Calling IT Managers/project managers/HR people...

weasle37

Hello TE folks....I am in need of help. I am so confused it is actually starting to stress me out and I need a bit of guidance. I have literally no one else in the industry I can talk to about this, so I am going to rely on your input.

I initially got into IT wanting to be a network engineer. So I started (as most people should do) in helpdesk at the company I work in now. While doing that, I was finishing my degree and starting to take on more and more responsibility. After about 2 years, and me getting my degree, they promoted me to manage the support group. Now this is support for a regional ISP here in WA state with about 6k customers.

During this point I got into doing alot more networking and sysadmin work...eventually my job decided I was doing really good at managing time and employees expectations and asked me to become the operations manager....my current position.

Now, I am getting more and more OUT of the technical side of working in IT and more and more into the business side and project management side.

My quandary is that I don't know if I should be happy about this (career wise) or not. Personally I am very happy with this, as it is challenging and is a new experience for me, I just hired my first employee and it was a whole new thing for me. What I am concerned with is if what I am doing is good for a continued career in IT. Is there a demand for IT managers? What is something I can expect to get into eventually? Above me at my company is the CEO and CTO so no more movement for me right now (or in the next 15 years as they will not retire, they started the company).

I have an opportunity to take a job that is a few steps down on the career stepladder, almost a helpdesk style role, but will put me down the engineering path.....Is there a future in IT management for me? or should I jump ship now?

I have attached my resume so you can check to see what I mean, and if my types of skills translate to opportunities within management

Jim Resume TE.doc

tl;dr version. I got into IT to be a network admin, job placement has put me into more into a business role....should I keep on the track or switch? Personally I am happy with either, want to know what the job market wants.

networker050184

You will have job opportunities either way so that isn't anything to worry about. You just need to decide if you want to go management or technical. You can always change your mind down the road, but be prepared to take a pay cut going from experienced manager to non experienced tech/engineer.

w00t

I would say go into the management route since you seem to have that niche and your employer have noticed it. I would get into management positions myself if I had the chance. But if you are not interested it in, you may need to follow what makes you happy.

paul78

Whether you should “jump ship” now is really hard to know. Ahh – if only I had a crystal ball .

The career path of an IT manager can be quite different than a pure technical role. But like pure technical roles, it can have its benefits and challenges.

It really does come down to a lifestyle choice in some ways. If you are successful in IT management and you can advance, there are certainly perks. But those come at a price in additional work stress and possibly sacrifices to home life.

IT management is likely to provide a higher total compensation over a total career. While there are pure technical roles which are highly compensated, IT management can have higher ceilings.

And as you progress in the career of IT management, it can sometimes get stifling and it is possible to get trapped into a job or employer. At higher levels, it can get competitive as there are just not as many leadership roles as general individual contributor roles.

I have been in IT management or leadership roles for over 20 years. I would generally describe my current job as tolerable. But because there are not too many jobs where I can earn the same level of compensation, in many ways, I am trapped. But I would insincere if I didn’t admit I enjoy the seniority of my role and the lifestyle that it brings. I have a strong personality drive to succeed in my career and I also have always had a passion for technology so for me – IT management works.

You asked if there is a demand for IT managers – yes – absolutely. Someone needs to be in charge and make decisions. There will always be a demand for IT managers. From your post, it sounds like you are enjoying the role and the new challenges. One thing about IT management, there will always be new challenges – whether they are real or imagined. Since you are new to the role, try it out for a few years. It will likely take you a few years before you know if it’s right for you.

As for staying technical – well – that’s the dilemma. I also miss hands-on work. But I satisfy that craving by hanging out here, playing with the technologies that interest me in my own lab, and I occasionally insert myself into hands-on activities which I know drive others crazy

weasle37

To those that replied, Thank you very much for your time. to Paul78 specifically, thank you for the first person perspective into it. The one thing that I am running into, is what kind of jobs or titles do you end up moving into with IT management? With network or programmer work it is pretty clearly defined, i.e. network engineer (senior), Lead developer, database analyst, etc...What kind of actual JOBS can I look forward to seeing and pursuing?

I know this sounds kind of whiny, or possibly hard to understand in typed form (it makes tons of sense in my head). But, as I have said, this is a whole new experience and possible career path for me.

networker050184

You know all those job titles you just listed? Someone manages them right? That would be you! What the actual title is differs by organization, but usually along the lines of manager, staff manager, senior manager, director etc.

weasle37

Ha, boy I should have noticed that....

Thanks guys. much appreciated

paul78

weasle37 wrote: »

The one thing that I am running into, is what kind of jobs or titles do you end up moving into with IT management?

Titles in IT management tend to fairly esoteric. But from a rank perspective for typical organizations in the US, my own experience would describe it as:

Team lead – usually a supervisor type position with no hiring or firing decision.
Manager – typically a line-manager with hire decision but no firing decision. May not control staffing budgets but controls certain expenses.
Director – typically a cross-functional management position with staffing budget authority and hire/fire decision maker.
Vice President – typically controls cross-functional budgets with approval authority for large capital expenses for cross-business impact. Supports development of technology strategy.
CIO – accountable for all technology strategies and operations.

Depending on the size of the company, there are usually also layers of management so that span-of-control and separation-of-duties is not an issue. So you could see “Senior”, “Staff”, “Executive”, “Associate”, “Assistant” or similar adjectives as prefixes to those titles.

The compensation can also vary greatly depending on the span of responsibility and the size of the company (size meaning revenue versus headcount). A Vice-President at a Fortune 500 company is very different than a Vice-President at a small or medium sized business. Also in larger companies, management ranks do not necessarily imply that the manager is managing a lot of headcount. It’s more about area of responsibility and authority which denote rank and compensation.

And the “titles” tend to be a combination of rank and area of responsibility. For example, Manager, Help Desk or Director, Network Operations.

One caveat, certain industries and in other countries use different titles which may lead to your confusion. In banking and some areas of financial services for example, a Vice-President is actually not a manager. So a Director or Managing Director title is more senior in rank than Vice-President.

As for the type of IT management jobs – it varies. It could be line-management, administrative (i.e. most process and staff management), strategy-related, policy-related, budget management, sales support, internal support, external support, technology leadership, and combinations of all or some.