In today's business world, companies rely on a mix of hardware and software to run their operations smoothly. This complexity creates a strong need for skilled professionals who can efficiently handle these aspects. This is where IT project managers come in – a role that's in high demand. In India, IT project managers usually earn an average annual salary ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹23 lakh, making it an attractive career choice. If you're wondering how to become one, this article will provide you with a step-by-step guide to help you on your path to becoming an IT project manager.
Who is an IT Project Manager and What Do They Do?
An information technology (IT) project manager is an individual who is responsible for supervising a company’s IT infrastructure. Their job role typically includes developing applications and software, installing network upgrades, implementing analytical solutions and more.
Apart from this, they also lead IT projects, set budgets, conduct risk management and communicate the overall progress to the stakeholders.
How to Become an IT Project Manager in Simple Steps?
In this section, let’s break down the straightforward steps you can take on the path to becoming an IT project manager, making this career transition more accessible and achievable for you.
Step 1: Master Skills
To apply for any job role, having the necessary skill sets is a must. It makes you proficient enough to perform the necessary duties and contribute to the organization's success.
Top Skills Needed to Become an IT Project Manager
In the world of IT project management, a dynamic blend of hard and soft skills is essential for success. The technical know-how, or hard skills, enable you to navigate the intricacies of IT projects, while the interpersonal and managerial skills, or soft skills, are the glue that holds teams together and ensures projects run smoothly. In this section, we'll delve into these critical skill sets and their significance in crafting a well-rounded IT project manager.
Soft Skills
These are the top soft skills that you need to have in order to apply for an IT Project Manager job role:
1. Decision Making
As an IT project manager, you often have to take decisions which will help keep the project aligned with its objectives and timeline. Hence, the ability to take the right decision at the right time is crucial for this job role.
2. Leadership
IT project managers are responsible for leading various projects from their initiation to completion. This often involves individuals from different teams working teams to achieve a common goal. Thus, leadership skills are a must in order to promote efficient coordination between all team members.
3. Verbal and Written Communication
Usually, IT projects involve several stakeholders like vendors, executive leaders, team members, clients, etc. An IT project manager is responsible for maintaining communication between all of them to ensure that the project runs smoothly. Hence excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential for this job role.
4. Motivating Team Members
IT projects can often be challenging, leading team members to face several hurdles along the way. It is the responsibility of the IT project manager to keep his/her team motivated and help them achieve the project’s objectives.
5. Time Management
Every project comes with a deadline. Thus, time management is a skill of utmost importance for IT project managers.
These vital soft skills, encompassing decision making, leadership, communication, motivation, and time management, form the cornerstone of an effective IT Project Manager's toolkit. Now, let's delve into the essential hard skills required for this role.
Hard Skills
Mentioned below are the necessary IT project manager hard skills that you need to possess:
1. Organization
Project managers need to cater to several aspects of a project like tracking daily assignments, allocating resources, setting budgets and timelines, along with ensuring that the team members are on track. To effectively manage all these tasks, managers need excellent organizational skills.
It will ensure that everything is working according to plan, thus leading to the desired outcome.
2. Project Planning
Project planning is one of the most necessary skills for project managers. It involves understanding the client’s requirements, setting timelines, assigning tasks and keeping track of the daily progress.
3. Goal Setting
As a project manager, you need to set time-based goals for your team in order to help them meet the project deadlines.
4. Team Management
IT projects usually consist of team members from various departments working together as a group for a common goal. Thus, effective team management skills are a must for IT project managers.
5. Distributing Workload
Now, projects can consist of several tasks with varying levels of difficulty. So, IT project managers need to distribute them across team members based on their available bandwidth and expertise.
6. Knowledge of Management Methodologies
IT project managers need to have knowledge of the basic project management methodologies like Agile, Waterfall, Lean, Scrum and Prince 2.
7. Project Monitoring and Evaluation
This involves keeping tabs on the project’s progress and evaluating its outcomes. It is an important skill for project managers which can help them scale up or down operations depending upon the deadline.
8. Risk Management
Risk management involves identifying and mitigating any kind of risk which can compromise the project’s timeline or its outcome.
To wrap it up simply, these hard skills are the building blocks that empower IT project managers to efficiently handle projects from start to finish, and extremely important for an IT Project Manager to have.
Other Competencies
Here are some additional skills that can give IT project managers a competitive advantage:
- Building relationships between the team and clients.
- Achieving the company’s long-term goals.
- Scheduling and budgeting projects.
- Management and procurement of contracts.
An IT project manager's success hinges on a versatile blend of technical acumen, interpersonal finesse, and strategic insight. This well-rounded skill set is the cornerstone of effective project management and leadership in the IT realm.
Top IT Project Manager Certifications / Degree
Having explored the essential skills required for the IT project manager role, let's now focus on where to acquire and validate these competencies through certifications.Here are some certifications you can consider:
1. Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
The CAPM certification is applicable for individuals who wish to upgrade their project management skills and take on additional responsibilities. Professionals can opt for it at any point of time in their project management careers.
This certification mainly covers project risk management and project communication management. Applicants need an associate degree or high school diploma in order to apply for this certification.
2. Project Management Professional (PMP)
This is one of the most well-recognized certifications in the field of project management. It is a rigorous test that assesses a candidate’s knowledge on team management, taking decisions, planning, engaging stakeholders, etc.
It is applicable for those candidates who already have a substantial amount of experience working as a project manager and wish to level up their careers.
3. Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM)
The Disciplined Agile Scrum Master certification allows professionals to learn the basics of the Agile methodology. It is an excellent choice for those individuals who work using Agile or Scrum methodologies.
To apply for this certification, candidates need at least 3 years of experience working in an Agile leadership role.
4. PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
This certificate acts as proof of an individual’s proficiency in the Agile project management system. It mainly emphasizes adaptive planning, detecting problems, and their resolution. Candidates who have prior experience in Agile and intend to use this methodology in the future can opt for this certification.
However, they must have a PgMP or PMP certification, along with 8 months of Agile project management experience in the last three years.
5. CompTIA Project+
The CompTIA Project+ certification enables individuals to develop their business and communication skillsets. It covers Agile skills, methodologies and frameworks, which can help managers handle small and medium-sized projects with ease.
To apply for this certification, candidates need at least 6 to 12 months of hands-on experience of managing IT projects.
6. Certified Project Manager
This is a mid-level project management certification which is acknowledged globally. It teaches the project management process for various industries like Finance, Marketing and Information Technology.
Individuals who wish to transition to a different industry can apply for this certification. However, they will need a minimum of 5 years of working experience in projects and 3 years of project team leadership.
7.Master Project Manager
The Master Project Manager certification aims to improve technical and business skills, which can facilitate faster project completions.
It points out to candidates the top mistakes they can make as a project manager and the ways to perform project planning using PERT diagrams, Gantt Charts, avoiding overspending, risk prediction and managing multiple stakeholders.
Step 2: Determine Your Ideal Timeline
Now that you know which skills to master, let’s discuss the strategy to prepare for this job role. your preparation time will be different based on whether you are a student or a working professional. Thus, determining your preparation strategy is essential.
Start Learning in a Format That Suits You
If you are a student thinking about how to become an IT project manager, remember that you need a Bachelor’s degree in either computer science, project management or business administration. You can also go for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) afterwards for better career prospects.
In case you go for the traditional system, your Bachelor’s degree may take 3 to 4 years, while the MBA may take 1 to 2 years.
Now, if you are a working professional, you can consider getting additional degrees in order to migrate to this job role. Choosing degrees which cover both business administration and computer science can be ideal in this regard. Additionally, an MBA will be an icing on the cake to take your career to new heights.
But, given the fact that you are already working, opting for online courses may be the best for you. You can attend them from anywhere and at a time of your choice. It is also a perfect choice for students who wish to pursue their education online.
How Long Does It Take to Become an IT Project Manager?
To become an IT Project Manager, you need some practical management experience. Thus, if you are a fresher, consider starting from entry-level IT positions. By doing so, you can enhance your skill sets, take part in activities that help develop your management skills and finally move up to the position of IT project manager.
If you are already working, you need at least 3 years of combined experience to be eligible to apply for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam. After clearing it, you can either apply for a promotion at your current company or go for a managerial position with a different employer.
Step 3: Begin Building Your Portfolio / Resume
IT project manager is one of the most sought-after job roles in the industry. Thus, framing a proper resume is a must for increasing your chances of getting an interview call.
Portfolio Example or Resume Template for Download
Step 4: Where and How to Find a Job?
After framing a professional-looking resume, it’s time for you to start applying.
Top Companies Hiring IT Project Manager
Here are the top companies in which you can apply for the post of IT project manager:
- Accenture
- Cognizant
- Infosys
- Capgemini
- IBM
- Wipro
- DXC Technology
- Tech Mahindra
- TCS
- HCLTech
Job Outlook for IT Project Manager
With the advancement in technology, the IT infrastructure across industries is becoming increasingly complex. Thus, the demand for IT project managers will significantly increase in the long run.
As per reports by the Project Management Institute (PMI), till 2027, India will need at least 7 lakh professionals who can fill the job role of IT project manager. As of now, individuals working in this position have an average annual package of ₹16 lakh. Thus, with the rise in demand, their average salaries can get a significant boost in the long run.
Step 5: Ace the Interview
To ensure that you ace the interview, having proper preparation is a must.
Brief Overview of Interview Process + Tips
The interview process tends to differ across companies. Usually, it consists of a phone screening, written exam, preliminary round and directorial round.
Here are some tips that you can follow:
- Talk about the various project management tools or methodologies you have experience with.
- Highlight your experience in various aspects of project management and mention any noteworthy achievements.
- Showcase your communication skills, problem-solving abilities and willingness to achieve goals as a team.
- Discuss strategies for identifying and mitigating risks.
- Prepare a few questions which will enable you to improve your understanding of the organization.
- Go through all the commonly asked managerial interview questions.
Who Can Become an IT Project Manager?
Anyone desirous of working in a leadership position and having a basic understanding of computer applications can become an IT Project Manager.
IT Project Manager Requirements
The requirements to become an IT project manager are as follows:
- A Bachelor’s degree in business administration, computer science or project management.
●At least 3 years of working experience.
●Previous experience in project support or management roles.
●Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Why Should You Become a Project Manager
Here are some of the benefits of becoming an IT project manager:
●In India, IT project managers have an average salary of around ₹10 lakh to ₹23 lakh per annum.
●A wide range of perks like health insurance, flexible spending account, disability insurance, etc.
●A chance to move to higher management positions down the line.
●Growth in career prospects as well as salaries in the long run due to increasing demand for IT project managers.
What’s the Demand for an IT Project Manager?
According to a study by the Project Management Institute (PMI), by 2027, companies around the world will require at least 88 million professionals in order to fill project management-related job roles. This will also create a significant demand for IT project managers, thus creating lucrative career prospects for aspiring individuals.
Salary Details for Top 5 Countries
Here is the average IT project manager salaries in the top countries across the world:
Countries | Average IT Project Manager Salaries |
India | ₹16 lakh per annum |
USA | $98,835 per annum |
UK | £68,373 per annum |
Canada | CA$1,05,543 per annum |
Australia | $146,990 per annum |
Conclusion
Now that you have a clear roadmap to becoming an IT project manager, there's an important point to consider. The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam, a crucial step in this journey, can be challenging. To navigate it successfully, it's essential to receive the right guidance.
In this context, enrolling in a professional PMP Certification Training Course through KnowledgeHut is a smart move. This course offers 35+ hours of live instructor-led sessions, access to 180 PMI-certified sample questions, and unlimited attempts at 5 mock tests. Additionally, it provides hands-on practice with a substantial 2000+ question bank and regular doubt-clearing sessions, ensuring you're well-prepared for the PMP certification exam.
