LOT. Take the number of food accounts that you think exist and multiply it by 9. That’s how many there are. A majority of them have more followers, higher quality photos, and wittier captions than I ever will. Instead of asking myself, “How can I be more like _________,” I try my best to hone in on my strengths and only look to the other accounts for inspiration. Save posts or articles that stir your creativity, and interact with users whose content you genuinely enjoy. Who knows, maybe you’ll make some new virtual friends while you’re at it!

3. Be. Consistent.

It took me 6 months to hit 1,000 followers on my page. Although this isn’t a large number, it didn’t happen overnight. It took 6 months of consistent posting, lots of creative recipe brainstorming, and active engagement with other accounts. Consistency is truly key when it comes to reaching the milestones you set. You know what they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Is my food bowl Instagram account comparable to an ancient Italian city? I’ll let you decide. The bottom line is, if you put enough dedication and effort into whatever it is you are passionate about, you will eventually start to notice others find interest in what you’re doing.

I plan on adding onto these takeaways as I continue to work on my account and posting updates as they come. In the meantime, follow me on Instagram @nicolesfoodbowls !

Thanks for reading,

Nicole Baranchuk

The Power of Personal Connections

Sun, 12 Jul 2020 04:05:46 GMT

Building a personal connection with those you work with doesn’t just enhance productivity, but also enables you to enjoy the process of accomplishing your goals.

During my senior year of high school, I began working as a tutor at my local Kumon center. My first set of students were two young boys in kindergarten who were working on third-grade level material. They were evidently bright, yet their personalities couldn’t be more different. Instead of asking for help when needed, one student would stare at his page in hopes that I would notice. The other would refuse to do his work and often threw a tantrum when instructed to work independently. I quickly learned how to adapt to each of their learning styles and personalities to help their academic progress.

The quieter boy was shy and scared of speaking up, which made sense. He was surrounded by children that were older than him, and to a five-year-old, an eight-year-old seems incredibly intimidating. I knew that I couldn’t give him 100% of my attention as I had to work with roughly six children every hour, but they were all seated near me, close enough if they needed to ask for help. After recognizing this problem, the next time he spaced out I informally told him to “poke” or squeeze my hand when he was stuck. This way he didn’t have to single himself out or bring more attention to himself. I saw an immediate impact; the ten minutes he would spend staring off into space waiting for me were now quickly reduced and spent finishing his worksheets. Not only was he making more academic progress, but the bigger smiles on his face indicated that the small bond we had built had made him feel more comfortable.

With my other, more disruptive student, I had chosen a different approach. I noticed that he was extremely talkative and would lose focus quite quickly. To combat the tantrums, I tried to lessen his resentment towards the tutoring center by encouraging him to talk to me. Our conversations became a reward for him. Over time, I noticed a change in his behavior. He would come in less upset and would ask if he could tell me a story. I responded by explaining that he needed to finish his assignment, but after, he could share his story.

To help both of these students academically succeed, I understood what was inhibiting their progress and implemented a solution. The more comfortable these children felt with me, the more compelled they were to learn. I made it a personal goal that every week my students were greeted by a familiar face and felt supported.

Although these are only two out of the dozens of children I interacted with during my time as a tutor, those I worked with individually, I learned that a small bond goes a long way.

Our relationships influence far more than in our work environments. Humans are innately social creatures, we crave connections. Making and maintaining these connections brings color to our lives. Whether it’s going on vacation, working on a group project, or even going on a walk, if we’re surrounded by people we look forward to being with, we enjoy our time. We’re motivated to do better, achieve more, and accomplish great things with the support of the people we admire.

Take a moment to reflect. Do you have special people that make life easier? If so, comment down below or connect with me on LinkedIn. I’d love to hear your stories!

ba3264059d9f4a3ebcbabedd6e5a9fd5

MISA Almuni Spotlight -Ali Nour

Happy November MISA Alumni! Hope you all are having a great week!

MISA Almuni Spotlight - Vansh Gupta

Happy Halloween MISA Alumni! Hope you all are having a great week! ��

MISA Almuni Spotlight - Christopher James Manalili

Happy Monday MISA Alumni! Hope you all are having a great week!

MISA Alumni Spotlight - Kishu Bhatnagar

MISA Alumni Spotlight - Brendan

MISA Alumni Spotlight - Nhat Trinh

MISA Future Alumni Spotlight: Jorge Pineda

MISA Alumni Spotlight - Ali Nour

Alumni Spotlight: Landing a Technical Role With Jiaxian (Neo) Cai

Future Alumni Spotlight :A Spartan Blossom with Neda Amin

MISA Senior Insights

Alumni Spotlight: Technical Support Pathway with Ray Chong

Alumni Spotlight: The Big Move with Drew Mackey

First Gen Stories

Alumni Spotlight: Exploring the MIS Field with Alexandre Chung

Spartan Spotlight: The Balancing Act with Andrew Jenkins

The Kaizen Philosophy with Roshan Lala

Finding Your Career Pathway with Justin Lau

Managing the Home Office with Tanya DSilva

Zooming Towards Success: Tips for Staying on Track While Virtual Learning

A Solution Pathway with Tina Do

“When I graduated, I didn’t even know my role existed!”

Introducing the Alumni Committee

Why I Finally Decided to Start a Food Blog

The Power of Personal Connections

Happy November MISA Alumni!
Hope you all are having a great week!

Happy Halloween MISA Alumni!
Hope you all are having a great week! ��

Happy Monday MISA Alumni!
Hope you all are having a great week!