According to a recent report from the Information Technology Association of America (http://www.itaa.org/), a college degree out-polled specific experience in the position, certification programs, and general IT experience, when hiring managers are making decisions regarding personnel. This is a shift from previous years, where experience outweighed education.

As the job market has softened, hiring managers have been more selective in filling open positions and more are requiring a college education and specific experience. With the IT workforce “bottoming out,” it is important for candidates to continuously “retool” and leverage the strength of an undergraduate or graduate program, coupled with experience specific to the position and certifications.

“To distinguish yourself from other candidates in the industry takes a well- balanced approach,” according to Domenick Pinto, Sacred Heart University's Chair of Computer Science and Information Technology. “The days of graduating and walking into a job with a signing bonus are over – hiring managers want knowledgeable candidates, who have specific experience, can work in a team atmosphere and have the ability to communicate across divisional lines within the organization to help achieve goals.”

This paradigm shift has the most seasoned of IT Professionals seeking undergraduate and graduate opportunities to keep their skills current in a turbulent industry. Even with the recent trying times within the IT industry, the U.S. Department of Labor predicts opportunities will grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2010.

“We are always looking to distinguish our students in the marketplace,” Pinto said. “With the prediction by the Department of Labor, the combination of our up-to-date curricula and our distinguished faculty, the outlook is extremely positive for us to continue providing the industry with blue-chip prospects.”

For additional information on the Computer and Information Science curriculum at Sacred Heart University, contact Jamie P. Romeo, Director of Graduate Admissions at 203-365-4735, or e-mail romeoj@sacredheart.edu.

Contact: Jamie Romeo (romeoj@sacredheart.edu)

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