At some point in your IT career you are going to encounter
change. Whether that be new technology, replacing old systems or
implementing new systems it is inevitable that you will be involved in
the change process. With that brings the potential for risk. Risk of
something going wrong, risk of spending more money than has been
allocated, risk of implementing something that is either not fit for
purpose or does not meet the original requirements. As a result one of
the most prolific and rewarding roles in IT today is the Project Manager
(PM). I love being a PM. No two projects are the same, you get to meet
some fantastic people, you get to be involved in cutting edge technology
and there is an enormous sense of achievement once the project has been
delivered (as long as it has been delivered well and is fit for
purpose).
However, there is often a huge amount of pressure. You are often working to very tight deadlines, on very tight budgets and are often working with people who do not directly report into you so you must have excellent man management and motivation skills. Good project managers can earn six figure salaries especially with performance bonuses. The average (according to itjobswatch.co.uk) is approx. £45,000 that's about $70,000. The career potential, therefore, for good project managers is excellent. It is also a field where you do not need to be an IT guru. Managing projects is about process, managing risk, managing people and managing logistics.
Qualifications
There are a number of globally recognised standards for Project Management i.e. Agile, Lean or the Project Management Institute (PMI). One of the most recognised and popular world-wide is Prince2.
If you work in IT you will come across and be involved in using ITIL. ITIL is one of the most important qualifications to have in your toolkit. In most blue chip companies ITIL will play a role in terms of the framework for delivering IT services. It will be imperative that a PM understands how ITIL fits into the change process. A lot of what you will learn studying for certifications like Prince2 will overlap with your ITIL studies so it is not like re-inventing the wheel.
How do I get into Project Management?
Career paths are varied in this field. Many come through the ranks working as Support technicians and working their way to third line support and managing change as part of that remit. Other routes include managing business system change and showing an aptitude for delivering change or often from the business where people are trained to deliver change to customers and then transfer those skills into the IT arena. There is no hard and fast rule about the journey other than an individual has shown an aptitude for delivering services and applications, working with people and managing complex change.
Top 5 Tips for getting ahead in Project Management
1. Get qualified - Prince2 certification, ITIL certification, PMI Certification. There are many different forms of qualifications that a good PM should get on their CV.
2. Speak to existing project managers - If you know a project manager, whatever the field of expertise, then go and speak to them about how they got into the profession, what they consider to be the main attributes of a PM and a great question 'what is the one thing that I should get on my CV if I want to be a PM?'
3. Get some experience - If you are applying for Project Manager roles then it is essential you have some experience of leading change projects, large or small. Open your mind to past experiences, if you have swapped out a departments desktops for new one, this is a change and had to be managed in terms of planning, communication and implementation. Think about when you have managed such changes in your recent previous experience.
4. Get to know ITIL - In order to earn good money as a project manager sooner or later you are going to find a role working for a large corporation. It is very likely they will be using ITIL as a standard for delivering IT services. If you don't know ITIL then you will not likely make it to first let alone second interview.
5. Start reading - Add a short term objective to read some form of development or help guide aimed at Project Management.
However, there is often a huge amount of pressure. You are often working to very tight deadlines, on very tight budgets and are often working with people who do not directly report into you so you must have excellent man management and motivation skills. Good project managers can earn six figure salaries especially with performance bonuses. The average (according to itjobswatch.co.uk) is approx. £45,000 that's about $70,000. The career potential, therefore, for good project managers is excellent. It is also a field where you do not need to be an IT guru. Managing projects is about process, managing risk, managing people and managing logistics.
Qualifications
There are a number of globally recognised standards for Project Management i.e. Agile, Lean or the Project Management Institute (PMI). One of the most recognised and popular world-wide is Prince2.
If you work in IT you will come across and be involved in using ITIL. ITIL is one of the most important qualifications to have in your toolkit. In most blue chip companies ITIL will play a role in terms of the framework for delivering IT services. It will be imperative that a PM understands how ITIL fits into the change process. A lot of what you will learn studying for certifications like Prince2 will overlap with your ITIL studies so it is not like re-inventing the wheel.
How do I get into Project Management?
Career paths are varied in this field. Many come through the ranks working as Support technicians and working their way to third line support and managing change as part of that remit. Other routes include managing business system change and showing an aptitude for delivering change or often from the business where people are trained to deliver change to customers and then transfer those skills into the IT arena. There is no hard and fast rule about the journey other than an individual has shown an aptitude for delivering services and applications, working with people and managing complex change.
Top 5 Tips for getting ahead in Project Management
1. Get qualified - Prince2 certification, ITIL certification, PMI Certification. There are many different forms of qualifications that a good PM should get on their CV.
2. Speak to existing project managers - If you know a project manager, whatever the field of expertise, then go and speak to them about how they got into the profession, what they consider to be the main attributes of a PM and a great question 'what is the one thing that I should get on my CV if I want to be a PM?'
3. Get some experience - If you are applying for Project Manager roles then it is essential you have some experience of leading change projects, large or small. Open your mind to past experiences, if you have swapped out a departments desktops for new one, this is a change and had to be managed in terms of planning, communication and implementation. Think about when you have managed such changes in your recent previous experience.
4. Get to know ITIL - In order to earn good money as a project manager sooner or later you are going to find a role working for a large corporation. It is very likely they will be using ITIL as a standard for delivering IT services. If you don't know ITIL then you will not likely make it to first let alone second interview.
5. Start reading - Add a short term objective to read some form of development or help guide aimed at Project Management.
Looking for a job in IT? Whether you are trying to get your foot
in the door or looking for the next best thing then SmartITBlogger.com
is your must see guide.
Packed with free advice, hints and tips, guidance on mastering the job hunting jungle, IT careers advice, salary expectations, CV writing and Interview technique.
Visit http://www.smartITBlogger.com and get ahead of the competition.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Mark_Scott
Packed with free advice, hints and tips, guidance on mastering the job hunting jungle, IT careers advice, salary expectations, CV writing and Interview technique.
Visit http://www.smartITBlogger.com and get ahead of the competition.
No comments:
Post a Comment