How To Become an It Project Manager
Becoming a project manager is the next step in a career for many people. They only want to spend so long doing entry-level work. To make more money and take on more exciting work, many people want to manage projects instead.
And when the demand for project managers is increasing, it’s a great option to pursue. Reports show that the demand for managers will grow by 7% by 2031.
Do you want to read some tips to help you learn how to become an IT project manager? Read on below to see what becoming an IT project manager takes.
Get a Degree
It’s hard to manage IT projects when you don’t have any IT experience. Unfortunately, some managers get thrown into the weeds to manage IT systems they don’t understand.
Many organizations know this now and will promote regular IT workers to manager positions. Many employers look for undergraduate degrees in computer science and other IT-related degrees.
It also pays if you have some coursework with project management. You can do this in university or look at project management certifications.
You’ll learn everything from general project management to tool use to make your job easier. Check out these Smartsheet dashboard examples to see an example of what you can do.
Gain Work Experience
The next step to becoming an IT project manager is learning more about IT systems. To do this, you’ll need to get an IT-related job.
Look for a job that will let you get hands-on experience in an IT department. You should try to expose yourself to as many IT tasks as possible. This means doing everything from managing support requests from customers and managing the internal IT systems.
This experience will help you understand what’s expected of you in a manager role. You’ll know how to design IT systems and what people need to do to maintain IT infrastructure.
Look for Mentors
Yes, you can learn a lot about IT on your own. However, you’ll also run behind more experienced professionals without help.
Try to find mentors when you get an IT job. These are the experts in the field that know far more than you. Try to spend time with them to learn what you can about IT work.
If you can, try to reach out to other IT project managers to see what the work entails. Project management can vary significantly in different fields. You want to know what exactly you need to know to work as an IT project manager.
You can also find mentors if you attend networking events. There are many local meetup groups for IT professionals if you want to connect with other workers. It’s also possible to go to industry events to connect with IT professionals worldwide.
Get Certified
You’re ready to start advancing your career after you’ve been working in the IT field for a while. However, you probably won’t be able to just apply for a position when you feel ready.
You may be able to handle a lot of IT tasks. However, you probably haven’t proven that you can manage other people.
You’ll need to learn much more about project management to do this. Look for the different project management certifications in IT to see which ones are relevant to the position you want.
From there, look for courses that will teach you what you need for the certification. You can take an in-person class or sign up for online training.
Once you go through the coursework and feel like you have a handle on things, you’ll need to take a certification exam. Once you pass your exam, you’ll have the certification saying you’re ready to become an IT project manager.
Look for New Job
Ideally, you’ll be able to move up in your current position. The company you work with knows you can handle the job. If you’re ready to move up to a manager position, you should be able to apply for the job and get accepted.
However, that doesn’t happen in every organization. Many people can’t advance their careers unless they move to another company.
Don’t count on your current employer to give you what you want. As soon as you get certified, start looking for project management roles at other companies.
Your goal is to gain as many options as possible. Once you start getting job offers, you can bring them back to your current employer if you want to remain there. But don’t be afraid to take a job at another company if you can’t get what you want in your current position.
Advance Your Career
Getting your first project management job isn’t your final step in IT project management. You’ll probably still be low on the totem pole. There are more advanced projects out there that can benefit from your expertise.
Be sure to always look towards the future in your project management career. You want to take on exciting projects that add value to your company and its clients.
Also, think about the type of project management work you want to do. Are you okay with sticking with something like a helpdesk or IT infrastructure? Or do you want to look for more advanced projects in new IT fields?
Whatever you decide, be sure you constantly advance towards that goal and keep working on your career.
How to Become an IT Project Manager: It’s Time to Begin
Deciding to become an IT project manager is a big decision. You’re committing to a career and several years of work to get there. It makes sense if you’re unsure if you want to continue and what the best path forward will be.
Luckily, there is a solid process available to anyone who wants to learn how to become an IT project manager. Remember the guide above to become the best IT project manager you can be.
Do you want more career tips that will help you get a leg up? Check out the blog to learn more career advice.
