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MIS Club gets off to strong re-start.

Members of the executive board, seated left to right: Elaine Gonzalez, president; Carlos Leal, vice president; and standing, Matthew Hanlon, career services coordinator; and Antonio Urbina, webmaster		Well-attended kickoff event for MIS Club

Dormant for the past couple years, the MIS Club has returned with an energetic board, big plans, a web site under construction, and enthusiastic advisors.

“We want to educate MIS students about careers and professional options they’ll have thanks to the beauty of the major in the College of Business Administration, which covers both technology and business,” said Elaine Gonzalez, club president and IT assistant in the Honors College. “However, the two areas of focus can make it hard for students to determine what to do with their degree since they can go in the direction of programming, business intelligence, or consulting.”

Through a variety of activities, slated for once a week, members will learn about their career alternatives and about which companies are looking for someone with their background. For example, the club plans to bring companies in as speakers, especially during recruitment periods.

Interaction with alumni and graduate students adds value.

“Students should feel free to network at these events and others we plan to host with alumni and members of the Master of Science in Management Information Systems (MSMIS) program and its advisory board,” she said.

The XNA gaming platforms presentation delivered by Carlos Leal, club vice president and the university’s Microsoft Student Ambassador		A winner of the night’s grand prize: a Halo 3 game

In addition, the club’s  organizers expect to offer job search activities—such as interviewing skills and résumé building—and to invite alumni and MSMIS students to mentor the club’s members.

“Also, MSMIS presents ‘Distinguished CIO Lunch and Learn,’ at which panelists speak about pressing issues in the field,” Gonzalez said. “We plan to co-sponsor the get-togethers and invite our members.”

Interested in Microsoft? Look no further than the MIS Club.

In conjunction with the club, Carlos Leal, an undergraduate MIS student who has been selected “Microsoft Student Ambassador” for Florida International University, will plan campus-wide, Microsoft-related events. The first co-sponsored gathering took place on September 26, 2007, and dealt with XNA gaming platforms. Two attendees won copies of Halo 3.

“Another big perk is that we will have a relationship with the college’s Microsoft IT Academy, which offers many ways to learn Microsoft technologies and tools,” said Gonzalez, who held a summer internship at Goldman Sachs, which offered her a job in its operations division after her December, 2007, graduation.

It’s easy to join the MIS Club, which is open to students in any major. Simply register at http://misclub.fiu.edu. Membership runs $30 a year and you can join at any time.

Kaushik Dutta, assistant professor, and Faisal Kaleem, lecturer, Department of Decision Sciences and Information Systems, serve as the club’s advisors. E-mail questions or comments to misclub@business.fiu.edu.