How to Become an IT Project Manager

An effective, educated IT project manager can help projects make their deadlines and empower other employees to do their best. If you want to become a project manager, you need a keen sense for people and how projects work.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Certifications
• Project outline

1. Ask for a complete outline of your responsibilities before you accept the position. You should be aware of what deadlines and potential roadblocks you might hit before you accept the assignment.

2. Talk with your employer about your project team. A team should be made up of a variety of experience levels and talents. If you can, ask to choose your own team with help from your employer.

3. Develop good problem-solving skills. As a project manager, you will have to make sound decisions rather quickly to settle debates and keep the project on track.

4. Study technology and business if you don't have a background in both. A project manager can have a good eye for one or the other but still have a project fail because he doesn't understand some general truths about half of his project. If you aren't able to take a class, ask colleagues to give you a primer.

5. Tone down your ego. While you will be managing the project, it's best not to act as though you know everything. Build a team willing to share their talents and visions with you. Visit the Learning Center website for more information on how to build a solid team (see Resources below).

6. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Decide how you want to keep in touch with your group after you meet them. Regular meetings work for some, while others do better with email. Encourage your employees to keep in touch with you at least once a day to give a progress report.

Tips & Warnings

• Many companies only hire project managers with certifications. "IT Project+" and "Project Management Professional" are two examples of acceptable certifications that will help you get the job.
• You can criticize your team, but make sure to compliment them, too. A healthy mix of both will keep their egos from over-inflating or disappearing.
• Don't become an IT project manager before you have some leadership experience. Managing and motivating employees to keep their eyes on the technology is just as difficult as managing a department. Try to get some experience by filling in for your boss or taking on smaller office projects first.

Resources

• Learning Center for team-building resources