IT manager: advantages and disadvantages, responsibilities and education

The modern world of computer technology is a kind of market segment, one of the directions of which is the creation and sale of software products. Computer programs, which are most often referred to as projects, can be standard and widely used in a particular industry, or they must be performed on the instructions of a specific customer. A team of IT specialists is working on the creation of a software project, the leader of which is an IT manager.

The position of an IT manager in some companies may be called a "project manager" or "project manager." Like any other profession, the work of an IT manager has its positive and negative sides.

Pros in work:

• An IT manager has a certain degree of independence and is able to implement managerial skills;
• the position provides for good earnings and career growth;
• a high level of demand on the labor market in Russia and abroad;
• the possibility of self-improvement and the acquisition of additional specialized skills;
• multitasking and the lack of uniformity is steadily increasing the level of intelligence;
• labor activity involves a large number of contacts and ties on a business basis.

Minuses:

• tight deadlines and multitasking often provoke conflicts and stressful situations;
• often have to cooperate with customers who do not have knowledge in the field of IT-technologies;
• communication with the customer must be kept around the clock, without days off, until the project is accepted;
• high level of responsibility for the quality of work and meeting deadlines.

A project manager is an employee endowed with the functions of a manager, and if a software developer is responsible only for his / her work area, then the manager has to be responsible for the effectiveness of the whole team.

The project manager is not only involved in the management of a team of software product development specialists. The scope of his activities covers the direction of sales of services in the market of IT-technologies.

In order to successfully promote projects and make a profit, the manager needs to perform the following duties:

• analyze the market and determine the needs of the potential consumer;
• find out the requirements of customers for the finished software product;
• to think over methods of promotion and ways of project implementation;
• Be able to correctly apply the pricing methodology to attract as many customers as possible.

But that is far from all. While working on a project, the manager should be able to manage it at all stages of development, which implies the following tasks:

• planning the general concept of the project, determining the amount of time required for its implementation;
• determination of the number of developers involved, the distribution of tasks between them and the amount of cash reward for their work;
• organization of a workplace for the implementation of the project and providing the performers with the necessary components for the implementation of the work;
• acting as a liaison between the customer and the development team, as well as building team relationships with each other;
• control over the work of developers and the product creation process;
• timely resolution of emerging problems during the implementation of the project.

Any IT manager should be sound in assessing their abilities and team capabilities. A candidate applying for a project manager position must have a certain set of practical knowledge and skills:

• basis for programming and testing a software product;
• fundamentals of economics in the field of IT-technologies;
• basic knowledge of ITSM, HTML, PL-SQL, CSS, the use of frameworks for web development and the ability to work on platforms for mobile programs;
• experience in managing project processes;
• strategic planning and work time management skills;
• analytical skills and the ability to systematize a large amount of information;
• experience in staff recruitment, people management and knowledge of conflict resolution techniques;
• Good knowledge of the English language with the possibility of technical translation;
• knowledge and understanding of the business process for which the client orders a software product;
• the ability to motivate the entire team to succeed and find a personal approach to each employee;
• respect for the interests of the client and the desire to fulfill his needs associated with the project.

To work as an IT manager, it is not enough to know the economy, to be able to manage people and work processes. People are becoming such specialists graduated from specialized higher educational institutions in the areas of applied mathematics, computer science, software engineering. As for managerial knowledge, it can be additionally obtained in continuing education courses.

Many project managers began their career growth with the typical positions of an assistant developer or manager working on a customer support and information service site.However, thanks to the desire to develop in the chosen field of activity, these people were able to achieve the desired managerial position. Of course, their personal qualities were no less important on this difficult path:

• quick orientation in the capabilities of the company;
• understanding of professional terminology used by developers, and the ability to communicate the essence of the processes to a client who does not have specialized knowledge in this field;
• excellent communication and organizational skills, teamwork;
• the ability to non-standard solutions to complex problems;
• high level of intelligence, self-discipline and responsibility;
• good stress resistance, non-conflict;
• desire for continuous improvement of their knowledge.

An ideal option for appointing an IT manager is a specialist who in the past had the experience of working as a project developer. He can adequately evaluate and reject his ideas, guided by existing practical experience.

Applicants for the position of project manager are invited to web studios and agencies that provide services to create unique software products. In addition, IT departments of large trading or manufacturing companies, as well as telecommunication network operators, often need such specialists. The employee who previously took the place of business analyst, developer, system administrator will also be able to grow to the post of project manager. The main thing is that the applicant has an understanding of business processes and programming fundamentals.

The amount of earnings for specialists in the field of software development depends on their experience and knowledge, as well as on the company's position in the market for such services. The initial salary can be from 20 to 30 thousand rubles - as a rule, they pay so much to an assistant to a developer or an intern without experience. With a career growth and transition to a managerial position, a manager can earn from 130 to 160 thousand rubles - this is an average indicator of the income level of such specialists in Russia.