Tom Keney, Enterprise Desktop Analyst:
Chevron/Phillips Chemical
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In just a few years, Tom Keney has experienced the roller coaster highs and lows of the economy while working in the IT field. After graduating with an MIS BBA in the fall of 1998, he rode the rising wave at the time and joined Arthur Andersen's Business Consulting division. There he was a part of the Advanced Technology Team where he focused on Network and Systems design and analysis. Unfortunately, after three years, Tom found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time with the technology bubble bursting and Arthur Andersen buried in the Enron scandal, and he was eventually let go by the collapsing firm. "I had the feeling of being back at square one again," reflects Tom of his situation back then. "I still enjoyed working with technology, but I felt burned just like everyone else when the market soured on the IT sector and left me without a job. For a while I felt like I was at a crossroads in my career, but after some soul searching, I was determined to stick to what I enjoyed doing despite the market."
That decision seems to have paid off, as Tom stayed in IT as a contractor for various companies and is currently working as an Enterprise Desktop Analyst for Chevron/Phillips Chemical in Houston. His long-term plans involve going back to school for an MBA to continue his education in Information Management and hopes to advance his career in the IT field in a management position.
"It may sound cliché, but my advice to students would be to do what they really enjoy rather than follow market trends and the economy. When I was in school, a lot of people went into MIS primarily for the high salaries and job security, and now with the downturn in the IT sector, they are doing the exact opposite. It’s unfortunate because the MIS program is probably losing a number of bright and talented individuals who really have an interest in technology simply because they are looking to the short term and think they have a better chance at landing a job with a different degree. While that may by true, who knows what the market will do any number of years from now? Everyone knows that even though the market is down, The Internet, E-business, and technical innovation is here to stay, and demand for skilled IT professionals will always be there. Besides, people will generally be happier in jobs that they like to do, and that will also be apparent to recruiters, managers, and especially themselves. Everyone knows that you have no control over the economy, but at the same time, you can’t let the economy take control of you."
