I am a software engineer and I am at it for some years. I program in PHP and Java with javascript/jquery and SQL.
My team manager is pretty satisfied with my work and the results I am producing.
Getting a bit older now and I am thinking of moving on.
I am wondering how I can make it further in my career. I want to move into project management but I am clueless about how I should go about it.
I am looking at 2 Masters degree: MBA and Masters of Applied Project Management. Not sure which one to take. Project Management Professional (PMP) is out of the question as it requires some management experience which I don’t have.
How should I progess in my career? Should I ask my project manager to let me take on some responsibilities? What qualities do project managers look out for when promoting software engineers?
The best advice is that you should hang out to Human Resource websites like monster.com or reed.co.uk . check out job description for project manager. check there level of expertise & what is required. and match them with yours. whatever you find most common skills in project management job across website. that mean that is required and focus on that. mainly what is needed for a person from a SE guy to PM in my opnion.
How much your willing to give
Your extend of knowledge of what needs to be in a Project
Are are equiped with management skills to bring a team together
can you or will be able to take on deadlines
can you manage time & resoruce under a control scanerio.
i might be wrong but i can still guide u.
Hope it helps
That is a very tricky scenario. Honestly though MBA won’t help you being a project manager and it’s completely different field than being a programmer. I do understand how you feel though however, to be a manager you need to have some special skills. Certainly, most politics occur in management so…if you can handle it then more power to you. Also, you need to be really good at “listening” and make “decision”…then again, there are plenty of managers who just don’t care about the project. Most importantly, the good manager knows how to BS! I’ve seen truly amazing presentation that totally “wow” the upper management over something that is truly stupid. I guess another skill is being “pursuasive”. This is when I realize, some people like to “build” things and some who like to BS. Of course, not all managers are like that…but most I met have been this way. Ironically, I met many managers who longs for technical work but gotten so far behind that they can no longer being a programmer. Not sure if it’s because of money that you want to be manager but they don’t get paid that much. You can make alot more being “independent” contractor…they typically get paid from $75~150 / hr. So think twice about going for management.
