Jacob Crabtree

Old Dominion University

IDS 493

Dr. Sherron Gordon-Phan

Job posting analysis

In the field of cybersecurity, there are so many advancements in technology and the application of tech and security, there is no shortage of jobs. From entry- level positions in an IT call center to senior level administrators and analyst, there are positions and jobs at all different levels to ensure that all duties are being met in the web of duties and responsibilities in cybersecurity. In this paper, I will do a little deeper into one of the positions available in this field and analyze the requirements, structure of the posting and duties of the positions, as well as the overall culture and set up of the company the position is posted through. At the end of this paper, we will understand the overall aspect and culture of Sentara hospitals and their job posting of IT specialty Analyst.

When going through Indeed.com for possible job opportunities that are available, I stumbled upon a position for Sentara Independence hospital. The position is titled IT specialty analyst. The first thing that caught my eye with this position was that it is in support of the medical field. I used to work as an EMT years ago and so I am familiar with working within the medical field. The position shows that it is a full-time job with hours that would be during day shift which would usually be in the early morning time frame. The job essentially is being responsible for upholding and updating any business or software that needs to be upgrade, keep up documentation of patches, upgrades, and any software or machine testing that needs to occur. The position is listed as “day-to-day support and optimization of software applications, to include builds, upgrades, and system enhancements” (sentara).  Any issues that would arise with installing or upgrading computer and software, this position would help to document and facilitate when and how these updates are carried out and how to do rollbacks if any issues arise as well as performing the release of updates at particular times once, they have been tested. The main education requirement for this position only shows that you must have at least a High School diploma or equivalent. The educational requirement is not an issue for me when applying since I am currently finishing my Bachelor’s degree, I have beyond what they are seeking in the educational experience. In regards to the specific requirements of skills, Sentara would like their IT specialty Analyst to have efficient skills with “Communication, Complex Problem Solving, Leadership, Operations Analysis, Project Management, Service Orientation, Technology/Computer, Time Management” (sentara). I have great communication skills due to my history or working in customer service, working with patients as an EMT, and even in my current job of IT support for the navy. As for time management, problem solving, operations analysis, and even leadership, I have been able to display these traits in my previous positions and improve them over time. Being that this is an IT position within the medical field, there are several applications and software services that are used in the hospital setting that need to be kept up to date. Between data sets being stored, patient charts being viewed and even registering patients and their bloodwork in the system all require different applications and the IT analyst will need to be on top of things to ensure these services are all up to date and patched. An IT analyst in this setting needs to be able to multi task to be able to handle research and documentation for software and applications and what their patches may be. They also need to be able to conduct the proper process of rolling out updates and patches which involves notifying staff of update, testing the update to ensure quality and lack of vulnerability, and eventually the actual roll out of updating systems. Another trait that would be key in a position like this would be making sure not only that the person is great with communication, but being able to carry themselves appropriately in a professional setting. Working in the hospital setting, you are likely to have to converse with doctors for their systems to be updated and the Analyst needs to be able to conduct themselves accordingly. The job posting lists that the individual “Works within cross-functional team” but it also lists that an experienced professional should be able to “Work independently with general supervision” (sentara). This means that overall, the applicant for this position should be well balanced in being able to work efficiently as a part of a team as well as by themselves. This aspect would not be an issue for me due to the fact that when I worked as an EMT you work with multiple people to be able to accomplish a common goal. Even in my current job as IT support, sometimes you have to work with others to help troubleshoot a computer issue.

When I looked at the position, I did do some research into the company itself. I looked on the page for information about Sentara but I also already have some background with Sentara and the culture of the company. I used to do EMT work through a branch owned by Sentara and I also used to work within the lab at a different hospital of theirs. Sentara prides itself and focusing on the care and health of not only their customers and patients, but also their staff. They work diligently to make sure the environment for patients as well as the workplace for employees is a welcoming and comfortable place to work. In my previous positions they were very detailed for my training and onboarding period to ensure that I was fully prepared to start in my position, so I would expect nothing less for the IT analyst position either. Sentara also focuses on trying to keep up with the most up to date facilities as well as technology which means that the equipment and environment that I would be working with as the analyst would be efficient and with some of the more up to date computers and other devices. Having quality environment and equipment shows that the company cares not only about the care they vie to patients but that they can train and keep quality workers as well. I think I honestly work fit this position due to my previous job experiences and traits. I have educational experience that exceeds the requirement for this position and in addition, I have two cybersecurity certifications. This helps to show that I have a fair amount of knowledge of system networking and software troubleshooting as well as cybersecurity as a whole which is what helps me stand out and remain unique amongst candidates. Another part that is beneficial in me applying to this position would be my experience in the medical field. Typically, hospitals such as Sentara prefer when someone is familiar with working in such a setting, so I have no doubt that my EMT and lab Assistant experience would work in my favor.

Overall, Sentara is a great company to work for and being in the medical field and involving technology, there is nothing but job security when finding a job with them. The position of IT analyst is a quality position. This position is critical in helping to maintain the efficiency of workflow and processing of data on computers in the hospital setting by ensuring that updates and patches are carried out and tested in the proper way. Based on my previous work experience and character traits, I think I would be an excellent candidate for this position and other positions similar to it.

Works cited

Search jobs. Sentara- IT specialty Analyst. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://sentara.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/SCS/job/IT-Specialty-Analyst–on-site-or-remote-_JR-7672-1