There is probably a misconception that for one to be a successful IT project Manager then you need to be techie or at least been an app developer or IT administrator first. Trust me, that is not true. I just started working in IT when I decided to pursue IT Project Manager role. I was and still not “techie” nor possess any development or IT administration experience aside from the coding subjects I had from my university days.

So how did I prepare to transition to this role?

1. I looked for mentors.

Shifting to a new career will be daunting and confusing thus it would be best to have a mentor who is already successful at it. I was lucky to find few great mentors when I was starting who guided me on the next steps towards this profession. They taught me the basic dos and don’ts to be a successful IT Project Manager. Without them, I could have probably lost a lot of time and resources by spending too much time on what really does not matter.

2. I took ITIL Foundation training and certification.

Since I did not have an IT background nor concept of IT Service Delivery, it was extremely helpful that I took ITIL Foundation training and certification. It gave me the fundamental knowledge of the framework and best practices for delivering IT services. It prepared me for the stakeholder conversations later when I was already managing IT projects. Without the ITIL Foundation training, my head would spin going through the project or service delivery life cycle! Though the training is paramount, I would also suggest you take the ITIL Foundation certification training. It will give you that added credibility not just to manage IT projects but to be in an IT industry as well.

3. I got myself familiar with the use of MS applications particularly Excel and MS Project.

Project Management requires planning and tracking that plan. Excel and MS project is the most basic tool to use to track your project plan. It is best that one who aspire to shift to a Project Manager role is proficient with MS Project, if not, at least Excel.

4. I took PMI’s Project Management Professional Training.

If you have never been part of a project delivery team, I strongly suggest you take Project Management training first. And not just any Project Management training but something that is based on Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management standard embedded on its Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). As of this writing, PMBOK is at it’s 6^th Edition while 7^th Edition is said to be released on 1 August 2021. Always take learning materials that is based on the latest available version and take it forward in managing your projects. PMBOK is like the bible of Project Managers so once you understand it by heart, you will never go wrong in managing your projects.

5. I took PMI’s PMP certification

In my opinion, PMP certification is NOT a MUST when you are just starting your IT Project Management career. It is best to take the exam and certification when you already have substantial Project Management experience so you can further build up your credibility. Preparing and taking the certification takes some focused time to study and some monetary investment as well so I suggest do it when you are ready.

Please note that it has been more than a decade now since I moved to IT Project Manager role and as how I see it, PMs possess quite different skillset now with the fast evolution of business and technology and then eventually how we manage project delivery. Nowadays, if you are just about to step to IT PM role, you also need to have a background on using Agile to manage projects. Unlike traditional Project Management methodology, there are so many flavors of Agile. So, to start with, I would recommend you have some basic training on Scrum and the use of Kanban and then you can build up from there and see what way of working (WoW) would work for your future project team.

For free coaching and consultation on how to prepare for IT Project Manager role, please reach out to me at info@leoniroxas.com or book an appointment here.