Let me give a little background on myself before getting to the actual question. I'm currently working on my M.S. in Management/IT (will be done this fall), my B.S. is in Computer Science, I have about 9 years in the IT field...2 as a software developer, 2 in software testing, 2 as an App Support Analyst, and 3 as an Oracle DBA. I'm 30 now and am starting to get burned out on being a "techie"...I want to start to transition to the management side of the house. What's the best way to make this transition? Honestly, I'd feel a little weird applying for a management position without having been a direct supervisor before. I have a Project Management certification through my grad school which is sponsored through/by P.M.I., but it's not a PMP certification. My thinking is after I finish my M.S., applying for a Systems Analyst type position. I think my diverse I.T. experience/education should qualify me, will get me some exposure to P.M., and will also get me some exposure to the customer/I.T. provider business relationship. Is this a reasonable/realistic next career step, or does anyone have another suggestion? Thanks.
I agree with your assessment. A good MS in IT Management coupled with your experience will qualify you for an IT management position. This is boosted if your experience involves serving as a technical team lead. Many folks looking to tranition are also interested in project management certifications such as PMI which is a plus with many employers. Other management related certifications or good knowledge of software engineering practices and development methodologies such as Six Sigma are very helpful. John
Lurker, do a search for PMP and you will find we had a similar discussion on this topic. I am a PMP and it will serve you well for employability. Your discussion shows a good direction. Dr. Wetsch has a good point about Six Sigma. Regards, Kevin