Parker Caputo ’21
Education: MS Management Information Systems Internship: Professional: |
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Describe your career and what led you to your current position? Texas A&M has an excellent relationship with many top firms hiring MS-MIS students. I found both my internship and full-time role through on-campus recruiting activities. My involvement in the Association of Information Technology Professionals at Texas A&M gave me the networking connections that ultimately led to my full-time job offer. Describe your internship role and responsibilities. I worked with a UI UX design team to improve the usability of internally developed applications. The MS-MIS program prepared me for this experience by providing foundational knowledge of the tools and software I used. I also learned how to effectively communicate between project stakeholders, which is a vital part of the ‘business’ side of MS-MIS. What was your favorite course taken while in the MS-MIS program? My favorite course was ISTM 630 Project Management. The class is full of practical experience managing people and projects. The skills you learn in this class are applicable to just about any job role you’ll have. It helped me to manage projects not only in my classes but also at work. What was the most beneficial course you took in the program? The most beneficial course to me was ISTM 622 Advanced Data Management. The challenging project in this course gave me a great experience to talk about. Sharing this experience in interviews ultimately helped me to secure my internship and full-time roles. Why did you pursue a master’s degree? I decided to pursue a master’s degree to enhance my technical skill set within a business context. I wanted exposure to a diverse set of classes that covered both technical and business concepts. I also wanted the opportunity to open new career paths by advancing my education. What’s the biggest challenge you faced in graduate school? The MS-MIS program is a diverse program representing students of cultural backgrounds all over the world. It can be challenging at first to work on such culturally diverse team projects, but the experience is well worth it. I would say the biggest challenge in this program is also one of the best experiences I got out of it. What was the biggest reward you received while pursuing a master’s degree? The biggest reward from the MS-MIS program is honestly the people you meet and the connections you make. The program is really so much more than just the classes you take. You’ll make lifelong friends and connections that will expose you to new career opportunities. What advice would you give to current students in the MS-MIS program? My best advice would be to consider a master’s degree as an investment in yourself. Graduate school isn’t just the cost of tuition and fees. Rather, it is an experience that will change the way you work and reshape your career trajectory. I would highly encourage a prospective student to reach out to former students who have gone through the program to get a full perspective. |
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