Friday, January 9, 2009

Best Careers

Systems Analyst: A Day in the Life

Posted December 19, 2007

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has just hired you through a temp agency, and you've agreed to a six-month contract to help develop a new system for accounting and budgets. You start your day talking with key players in the agency. After the initial meetings, you start researching the best approaches to data security and disaster recovery. After an hour on the computer, you take a break—your eyes are getting tired, and it will also help avoid repetitive strain injury. Next, you meet with the in-house programmers who will be customizing and debugging some off-the-shelf programs that will be part of the new system. You end the day by heading back to your computer to fill in flow-chart boxes on the master plan you've started to develop.

advertisement

People who read this also read ...

advertisement

Small Business Center

The 15 Best Small Businesses to Start in 2009

Learn from entrepreneurs who've succeeded in these hot start-up areas.

advertisement

Retirement Widget

Get Retirement News on Your Site

Click here to add a Usnews.com retirement widget.

NEWSLETTER

Sign up today for the latest headlines from U.S. News & World Report delivered to you free.

RSS FEEDS

Personalize your U.S. News with our feeds of blogs and breaking news headlines.

U.S. NEWS MOBILE

U.S. News daily briefings are also available on your mobile device.

WIDGETS

Embed exclusive U.S. News headlines, rankings, columns, and blog postings to your Web site, blog, or social network.

America's Best Places to Retire

Dennis Peck, a sailing instructor with the Punta Gorda Sailing Club, takes a Sunfish out into Charlotte Harbor.

America's Best Healthy Places to Retire

U.S. News writers profile 10 healthy retirement spots around the country.

Reader Photos

Check out our readers' favorite retirement spots here. Have a photo of a retirement spot you'd like to share? Send it to retirementphotos@usnews.com

Suggest a Spot

From California to the Carolinas, where do you think you'll retire? What cities should have been on our list?

Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.
Make USNews.com your home page.