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 called projects, can be standard and widely used in a certain industry, or they must be executed on the instructions of a specific customer. A team of IT specialists is working on the creation of a software project, the head 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 job of an IT manager has its positive and negative sides.

Pros in work:

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

Minuses:

• tight deadlines and multitasking regimes often provoke conflicts and stressful situations;
• often it is necessary to cooperate with customers who do not have knowledge in the field of IT technologies;
• communication with the customer is required to be kept around the clock, seven days a week, until the project is accepted;
• a high level of responsibility for the quality of work and meeting deadlines.

A project manager is a hired employee endowed with managerial functions, and if a software developer is responsible only for his area of ​​work, then the manager has to be responsible for the performance of the entire team as a whole.

The project manager is not only involved in leading a team of specialists in software product development. His field of activity also covers the direction of sales of services in the IT-technology market.

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

• analyze the sales market and determine the needs of a potential consumer;
• find out the requirements of customers for the finished software product;
• think over methods of promotion and ways of implementing projects;
• be able to correctly apply the pricing methodology in order to attract as many customers as possible.

But that's not all. While working on a project, the manager must be able to lead 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 monetary remuneration 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 intra-team relationships with each other;
• control over the work of developers and the process of creating a product;
• timely solution of emerging problems in the course of the project.

Any IT manager needs to make a sound assessment of his own abilities and the capabilities of the team. A candidate applying for the position of a project manager must have a certain set of practical knowledge and skills:

• the 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 project process management;
• strategic planning and work time management skills;
• analytical skills and the ability to organize a large amount of information;
• experience in personnel selection, people management and knowledge of conflict resolution techniques;
• good knowledge of English with the ability to perform technical translation;
• knowledge and understanding of the business process for which the client orders a software product;
• the ability to motivate the entire team for successful work and find a personal approach to each employee;
• respecting the interests of the client and striving to fulfill his needs related to 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 become 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 at refresher courses.

Many project managers began their careers as a typical developer assistant or manager working in the customer support and information service area. 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 company's capabilities;
• understanding of the professional terminology used by developers, and the ability to convey the essence of processes to a client who does not have specialized knowledge in this area at an accessible level;
• excellent communication and organizational skills, teamwork skills;
• ability to non-standard solution of complex problems;
• high level of intelligence, self-discipline and responsibility;
• good stress resistance, non-conflict;
• striving for continuous improvement of the level of their knowledge.

The ideal option for appointment to the position of an IT manager is a specialist who in the past had experience as a project developer. He can adequately evaluate and reject his ideas, guided by the available practical experience.

Applicants for the position of project manager are invited by web studios and agencies that provide services for the creation of unique software products. In addition, such specialists are often needed by IT departments of large trading or manufacturing companies, as well as telecommunications network operators. An employee who previously occupied the position of a business analyst, developer, and system administrator can easily grow to the position of a project manager. The main thing is that the applicant has an understanding of business processes and the basics of programming.

The amount of earnings for specialists in the field of software development depends on their experience and knowledge, as well as on the position of the company in the market for such services. The starting salary can range from 20 to 30 thousand rubles - as a rule, this is how much is paid to a developer assistant or an intern with no work experience. With career growth and transition to a managerial position, a manager can earn from 130 to 160 thousand rubles - this is the average income level of such specialists in Russia.