How do I Choose the Best IT Project Manager Job?

The best information technology (IT) project manager job has challenges, opportunity for success, and a variety of project types. IT project manager jobs have grown exponentially in recent years and are expected to continue to grow as technology adoption rates increase. The primary role of an IT project manager job typically can be divided into three areas: defining project scope and solution, implementation, and documentation.

Qualifications required to become an IT project manager vary, but typically include post-secondary education in business or computer technology, five to eight years of industry experience, and project management certification. There are a wide range of certificate programs in project management available from colleges and universities. The industry-standard certificate is the Project Management Professional® (PMP®), available from the Project Management Institute®.

An IT project manager job typically is suitable to someone who enjoys a challenge, is good with technology, and has above-average problem-solving skills. The ability to work with a wide range of people and meet time lines is essential in this role. Anyone who does not like confrontation or working under pressure will find this type of work to be frustrating. Interpersonal skills are important, but technical expertise and leadership skills are critical to success in any IT project manager job.

The best IT project manager job is one where your leadership, technical, and administrative skills are all required. This type of work usually is most enjoyable when it is challenging, with complex problems to solve, limited resources, and pressure from upper management. There is a fine line between challenging and impossible, and it can be important for the project management to know the difference and be able to define when that line has been crossed.

Opportunities for success include the ability to determine benchmarks and delivery dates, based on the project specifications. A clearly defined management process and a firm understanding by the business process owners of project management methodology usually are important aspects of a successful project. In some organizations, these elements are missing, creating a challenging project with a reduced opportunity for success.

IT project manager jobs that encompass a range of activities typically will allow for you to develop and maintain a broader range of skill sets. For example, a project to improve the efficiency of a process uses different skills than the implementation of a software module. Both projects are necessary, but the variety of tasks can help to keep the job interesting.