Usually, these project managers oversee the integration of different parts of an IT project. They achieve this by collaborating with the IT unit to help various divisions of a company learn and adjust to new systems. With our handy IT project manager job description template and real-world examples, you’re perfectly poised to make that leap. Problem-solving and analytical thinking are also essential, along with leadership abilities and familiarity with project management software. As an IT Project Manager, you will be required to coordinate with various teams, establish project timelines, and ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget.
Project management: Job outlook
Project Manager SalaryAccording to Payscale, the Middle Project Manager job average salary for a general project manager in the US is $75,000. If you zoom out a bit, you’ll see that a project manager’s weekly tasks are just as critical. Meetings generally result in action items that need to be logged in their project management solution. This ensures discussions, action items, and any decisions are recorded and nothing slips through the cracks. A project manager’s daily routine is made up of various knowledge-work and admin activities. Project managers in advertising agencies also work as the point of contact for the many clients an agency serves.
All Projects Go Through the Same Project Lifecycle
However, employers often prefer to hire candidates who hold PMI certifications, and PMI-certified professionals tend to earn higher salaries than their uncertified peers. An IT project manager’s responsibilities are similar to those of any other project manager in that they oversee the project’s planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting. They are in charge of ensuring that resources are managed effectively and that the project is completed successfully, which means on schedule, within budget, and complying with the required quality. They also manage the IT team while reporting to top management, clients, stakeholders, and so on. One of the most common challenges faced by IT project managers is a poorly defined project scope.
Career pathways in project management
While a strong technical background is necessary, job descriptions also ask for non-technical skills such Programming language implementation managing tasks, scheduling and providing detailed plans. A project manager is a professional who leads a team through the project life cycle by planning, budgeting, scheduling and tracking a project plan. The project plan thoroughly explains how the project will be executed and includes a budget, timeline, schedule, roles and responsibilities among other things.
- There is no one path, but there are more linear routes that one can take, just as if learning a trade.
- Some companies require project managers to hold four-year bachelor’s degrees, and some don’t require degrees.
- The growing demand for project manager jobs across various industries highlights the diverse skill sets required for these roles.
- IT project managers are responsible for planning, organizing, and managing the information technology processes of an organization.
- Foster a culture where developers, testers, designers, and other team members collaborate openly.
- There are a whole range of skills you need to be a successful project manager, and they’re not necessarily all technical.
And since it is such a versatile career, you can leverage these transferable skills to enhance your resume, no matter where your career takes you. Learn about skills, salary, requirements, and reasons to consider a versatile career in project management. They must also identify and assess potential risks and develop strategies for risk mitigation. They have to consider various scenarios and develop contingency plans to address unexpected events that may arise during the project. At this stage, Project Managers break down the project into manageable tasks and create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that provides a hierarchical view of the project’s components. They assign responsibilities to team members based on their skills and expertise.
An information technology team is developing a new iPhone application to help employees clock in at work. When putting together the project proposal for the iPhone app, the IT project manager consults with the app creator while also considering the needs of the end user. To reduce the frequency of scope creep, set strong project objectives from the beginning, have a change control process in place, and do your best to communicate with stakeholders every step of the way.
Effectively managing project teams is a crucial responsibility of Project Managers. They assemble cross-functional teams comprising individuals with diverse skill sets, experience, and expertise. They also assign tasks and responsibilities to team members, ensuring each member understands their role and contributions to the project’s success.
What does the future look like for IT project managers?
Project managers establish teams, assign tasks, set deadlines and communicate with both internal and external stakeholders. Their leadership duties typically involve tracking the progress of projects and making decisions to adjust as issues or changing priorities arise. IT project management tools can keep your project team organized and informed from project initiation to closure. These tools help visualize each team member’s role in the project and show the project’s progress in real time.
Pursue Certification
You can start by working in junior roles such as a project coordinator or assistant project manager. These positions provide exposure to project planning, execution, and monitoring. This allows you to develop critical problem-solving and leadership skills that are essential for managing larger projects. It is hard to perform all the project activities manually because it will be ineffective. These tools can help you collaborate with teams, keep all the project-related documents in a single place, plan tasks, create a project plan, and track the progress.