should I get into IT management?

A background about me

I have being in IT for 4 years doing infrastructure stuff.

Currently I work as an technical lead for a firm and I make 75k and im 21 turning 22 tommorow

I am a mcitp ea and I got no education that means no degree and no highschool diploma

I currently managing my team a team of 5 people as well as do consulting and design and implementation work for clients.

I like managing and wanna move into one that us full management and look after a larger team. I only have 6 months of management experience what more do I need

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Comments

NinjaBoy

Consider seriously if you really want to get into IT Management - that is the first thing to do.

Being the technical lead and being an IT manager, while there are some crossover, they are two very different roles.

Danielm7

You might also find that in many other companies for management roles they'll require a 4 year degree.

cyberguypr

Consider that generally the more you get sucked into management, the faster your tech skills will fade. That is the one reasons why I'm 95% sure I'll never move into management.

paul78

@game - perhaps it would help if you shared more about what you like about management. And what do you mean by full management? The measure of competence of a successful manager isn't the size of the team but the leadership skills and talent which are needed to advance whatever charter you are assigned. To be successful in IT management, you would need broad but solid technical background coupled with having the judgement to apply that knowledge in a business context.

For management, on the job experience is important but if you lack a high-school diploma, it could be harder for you to advance while you are early in your career. Perhaps as a next step, you may want to consider completing your GED.

GAngel

Regardless of where you want to be at a minimum you should get your GED and ideally a bachelors (basic entry level barriers to mgmt). Managing a large team and budget is far more difficult than people realize you're going to need to be real good with "numbers". It's not just a spreadsheet with a bunch of columns when you're sitting in a board meeting and the accountants start breaking down your projections. Almost all my senior techs out earn me so neither route is necessarily better for more money depending on the industry you're in.

boobobobobob

I think you need a degree to get into management. Also, is english your first language? Communication skills are incredibly important for management rolls and your post was very poorly written. I do not mean to be rude, but I think it's very relevent to the topic at hand.

game

Why the heck should I get my g.e.d?

I made it this far without it and im doing more than fine. Also degrees are so over rated trust me I teach fresh out of college grads on how to do thire jobs because they are clueless.

sratakhin

That's funny. So, you are a 21-year old high school dropout wanting to get into management? Good luck.
You may know more about IT stuff than fresh graduates but wait 10 years and you'll see how far you can go without a high school diploma. Then you'll regret your decisions.

NetworkVeteran

game wrote: »

Why the heck should I get my g.e.d?

Others have already explained this quite clearly--

paul wrote:

For management, on the job experience is important but if you lack a high-school diploma, it could be harder for you to advance while you are early in your career. Perhaps as a next step, you may want to consider completing your GED.

boobobobobob wrote:

Also, is english your first language? Communication skills are incredibly important for management

game wrote:

I made it this far without it and im doing more than fine. Also degrees are so over rated trust me I teach fresh out of college grads on how to do thire jobs because they are clueless.

What's more important to you---(a) proving how far you can advanced in a karate tournament with one hand tied behind your back, or (b) actually winning the tournament? It's up to you how long you allow this to be a hindrance. A quick Wikipedia search reveals that the people in America with more education tend to make more money. Simple enough.

Nutsacjac

game wrote: »

Why the heck should I get my g.e.d?

I made it this far without it and im doing more than fine. Also degrees are so over rated trust me I teach fresh out of college grads on how to do thire jobs because they are clueless.

The other posters in this thread are giving you sage advice. I only wish someone sat the 21 year old me down and done the same thing.

pinkydapimp

game wrote: »

Why the heck should I get my g.e.d?

I made it this far without it and im doing more than fine. Also degrees are so over rated trust me I teach fresh out of college grads on how to do thire jobs because they are clueless.

Its this thought process that will land you unemployed at the age of 40 with a tough time finding a new job. Yes, you made it pretty far without a HS diploma or degree. However, that will catch up to you. Dont you want to do everything you can now to ensure that you keep this career going? A GED is insurance! Because i can tell you in management, you will get to a point where that will prevent you from moving up. You have recieved some good advice in here. I would do what you can to ensure your future success.

paul78

game wrote: »

Why the heck should I get my g.e.d?

Perhaps a better question is why shouldn't you. I think several of us have offered some reasons since your original question is about what you should do next. But since you asked why, I will try to elaborate. The reality is that at 21, you still have a long career ahead of you, at least another 40 years. You aren't wrong to question why - from your perspective, I can see why you would ask. But it is a very rare individual that can succeed in senior level IT management without a degree. If you goal in management is less lofty or if you are exceedingly self-disciplined to learn on your own, then just focus on enhancing your leadership talent. You mentioned that you have to teach college grads to do their job - that is not a sign of a good manager, that is the sign of a good trainer which is very different. Succeeding in IT management doesn't require a degree but it is very different today than 20 years ago when I started in IT management, you will be competing for jobs with people with MBAs because online education has made it easier to get a degree. I don't have a college degree so for me to be successful, I have had to get to my current level in a more circuitous manner.

game

pinkydapimp wrote: »

Its this thought process that will land you unemployed at the age of 40 with a tough time finding a new job. Yes, you made it pretty far without a HS diploma or degree. However, that will catch up to you. Dont you want to do everything you can now to ensure that you keep this career going? A GED is insurance! Because i can tell you in management, you will get to a point where that will prevent you from moving up. You have recieved some good advice in here. I would do what you can to ensure your future success.

Lol by 40 I want to own my own business and be my own boss not work for someone else

pinkydapimp

game wrote: »

Lol by 40 I want to own my own business and be my own boss not work for someone else

Those are great goals. Now what are you going to do to ensure you get there? And what back up plans will you have in place if that doesn't work out? That's what you need to ask yourself.

paul78

game wrote: »

Lol by 40 I want to own my own business and be my own boss not work for someone else

That's a reasonable goal and if you have a good business plan, it's certainly achievable. Just bear in mind that most businesses fail. And from my personal experience, raising capital is not a trivial exercise. What type of business did you have in mind? Being in management is not likely to matter much is you are interested in starting a small business.

NetworkVeteran

paul78 wrote: »

Being in management is not likely to matter much is you are interested in starting a small business.

That these goals are all over the place is another point in favor of a G.E.D., which is a general step forward that will help you whether you decide to go into management, raise capital and found a start-up, or start a small business on your own.

sratakhin

Game, are you actually seeking advice or do you just enjoy being defensive?

Polynomial

REMOVED UNNECESSARY QUOTED REPLY FROM PREVIOUS POST

This.

Game, you should probably avoid management if the way you act here is even a remote parallel to real life.

ahardinjr

game wrote: »

Lol by 40 I want to own my own business and be my own boss not work for someone else

I applaud your success at such a young age, but technical aptitude and business / management acumen are two entirely different areas. Approximately 80% of businesses fail because small business owners don't have a clue on how to properly start-up and run a business. If you have aspirations to move out of the IT technical arena and be successful in management or as a small business owner, I implore you to get your GED and at least some business management and entrepreneurship training - or at least pick up a book on the topics.

You are 21 years old right now making $75k / year, but jobs come and go. What happens if the company your work for tanks or they decide to replace you with a low-cost new grad who is willing to work for two-thirds of your salary? This is why people here are discussing and recommending you get your GED and a college degree.

Also, to answer your question regarding business and management, take a look at these questions below. They are some of the basic business and management concepts you learn in a business program and need to be successful:

- Do you know the concept of emotional intelligence and how to motivate different type of people?
- Are you aware of strategies for combating resistance to change and successfully implementing chance in organizations?
- What are the traits of an exceptional leader?
- Do you know how to effectively communicate to target audiences (execs, subordinates, etc) in both written and oral formats?
- Are you adept in business strategy concepts?
- Do you understand basic business accounting, finance, and marketing concepts?

pamccabe

This post is ridiculous. Why should you get your GED?? Why not?? You are 21, study for a month and get it. Case closed. Is your life that busy that you can't set aside such a small time window to get something necessary? I only hope I wasn't as ignorant when I was your age. Jobs come and go. Careers come and go. When in nursing school, I studied brain development. Your brain is constantly changing and maturing until the age of 26. My god, you aren't even going to be the same person in 10 years time. Your taste buds will mature, you won't even like the same foods! You can't possibly understand or know where you will be when you are 40. Do yourself a favor and invest a little time in yourself for the future. Jobs change, companies change, economies change... there are so many reasons why you should be educating yourself than why you shouldn't. You are just too immature to see them right now.

paul78

@game - I'm always willing to engage in dialogue on this topic. It's been my experience that for many professionals that are starting off in their career who have reached an inflection point on which to pursue, it can be sometimes confusing.

As you progress in your career, one of things that you will hopefully learn is that the written word (email, memo, anonymous forum postings) cannot convey tone. Your posts so far can be interpreted as defensive as some have pointed out.

What ahardinjr has pointed out is sage advice. You can certainly learn all the fundamental concepts that he mentioned on your own if you have the discipline of self-discovery. The value of a formal education is that while you will not be taught these things, you will be exposed to them as part of the process.