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| The Information Technology Competition will be at Cal Poly Pomona on May 3. |
Some of the most talented students in Southern California will compete for $1,000 prizes in the 12th annual Information Technology Competition on May 3 at Cal Poly Pomona.
The event is a challenging test of students' skills. While they must have the technical knowledge to solve an IT problem, they must also possess the business savvy to determine how technology affects a company's bottom line and the communication skills to present the problem in a clear and concise manner.
“This student-organized competition, which is in its 12th year, is a true testament to the learn-by-doing approach to education,” Dan Manson, professor of Computer Information Systems said. “Student teams present solutions to business problems that are created and judged by top industry participants.”
This year's teams will compete in one of four IT specialties: computer forensics, Web application development, telecommunications, and business systems analysis. Experts, including those who work for Guidance Software, DreamBox Creations and Hitachi Consulting, will present an IT problem. Students then work in groups to solve the problem and present it to the industry professionals.
Students and faculty members from the Computer Information Systems (CIS) department are well-suited to host this event. Cal Poly Pomona is the only institution in Southern California to be named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Also, companies such as KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers heavily recruit CIS students to meet their IT needs. In fact, some CIS seniors who will graduate in June secured a job before the end of winter quarter.
“This event exposes prospective employers to IT talent all around the Southern California region and is a great way for teams to build their school's reputation,” said Computer Information Systems student Jonathan Chan, a Management Information Systems Student Association member.
In addition to showcasing talent, the competition also serves as a unique career fair. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., recruiters can talk to students and look at resumes but for the rest of the day they get to see firsthand the depth of students' knowledge. Past participants havebeen offered jobs from the same businesses that attended the competition.
The Cal Poly Pomona community is welcome to attend the event. There is a $20 admission fee for tickets purchased before May 2. The price increases to $25 on the day of the event.
Community colleges, universities and job recruiters can still register to participate. For more information on competition rules, fees and contact names, go to www.itcompetition.org or e-mail itc@calpolymissa.org.