Abstract: College student interest in career as information systems (IS) professionals has declined dramatically in recent years. If continued, this trend could have a profound effect, both on academia and industry. One possible explanation for this decline is that students hold negative perceptions of the workstyle associated with the positions held by IS graduates. A study of freshman business majors was conducted which compared their perceptions of IS workstyle to their own expected careers. The study showed that compared to their perceptions of IS jobs, they expected their own jobs to involve substantially more human interaction and less direct involvement in the implementation of computer technology. The results suggest a need for: (1) a more proactive strategy to market the IS career both inside and outside the classroom, and (2) some creative approaches for the placement and content of programming activities in both the major and the career.

Keywords: Student attitudes, Student perceptions, Curriculum, Workstyle, Entry-level positions, Job preferences, Information systems careers

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Recommended Citation: Mawhinney, C. H., Cale, Jr., E. G., & Callaghan, D. R. (1990). Freshmen Expectations of Information Systems Careers versus Their Own Careers. Journal of Information Systems Education, 2(3), 2-8.