Employers and Educators Want Information Systems Graduates to Be Able to Communicate - Communication Skills in Entry-Level CIS Roles

Sep 13, 2026

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Computer and Information System students must be able to communicate effectively with peers, supervisors, users, and technical personnel. Strong communication skills at graduation can improve competitiveness for entry-level CIS employment. The paper identifies what employers seek in communication for entry-level CIS positions and reviews techniques used by higher-education institutions to ensure communication skills are embedded across CIS courses.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResumes

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time4 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Entry Level IT Job Requirements

Employer expectations for entry-level CIS roles

Communication skills required in job descriptions

Reading, writing, speaking, and interpersonal skills

[https://doi.org/10.48009/1_iis_2009_198-207](https://doi.org/10.48009/1_iis_2009_198-207) EMPLOYERS AND EDUCATORS WANT INFORMATION SYSTEMS GRADUATES TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE Jeanne M. Baugh, Robert Morris University, [baugh@rmu.edu](baugh@rmu.edu) Gary A. Davis, Robert Morris University, [davis@rmu.edu](davis@rmu.edu)[ ](davis@rmu.edu)Paul J. Kovacs, Robert Morris University, [kovacs@rmu.edu](kovacs@rmu.edu)[ ](kovacs@rmu.edu)John Scarpino, Robert Morris University, [scarpino@rmu.edu](scarpino@rmu.edu)[ ](scarpino@rmu.edu)David Wood, Robert Morris University, [wood@rmu.edu](wood@rmu.edu) ABSTRACT Computer and Information System students must be able to communicate effectively with their peers, supervisors, users and technical personnel. Attaining outstanding communication skills at the time of graduation can give the College graduate an edge up in the competition for employment. This paper documents what the employers are looking for in terms of communications skills in the entry lever CIS position. Also explored are various techniques that are being used in some institutions of higher Education to insure that communications skills are incorporated into all CIS courses. Keywords: Communication Skills, Technical communication, CIS student communication skills INTRODUCTION All students graduating from College must be able to communicate. This includes the Computer Information Systems majors. They should be able to read, write, speak and comprehend in order to communicate technical issues to their peers, supervisors and end users. In fact, employers are increasing demanding this of their entry level employees [6] “Software programming skills are still in demand despite companies cutting back IT spending. But programmers must have strong communication skills if they are to secure work” [3] . Table 1 in the Appendix documents various IT job titles and communication requirements that are detailed in the IT job descriptions. This information was taken from the popular internet job site,“[Monster.com](Monster.com)” [9]. Although these are not entry level positions, they are an indication that communication skills are an important element in many Information Technology positions. Many say that communication skills can be essential to a student’s future success and at the very least, employers are looking for such skills [13] . But can an Information Systems professional be successful without good communication skills? In their research, Verbick and Tood state “While a solid technological base is desirable when hiring a computer lab consultant, communication and interpersonal skills are far more crucial than programming expertise” [12] . Although it may depend on the type of work being performed, often poor communication skills may cause major problems with the success of that work. For example, suppose a database designer is creating a database for a surgeon. It is very important that the designer communicate with the Physician in a manner that will enable him to understand exactly what data has to be stored and the relationships among the data. The Doctor does not understand the design process of a relational database and it is up to the database designer to ask the right questions and listen carefully to the Physician in order to facilitate a correct design. “Current demands for graduates of Information Technology (IT) programs require that they possess deep technical skills, multidisciplinary awareness, and the ability to deliver the value of technical skills to customers and clients” [10] . It is no longer enough for the student to graduate with just the technical skills. One must be able to communicate the knowledge to others. ENTRY LEVEL IT JOB REQUIREMENTS What is the employer looking for in the entry level CIS position? How does the Computer Information Systems College graduate compete with others for that first job? Many have the same technical skills. Many have that high GPA. What is the “extra a

FAQs

Why do employers and educators emphasize communication for CIS graduates?

The document explains that graduates must read, write, speak, and comprehend to communicate technical issues, and that employers increasingly demand these abilities alongside technical competence.

How does the study determine which communication skills entry-level employers want?

It analyzes 100 entry-level job listings from Monster.com that require a four-year degree and then reviews the job descriptions to see which communication traits are requested.

Which communication skill areas appear most often in the entry-level job descriptions?

The paper reports that analyzing information is required in 82% of the listings, while writing appears in 69% and reading in 58%, with speaking and team/interpersonal skills also valued.

Sep 13, 2026

Upload by Mabel