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| Adam Steenhard (MIS '03) at Nationwide |
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For College of Business Administration alumnus Adam Steenhard (Management Information Systems '03), the confidence he developed as a MIS major is now a source of his career success. That confidence drove Adam to immediately volunteer for a project offered by his boss. His education and experience allowed him to tackle the project successfully. Adam's take-charge attitude and successful performance earned him a promotion from Web Developer to Senior Web Developer, IT Applications, at Allied Insurance in Des Moines in less than two years.
Adam enjoys his career because he develops programs that fix problems facing Allied Insurance customers.
"I'm the one to provide customers with a product that makes them think, "'how did I live without this?'" Adam said.
In his role as a Senior Web Developer, Adam is responsible for projects and works on his own to complete his tasks. As an MIS major, he practiced these project management skills during his internship as a Web developer for Shashi Kaparthi and Leslie Wilson, MIS faculty members in the Department of Management. That experience taught Adam how to manage his time and accomplish his goals. "It's different going from the classroom to an actual job because your supervisor has faith that you will get a project done," he said.
His entry into the MIS major came when he took the introductory MIS course. Adam walked in with little computer experience, but received instruction on computer programming basics. During that course, he realized the MIS major was the right fit for his career goals. He also found professorscommitted to helping him and other students understand MIS concepts.
"The MIS program has great faculty because they help you to learn and to succeed. They put in time to help students out," Adam said.
But it was his experiences outside of the classroom where Adam was able to practice his technical and project management skills. In fact, his work for the senior-level Information Systems Development course introduced him to the computer language he now uses in his position.
"Some programmers don't have a well-rounded education about the MIS field," Adam said. "At UNI, you get a taste of everything there is, and you can make a choice as to where you want to go further."
His career preparation also included the College's business core, which he now uses in everyday business situations. All business majors are required to take that same set of courses.
"I got a lot out of the business core because it allows me to know where people are coming from when they make their decisions," he said.
Adam's appreciation for the business core classes has also made him aware of the value of his Finance minor. Having a background in finance has helped him to understand the nuances of the insurance industry.
As a student, Adam got involved with the Management Information Systems Association (MISA). As MISA's event coordinator, he set up meetings with MIS professionals for the organization's yearly networking trips. For the events, he made connections with representatives from companies such as Principal Financial Group and Meredith Corporation in Des Moines. He believes in the importance of being a part of student organizations.
Looking back at his academic career, he also advises students to take the time to consider their future career choices.
"I never thought I wanted to be a Web developer, so students should discover what types of MIS positions are out there," Adam said. "It's better to have more knowledge than less knowledge about what your major can do for you."
Updated 21-Jun-06
