Learn more in this post: What is an IT project manager? What do they do and how to become one?
Read on for more insights.
What Is An IT Project Manager?
The roles and responsibilities of an IT project manager are often misunderstood. The role is often given to someone who is simply passionate about technology. Or perhaps it has been assigned to them because they are considered the expert in the company.
However, being a manager does not mean that you need to be tech-savvy or know everything about technology.
In fact, according to the Project Management Institute (PMI), there are five different types of project management roles:
- Project Manager – Responsible for planning and executing a project from start to finish.
- Project Coordinator – Responsible for overseeing and coordinating projects, but doesn’t have control over the activities that take place on the project.
- The Project Administrator – Acts as a liaison between the project manager and the team.
- Project Support Staff – Responsible for managing project-related administrative duties, such as tracking schedules and budgets.
- Project Monitor – Assists the project team, but doesn’t have any decision-making authority.
- The Project Facilitator – Provides input and advice to the project manager, but doesn’t have any decision-making authority.
So, IT project managers are project managers. They are responsible for planning and managing the execution of a technology-related project from start to finish.
They also have to manage the key stakeholders. As well as make sure that everyone involved in a project is on board with the objectives and deliverables.
What Do They Do?
The role of an IT project manager is often compared to that of a project manager in other industries. Such as construction and engineering. This is because the roles and responsibilities of an IT project manager and a project manager in other industries are very similar.
However, some differences make IT projects particularly challenging to manage. Here are some common challenges of IT projects: what do they do and how to become one?
It requires strong communication skills. You need to be able to communicate with all parties involved in a project. This includes communication with the team members, the stakeholders, and also management.
The technology used in an IT project is constantly changing. This can be very challenging for an IT manager because of the amount of time involved in staying up-to-date with the latest technologies.
There are several stakeholders to keep happy with IT projects. Not only the manager, but also the members of the team, management, and even customers. Project managers have to make sure that their customers are happy with the project’s deliverables.
The cost of failure is very high on IT projects. It is estimated that the cost of failure on technology projects can be as much as 60%, which can be very costly for an organization.
What Does It Take to Be an IT Project Manager?
Here are the lists:
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or project management.
- Have a minimum of five years of relevant experience.
- Demonstrate excellent leadership skills.
- Demonstrate excellent communication skills.
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
- Good technical knowledge.
- Excellent organizational skills.
To Conclude
To become an IT project manager, you need to obtain the required education and experience.
But, it is also important to develop your project management skills and knowledge on the go. This will help you to stay relevant in the fast-changing world of IT.
