Software Engineering

A systems analyst combines knowledge of information systems and business to develop computer systems that will meet business needs. The job is among the most advancedcomputer careers because of your need to be able to think strategically and to interact with professionals with a variety of skill sets. This career is the TopTenREVIEWS Bronze Award winner in computer careers.
Systems analysts work with various professionals in business and computer careers to select the most optimal hardware, software, internet and networking tools that will accomplish business goals. In this profession, you need to stay within a particular budget or provide an acceptable cost-benefit over a period of time. To do so, you will use various modeling techniques, accounting principles and business analyses. For example, to make a database the most useful, it needs to contain data needed by different departments within a company, and data needs to be presented in a way that end-users can most benefit. A system may be on a shared drive in a network, intranet or internet, and end-users may be employees, customers or a combination of both. The database may facilitate different security levels so that employees or customers may only access information or database fields to perform certain tasks. The system also needs to have the capacity to support multiple users simultaneously and enough memory to support growth over an acceptable period of time. Data stored in the system may range from a number or dollar figure to high-resolution aerial photos or detailed maps.
A systems analyst designs complex systems that will accomplish goals such as this. You may choose to use an existing retail system modify a retail system, or build the system from the ground up, depending on the funding and resources available. You then work with various computer professionals including computer programmers to build systems. After a system has been configured, you test the system to make sure it is performing