The demand for IT project managers is growing—according to CompTIA's Career Explorer, there are over 92,000 job openings for IT project managers. In addition, research from the Project Management Institute (PMI), the leading authority in project management, shows that 25 million new project management professionals will be needed by 2030.
IT project manager is a trending role in the tech industry and one worth investigating. But why is there such a sudden strong demand for them? The answer might surprise you.
Organizations need IT project managers, and they need them now
IT project management is in demand, and the reason for this is simple: Organizations have had to move everything to the cloud over the past couple of years due to the pandemic. As a result, they’ve been burdened with new regulatory requirements, increased automation, and communication problems between departments and teams.
Without technical project managers, organizations are vulnerable to litigation, fines, and IT projects that don’t get done or don’t get done well. This is why it’s a prime time to become an IT project manager.
What’s the difference between a project manager and an IT project manager?
Before delving into the skills required to be an IT project manager, it’s important to distinguish between IT project manager and project manager roles. In short, project managers oversee projects that are not only of an IT nature. A program manager or project manager at a healthcare organization is an example of a project manager working in a non-IT context. Conversely, IT project managers are tech specialists who oversee IT projects.
However, project managers and IT project managers will benefit from IT project management skills.
Do you feel like you aren’t qualified for an IT project manager role? Not so fast. You may have more project management skills than you think.
In-demand skills for IT project management
IT project managers need two types of skills: Technical and soft skills. Both are equally important to landing and thriving in an IT project management role. Some of the key skills most employers expect IT project managers to have include:
1. A creative mindset: IT project managers are masters of thinking outside the box. They are open-minded to different solutions to problems and foster this same mindset in IT project team members. They are often skilled at articulating their creative ideas to others and eliciting feedback.
2) The ability to make complex decisions: Decision-making and critical thinking are crucial to an IT project manager's job. Those working in IT project management have honed the skill of making complex decisions promptly and are comfortable making decisions as part of a team or on their own. Their creative mindset improves their ability to make complex decisions.
3) Leadership: IT project managers must possess leadership skills to oversee initiatives and entire IT project teams. Great IT project managers set IT project team members up for success by calling out their strengths and showing them practical ways to strengthen their weaknesses. Leadership skills encompass active listening, empathy, organization, and strong ethics. These skills are usually more “caught than taught” and are often learned on the job.
4) Negotiation and accountability: IT project managers are usually great at negotiation and accountability. They should be able to compromise with others to find satisfactory solutions, promote better IT project outcomes, and meet the needs of all parties. They should also be willing to accept accountability for their leadership role and own up to their mistakes.
5) Goal setting: Goal setting is one of the core capabilities of an IT project manager. Those who work in IT project management should be excellent at setting goals and helping IT project teams meet them. They should know how to break goals into bite-sized pieces to prevent themselves or their team members from getting overwhelmed. As a result of practical goal setting, essential milestones in the project lifecycle are reached, such as key deliverables and obtaining approval from a stakeholder.
6) Adaptability: An IT project manager role requires multitasking. IT project managers usually have a lot on their plate at any given time. They must adapt to new technologies, situations, expectations, team members, etc. With all the changes in IT project management, technical project managers simply cannot do their jobs effectively without adaptability skills.
7) Budgeting: Experienced project managers know how to create and control a viable budget throughout the lifecycle. Budgeting could be considered a hard skill, but it is transferrable to various job roles within IT.
8) IT management: IT management skills are critical to the success of an IT project manager and their team. Those working in IT project management have a thorough knowledge of IT, possess a well-rounded skill set, and are aware of current trends. They often hold various IT certifications and/or have at least a bachelor’s degree in an IT-related field. Usually, IT project managers have a background in IT management and understand best practices for managers. They are also good at making project plans and using project management software, such as Microsoft Project and Jira.
9) Reliability: Above all, IT project managers are reliable. Employers can count on them to be competent, honest leaders. Risk management and cybersecurity cannot be practiced responsibly without a reliable IT project manager. Also, regulatory requirements are increasing and burdening IT departments. Reliable IT project managers can help organizations remain compliant.
10) Time management: IT hiring managers expect IT project managers to possess robust time management skills. An IT pro cannot effectively manage a project without the ability to manage time. When time-management skills are up to par, everything runs more smoothly, goals are met on time, and the project team is kept on track.
Many tech roles outside of IT project management require the skills listed above. If you’ve been in IT for long, there’s no doubt you already possess some of these skills. Combine these capabilities with essential technical skills, and you’re heading to an IT project management role.
CompTIA Project+ meets current industry needs around project management
Technical project managers must possess a robust set of hard and soft skills to oversee IT projects. These skills include the ability to:
- Manage the project lifecycle
- Ensure appropriate communication
- Manage resources and stakeholders
- Maintain project documentation
The CompTIA Project+ certification covers all these skills and more.
CompTIA Project+ is perfect for tech pros who oversee smaller, less complex projects or will be required to do so. Certification candidates should possess foundational project management skills and have a minimum of one year of cumulative project management experience. Equivalent education can replace the experience requirement.
CompTIA Project+ covers key project management concepts beyond the scope of a single methodology or framework, making it more versatile than other project management certifications.
One of the best things about CompTIA Project+ is that it meets current industry needs around project management. It meets these needs by promoting the following:
- An IT focus: Hiring managers value IT project managers who can manage IT projects and communicate with business stakeholders.
Companies are starting to examine their digital transformation efforts more closely. They want to understand how investments in technology benefit the business. Strong IT project management can help ensure that tech projects align with business objectives.
- An agile focus: CompTIA Project+ doesn’t just foster an IT focus. It also promotes a focus on agile methodologies.
CompTIA Project+ can help supply skills to scrum masters and other IT project managers.
- A risk management focus: Post-pandemic, IT pros working in project management must be able to manage risks. Governance, risk, and compliance are hitting the IT industry hard. Regulations related to HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and NIST call for higher compliance from IT departments than ever before.
To comply, IT departments must protect vulnerable data through good cybersecurity practices. CompTIA Project+ imparts IT project management skills that promote cybersecurity and risk management.
IT project management job vacancies are on the rise. Now is the perfect time to gain the soft and hard skills needed to land one of these roles and meet your career goals.
Interested in earning CompTIA Project+ and getting on the career path to an IT project manager role? Get practice questions and exam objectives here.