John Melchiori, MISM
President, JBM Computer Services
Teaching field: Business and Technology
Where I come from
The fields I work in and teach were not even available as an undergraduate major when I attended Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY). I majored in math and minored in computer science, and when I graduated, I joined the CUNY staff as a non-instructional faculty member. My job was assisting the faculty with automating their research projects. In the days before personal computers were invented, it gave me unlimited access to a mainframe computer and time to experiment, play and learn.
After a few years, I went to work for North American Reinsurance Corp., one of the largest property/casualty reinsurance carriers in the world. When I joined, the company was still fundamentally run via paper-based systems. I was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time. I created a first class IT department, established a data base group, initiated the deployment of personal computers and networks within the company and established a sound plan for the creation and deployment of new technology systems. retired early from this company 17 years later, after holding every role in information technology from programmer to Manager of Network Solutions to Manager of their programming and analysis staff. When I left, we had a technical staff of 30 and employed at various times upwards of 50 consultants on major projects.
Changing yourself
Following a move to Florida, I opened my own web hosting and design company, which evolved into JBM Computer Services, an IT consultancy for business clients. I also earned a Master's of Information Systems Management degree from Keller Graduate School of Management taking online courses. It was enjoyable and enabled me to consolidate what I had learned over the course of my career. In 2005, I began teaching at Keller.
At North American Reinsurance, I transitioned from having a job to having a career. Many of the students I teach are at the point of making that transition themselves; that's why they come to Keller. I show them directions that lead to success. Some of the advice may seem obvious - such as, "Don't walk into a meeting without knowing what it is about" - but lots of people make this mistake. Everybody has to learn the simple things at some time. I do my best to assist them.
Keeping up with the changes
The challenge for any studies involving information systems is that the textbooks are all outdated the minute they are printed because the pace of change is so rapid, and the path makes unexpected turns. Some turns lead to dead ends. Whether your interest is in the technology itself or in managing functions that depend on technology, this is a field that is best learned from practitioners.
Few of my students are IT majors; most are satisfying requirements for an MBA, HR or some other degree. To bridge the text and the real world I make use of current business or technological events. This helps bring a sense of "now" to the material. Along with current events I utilize examples from my many years of experience in hiring and managing people. I make an effort to show students where I go to find information, especially the sources that are free and reliable. I stress the necessity to update one's knowledge and skills continually in order to compete effectively in the current global market.
Technology that you can relate to
I encourage discussion and try to provide greater understanding of technology trends and issues; I utilize videos that document how industry leaders deal with their real world issues. I also use business cases that any current students can relate to. For example, we study business cases related to Apple computers, iPods and iPhones, the music copyright issues, sourcing and labor issues, and so on.
I also try to correct misunderstandings. For example, the mainstream media have created an outsourcing scare. Many students don't want to be in IT because they think that all IT jobs are being sent to India and other places. The fact is that American companies are only outsourcing the lowest level, most boring IT jobs such as coding. Well-educated and trained IT individuals are not suffering from any "outsourcing crisis."
The people that do the application analysis and design, manage the networks, make the database decisions, redesign business processes - these people are still wanted and needed. Information management and IT infrastructure decisions are so vital and so strategic in business today that they remain internal operations. Students have to understand that you can't start out as the boss, but you can become one if you are talented and just keep learning.
Get the learning habit
It is very common for the students in my classes to tell me that they are not in the job they want to keep. The most important thing they must learn is that they must keep learning. Don't study just for the job you think you want. Six months after you graduate, you will have lost your edge to another generation of graduates. Make a habit of learning for a lifetime. Ongoing education, whether formal or on your own, is of paramount importance to success.
Why Keller?
The Keller advantage is the opportunity to learn from real-world practitioners. I personally would have had a lot of difficulty taking my master's degree courses from anyone who wasn't, since I had 30 years of experience in my field. I was impressed with my instructors; they knew their stuff. The textbook was there to supplement what they knew.
Whether students are taking courses online or on-site, the great majority of them mention the same things about Keller: the friendly faculty, the availability of the instructors, online or in person, and the environment that Keller provides. The degree program is fast-paced but the Keller faculty is very motivated to help you find your true interests and succeed in your career by giving well-grounded guidance on setting a direction for your studies and your life.
