Student Membership

The AITP Student Program, started in 1968, is designed for students planning careers in information systems or related fields. Complete professional development requires knowledge that goes beyond the classroom, especially in a profession where textbooks may be obsolete before they are printed. Intended to complement classroom studies, AITP Student Chapters provide students with opportunities to participate in the information technology community and to explore various career opportunities. The program also gives regular AITP members an opportunity to provide insight and guidance. Students majoring in information technology have made a commitment to a career. Student Chapters represent AITP's commitment to helping them become future leaders in information technology. The UF chapter of AITP promises to uphold the standards of this fine organization.

UF Chapter Foundation

The Association of Information Technology Professionals Student Chapter was founded at the University of Florida in the summer of 1999. AITP as an organization consists of local and national chapters for both students and Information Technology Professionals. The organization is directed primarily towards Information Systems and Operations Management students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Our commitment to excellence has kept us going.

Helping students find careers

Since career search is probably the most important topic to our members, we help them with this process. We have arranged workshops with the Career Services Office of the Warrington College of Business to help prepare students for interviews and obtain other pertinent real world information. We organize the AITP mixer every semester before Career Showcase for our members so they can familiarize themselves with many companies wanting to hire our students. We compiled our own resume book to hand out to recruiters at our mixer. We have had over 120 students and recruiters such as IBM, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Ford Motor Company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and other high profile companies in attendance at this event. We have organized corporate site trips to see Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, Coca-Cola, Deloitte & Touche, Home Depot, Chick-fil-A, Lectra, Hewitt, and Bellsouth; our members were able to participate at nearly no cost. We have a company presentation at every AITP meeting, so members can gain information and presenters can meet the promising students our program has to offer.

Gaining a Competitive Advantage

Staying abreast of technology is one of the predominant goals of AITP and its members. Our website allows students to find out the latest information about our upcoming events. Other ways we stay on top of technology is by providing members with certification information and use of industry standard software. We are proud to have sent three students to the National AITP Conference at Perdue University where they competed in a systems analysis and design project winning 3rd place!

Gaining support

AITP has learned the importance of reaching out to others in the professional community to gain resources. With hard work, we have received thousands of dollars in corporate sponsorship thanks to the reputation we have earned with companies and their recruiters. We have held joint meetings with the local parent chapter of AITP, thus permitting our members to affiliate with information technology professionals in the Gainesville area. Constantly striving to learn from others, AITP has started relationships with organizations on and off campus such as the BACC, the blanket business organization, and other school's AITP chapters so we can make ourselves better. In the future, we hope to have partial student government funding.

Striving for improvement

Continued improvement is something AITP prides itself on; it is the members' and officers' continued dedication to the organization and our program that allows us to grow both in number and achievements.

Professional Chapter Support

The Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP), with the support and sponsorship of their professional chapters, provides student chapter members with valuable resources to enhance their understanding of their chosen profession, the IT industry, and AITP. Professional members are willing to speak at student chapter meetings, arrange tours of their installations, arrange for representatives of manufacturers, software houses, forms suppliers and consultants to provide programs that are specifically directed to student chapters. Programs may include: training and educational requirements for entry level positions; career paths for advancement in the IT profession; hiring trends within the industry; chapter organized job fairs addressing topics of technical and general interest in the IT profession. Students are encouraged to attend professional chapter meetings, AITP's annual conference and the Annual National Collegiate Conference.

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Published on: 2009-08-31 (649 reads)