The Rising Demand for Information Managers

“Every day, we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data—so much that 90 percent of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone.” IBM made that statement back in 2012. Fast forward to 2017, and the numbers have escalated, with expectations of reaching 44 zettabytes by 2020. With such a rapid flow of information coming in from so many streams of data, there is an increasing need for information management.

In a forecast of technology trends from Gartner, a technology research and advisory company, Gartner fellow David Cearley highlighted the need for organizations to know how, when and to whom data needs to be delivered. 

“Organizations need to manage how best to filter the huge amounts of data coming from the IoT, social media and wearable devices, and then deliver exactly the right information to the right person at the right time,” Cearley said.

Sue Trombley, managing director of thought leadership at Iron Mountain, an enterprise information management services company, explained to Baseline that in the past, data was not channeled to the departments that could make use of it. As a result, organizations were not extracting value from the data they had on hand. The solution is to channel the information effectively, and that’s why information managers are in such demand. 

This high demand translates into generous salaries with a large number of jobs that draw on information management skills. While some jobs are listed as information managers, some may be known by other titles, such as data processing manager (DPM), information systems (IS) director or supervisor, or chief digital officer (CDO). The IT or IS director manager track can also lead to the position of chief information officer (CIO) or chief technology officer (CTO).

Those who qualify as computer and information systems managers can look forward to excellent salaries and opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2015, those jobs had a median pay of $131,600 per year or $63.27 per hour. There were 348,500 job openings in 2014, and the anticipated increase in the number of openings from 2014 to 2024 is 15 percent, which indicates a much faster than average rate of growth. As the BLS notes, “Demand for computer and information systems managers will grow as firms increasingly expand their business to digital platforms.” 

Digital platforms are no longer reserved for high-tech companies or marketers. Seventy-four percent of businesses in an IDC (International Data Corporation) study commissioned by Amdoc, a mobile digital communication company, indicated that they either had plans to adopt a digital platform or were already working on their digital transformation. An even greater number—89 percent—indicated they believed they needed a CDO or already had one.

The investment in digital platforms pays off, according to a report from Capgemini Consulting and the MIT Center for Digital Business, “The Digital Advantage: How Digital Leaders Outperform Their Peers in Every Industry.” It found those with more mature digital platforms achieved 26 percent greater profitability than their competition. That digital advantage extends to a host of industries. They include accounting, insurance, finance, retail, government agencies, education, health care, mining, paint manufacturing and marketing research.

The question is: How does someone get on track for one of the most in-demand careers? Earning a graduate degree is what makes people stand out as qualified candidates in this field. In an information management master’s degree program, students develop skills in the following areas:

Today’s information managers not only compile data but also understand how to match data to different business needs to create value. They build an essential bridge between business and technology that makes it possible for C-suite executives to make data-driven decisions. Organizations need people who can manage digital platforms with strategic planning and balance rights of access with privacy and legal regulations. The demand for employees with information management skills is strong now and only expected to grow. An information management degree is the key that opens the door to these opportunities.

About the writer:

As a professional blogger, Ariella Brown writes about analytics, big data, branding, digital transformation, content marketing, 3d printing, digital currency, cloud computing, mobile, and IoT. She holds a PhD in English and has over a decade of university teaching experience.

Ariella Brown’s Website | Ariella Brown’s LinkedIn Profile

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