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Computer Systems Analysts

Analyze science, engineering, business, and other data processing problems to develop and implement solutions to complex applications problems, system administration issues, or network concerns. Perform systems management and integration functions, improve existing computer systems, and review computer system capabilities, workflow, and schedule limitations. May analyze or recommend commercially available software.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Assess the usefulness of pre-developed application packages and adapt them to a user environment.
    • Test, maintain, and monitor computer programs and systems, including coordinating the installation of computer programs and systems.
    • Determine computer software or hardware needed to set up or alter systems.
    • Develop, document, and revise system design procedures, test procedures, and quality standards.
    • Interview or survey workers, observe job performance, or perform the job to determine what information is processed and how it is processed.
    • Supervise computer programmers or other systems analysts or serve as project leaders for particular systems projects.
    • Troubleshoot program and system malfunctions to restore normal functioning.
    • Test, maintain, and monitor computer programs and systems, including coordinating the installation of computer programs and systems.
    • Coordinate and link the computer systems within an organization to increase compatibility so that information can be shared.
    • Analyze information processing or computation needs and plan and design computer systems, using techniques such as structured analysis, data modeling, and information engineering.
    • Confer with clients regarding the nature of the information processing or computation needs a computer program is to address.
    • Review and analyze computer printouts and performance indicators to locate code problems, and correct errors by correcting codes.
    • Specify inputs accessed by the system and plan the distribution and use of the results.
    • Train staff and users to work with computer systems and programs.
    • Assess the usefulness of pre-developed application packages and adapt them to a user environment.
    • Provide staff and users with assistance solving computer-related problems, such as malfunctions and program problems.
    • Test, maintain, and monitor computer programs and systems, including coordinating the installation of computer programs and systems.
    • Use the computer in the analysis and solution of business problems, such as development of integrated production and inventory control and cost analysis systems.
    • Use object-oriented programming languages, as well as client and server applications development processes and multimedia and Internet technology.
    • Analyze information processing or computation needs and plan and design computer systems, using techniques such as structured analysis, data modeling, and information engineering.
    • Read manuals, periodicals, and technical reports to learn how to develop programs that meet staff and user requirements.
    • Develop, document, and revise system design procedures, test procedures, and quality standards.
    • Recommend new equipment or software packages.
    • Define the goals of the system and devise flow charts and diagrams describing logical operational steps of programs.
    • Supervise computer programmers or other systems analysts or serve as project leaders for particular systems projects.
    • Prepare cost-benefit and return-on-investment analyses to aid in decisions on system implementation.
    • Specify inputs accessed by the system and plan the distribution and use of the results.
    • Expand or modify system to serve new purposes or improve work flow.
    • Consult with management to ensure agreement on system principles.

    Skills

    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    Abilities

    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.

    Knowledge

    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    Education

    Education
    Bachelor's degree
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    127420/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    61.26/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    23,540
    Yearly Projected Openings
    1920

    Personality

    Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Analytical Thinking
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cooperation
    • Integrity
    • Initiative

    Tools

    • Desktop computers
    • Mainframe computers
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers

    Technology

    • Access software
    • Accounting software
    • Administration software
    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Application server software
    • Backup or archival software
    • Business intelligence and data analysis software
    • Cloud-based data access and sharing software
    • Cloud-based management software
    • Clustering software
    • Communications server software
    • Compiler and decompiler software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Configuration management software
    • Content workflow software
    • Customer relationship management CRM software
    • Data base management system software
    • Data base reporting software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Data conversion software
    • Data mining software
    • Desktop communications software
    • Desktop publishing software
    • Development environment software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise application integration software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Enterprise system management software
    • Expert system software
    • File versioning software
    • Financial analysis software
    • Geographic information system
    • Graphical user interface development software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Helpdesk or call center software
    • Human resources software
    • Industrial control software
    • Information retrieval or search software
    • Instant messaging software
    • Internet directory services software
    • Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software
    • Medical software
    • Metadata management software
    • Network conferencing software
    • Network monitoring software
    • Network security or virtual private network VPN management software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Object oriented data base management software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Pattern design software
    • Portal server software
    • Presentation software
    • Process mapping and design software
    • Program testing software
    • Project management software
    • Requirements analysis and system architecture software
    • Sales and marketing software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Storage networking software
    • Transaction security and virus protection software
    • Transaction server software
    • Video conferencing software
    • Video creation and editing software
    • Web page creation and editing software
    • Web platform development software
    • Word processing software