Career Overview
Information systems analysts and consultants work with software, hardware and wiring infrastructure. They plan, manage and review information systems, and help to improve a company’s computer networks, performance and security.
People in this job work for information technology (IT) consulting firms and telecommunications businesses, financial institutions such as banks and credit unions, and IT departments in both the private and public sectors. They may also be self-employed and consult with several companies.
People with this career have skills in computer programming, internet and web applications, structured analysis, data modelling and information engineering. They also work with mathematical modelling and sampling. Information systems analysts and consultants need to have good communication skills and be able to research and plan projects.
Duties
In general, information systems analysts and consultants:
- Plan, set up and manage information technology systems including software, hardware and operations
- Create and carry out the plans, policies and procedures for their company’s information systems
- Check for and fix any problems that could come up in these systems
People in this job may work on different parts of information systems, depending on their area of focus. They might take on a specialty, which includes:
- Business analysts: someone in this role would start with the business requirements (rather than the technology needs) of a company and then design, implement or maintain those information systems
- Security analysts: in this position, a person would take existing or proposed systems, review them, find the security problems, and develop or put in place what is needed to stop or reduce the risk
- Quality assurance analysts: people with this specialty make sure that the systems work and that they meet regulatory conditions
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
15,700% Employed Full Time
68%People who work as information systems analysts and consultants work in an office. This could be at their employer’s place of work, a client’s office, from their home office, or a mix of all three. Access to technology makes working from home easier because people in this job can access systems from almost anywhere.
Information systems analysts and consultants need to be able to work a range of hours. This is because a company’s information systems must be available 24/7, and that often includes while maintenance or upgrades are in progress. This career can feel stressful, especially when putting in new systems or solving urgent problems.
Career Pathways
Those new to this career typically start as programmer, systems analyst, systems/network administrator, Q&A analyst, tester or software developer.
After gaining experience in computer programming, people may be able to move into a junior role in information systems development, systems security, quality assurance planning or systems auditing. With more education and experience, people who work on analysis projects that are technology-focused may move into a developer role. In this case, they would specialize in specific systems or programming techniques.
Others may lead teams or manage projects. Information systems analysts and consultants may move into leadership roles such as senior systems analyst, information systems manager or IT director.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
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For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
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Job Titles
Education, Training and Skills
An information systems analyst or consultant typically needs a bachelor's degree in computing, business administration or a related discipline. For this job, a person could also combine a computing diploma with work experience. If the work involves doing systems analysis on specific technical platforms, they may need to get a certificate from an identified technology vendor – known in the industry as becoming “vendor certified.”
Experienced information systems analysts and consultants can apply for the Information Systems Professional (ISP) designation through the Canadian Information Processing Society.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Computer Information Systems/Science
- Linguistics Related (Arts)
- Computing Science/Systems Related
- Information Technology Management
- Linguistics (Science)
- Web Technologies
- Networking and Security
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations and the environment will affect outcomes.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, while meeting the goals of the system.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
15,700Employment by Region
Region | Employment (2022) | % Employment of this Occupation |
---|---|---|
Cariboo | 240 | 1.1% |
Kootenay | 310 | 1.1% |
Mainland/Southwest | 18,450 | 75.2% |
North Coast and Nechako | 90 | 0.4% |
Northeast | 70 | 0.2% |
Thompson-Okanagan | 1,360 | 5.4% |
Vancouver Island/Coast | 3,410 | 16.5% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2022-2032)
13,660Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2022-2032)
Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
---|---|---|
Cariboo | 100 | 0.8% |
Kootenay | 110 | 1.2% |
Mainland/Southwest | 10,360 | 2.9% |
North Coast and Nechako | 30 | 2.9% |
Northeast | 0 | 1.3% |
Thompson-Okanagan | 730 | 3.0% |
Vancouver Island/Coast | 2,340 | 3.4% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
Industry | Job Openings (2022-2032) |
---|---|
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 148,000 |
Public Administration | 49,200 |
Information, Culture and Recreation | 57,300 |
Finance, insurance and real estate | 50,900 |
Educational Services | 64,500 |
Insights from Industry
Currently, there is a small shortage of workers in this career, and those with experience are in higher demand. Also, people with training or experience in business administration will also be in higher demand.
As companies use new technologies, they will continue to need information systems analysis. Each time a new version of computer technology or operating system is introduced, other business applications need to be adapted or upgraded. Specialized information systems analysts make sure that the different technologies and platforms work well together.
Often, understanding a company’s security needs is a core requirement in all systems design, implementation and management. Businesses are using technology to manage more valuable and sensitive information, and they need experts to protect them from security breaches and other risks to their systems. As a result, the ability to provide analysis of security requirements will continue to be in high demand.
It is expected that information systems analysts and consultants will have many job opportunities in business, accounting, financial, scientific and engineering organizations in the future.
Information systems analysts and consultants could have more opportunity to work in other countries. Trade agreements for this role may make it easier for certifications to be recognized between different countries.
Some information systems analysts and consultants’ duties are becoming more technology-focused, while others are business-focused. However, all information systems analysts and consultants must be able to analyze a company’s business and/or information technology needs.
Since information technology changes rapidly, people in this job need to continue to learn new skills throughout their career. Current trends in this industry include machine learning, cloud computing, microservices and the “internet of things.”
Resources
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BC Tech Associationwww.wearebctech.com
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Canada's Association of I.T. Professionalswww.cips.ca
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First Nations Technology Councilwww.technologycouncil.ca
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Information and Communications Technology Councilwww.ictc-ctic.ca
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Information Resource Management Association of Canadawww.irmac.ca
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Information Systems Audit and Control Associationwww.isaca.org
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International Institute of Business Analysiswww.iiba.org
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International Institute of Business Analysis – Career Centrewww.iiba.org/Careers/IIBA-Career-Centre-Find-business-analyst-jobs.aspx
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Technation.ca formerly the Information Technology Association of Canadaitac.ca
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The Canadian Advanced Technology Allianceinnovationsoftheworld.com/canadian-advanced-technology