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If you are wondering how to become an IT project manager, below are tips and advice on training for and beginning careers in this area of the information technology industry, as well as job prospects in the UK.

The Job Description
IT project managers oversee the development of computer systems to meet a client's specific business needs, and they make sure that work is completed on time and on budget. They may work for a company specialising in IT or for any organisation that relies heavily on IT systems. Common employers include IT and telecommunications companies, banks, local authorities and public sector organisations.

Examples of projects you might work on range from managing the installation of a new patient record system in the health service to upgrading telephone networks in a call centre. Projects can be in-house or for external clients.

Typical responsibilities:

finding out what the client wants from their IT systems
planning project stages and assessing the business implications for each one
putting together and coordinating the work of the project team, for example analysts and developers
monitoring progress and making sure costs, timescales and quality standards meet agreed targets
modifying plans to cater for unforeseen circumstances
keeping senior managers and clients up to date with progress
signing off and evaluating completed tasks.
You would use various project management methods and computer software to put plans into place. During the roll-out of a new system you would be responsible for making sure there is a smooth changeover from the old IT system to the new one.

If you are a senior project manager, you would work with management teams, shaping project strategy, managing large-scale and high-risk projects, controlling overall costs and managing relationships with project partners.

Person Specification
The key personal attributes of good IT project managers include:

excellent organisational and leadership skills
excellent problem-solving skills
the ability to understand complex information and assess requirements
a methodical and structured approach to projects
excellent communication skills, both spoken and written
excellent IT skills
a flexible approach to work
a good understanding of business demands
the ability to work effectively with other professionals
the ability to work within budget limits
excellent time management skills and the ability to meet deadlines.

How to become an IT project manager
You will usually need several years' relevant experience preferably backed up with formal qualifications, such as a foundation degree, degree or postgraduate qualification in computing or project management. Qualifications in information systems or related areas would be acceptable, as would a business-related degree with technical options.

You may be able to move into project management if you are already working as an IT professional and have taken on some responsibility for project development. You could also work in the IT field if you have project management skills from another industry and some technical knowledge.

This work can involve using a range methods and tools, such as PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) or project management software. Knowledge of these will be useful but it is not always essential. Experience of managing projects is usually considered more important by companies, as they can provide you with any specific training once you are working for them.

For information on PRINCE2 and software training, see the Association for Project Management (APM) and PRINCE2 websites.

For more details about this career, qualification routes and training providers, see the websites for the APM, British Computer Society and e-skills UK.

Training and Development
The type of training you do will depend on whether you are already an IT professional or you have come from a business background with project management experience.

As a new or experienced project manager, you could work towards professional qualifications at various levels from one of the following organisations:

Association for Project Management (APM)
Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
Information Systems Examination Board (ISEB)
Project Management Institute (PMI).
See each organisation’s website for more information about their qualifications and training.

The PMI is a US based organisation that works with slightly different methodologies than UK professional bodies. If you are working for a US company in the UK or EU you may be expected to take their qualifications. This also applies if you are looking to work in the US.

You could also choose to study part-time for a project management degree or postgraduate qualification whilst you are working, or you could work towards NVQs at levels 4 and 5 in Project Management or Business Improvement Techniques.

The Pay (a rough guide)
Salaries for new entrants range between £24,000 and £29,000.
For experienced managers this rises to between £31,500 and £40,000.
Senior project managers can earn upwards of £45,000 a year.
Salaries depend on the type of role and the scale of the project. Additional benefits such as bonuses may be available based on successfully meeting completion dates.

Job Prospects
Opportunities for IT project managers are growing as more companies use computerised information systems to manage and develop their operations. You can also find work overseas, especially if you are working for a multi-national company.

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Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 
 

If you are wondering how to become a network engineer, below are tips and advice on training for and beginning careers in this area of computing and the information technology industry, as well as IT job prospects in the UK.

The Job Description
Network engineers, sometimes known as network administrators, design, install and maintain computer communication systems within an organisation or between companies. These systems allow employees to share files and resources, access the internet and email, and collect and process data.

Network engineers deal with four systems:

local area networks (LANs) – connecting workstations within an office, building or limited area
metropolitan area networks (MANs) – linking networks citywide or across a region
wide area networks (WANs) – linking national or international networks
global area networks (GANs) – combining networks over an unlimited geographical area.
Network engineers' key responsibilities are to make sure that an organisation's computer system has the capacity to meet its business needs and is secure.

Typical responsibilities:

installing new software and hardware
setting up user-accounts, permissions and passwords
maintaining adequate security, especially where networks link to the internet
finding and fixing faults
implementing preventative maintenance schedules
giving technical support for end-users
providing training on new systems
carrying out day-to-day administration and monitoring network use
planning and implementing future developments.
Examples of their work can include installing a new computer-based call handling system or servicing a bank's ATM network.

Person Specification
The key personal attributes of good IT network engineers include:

excellent IT skills
excellent problem-solving skills
the ability to prioritise tasks
the ability to explain technical issues clearly
the ability to work within a team
good interpersonal skills
a commitment to keep up to date with the latest developments.

How to become an IT network engineer
You may be able to get into network engineering through an apprenticeship scheme with an IT company, or within the IT department of a commercial or public organisation. Funding for apprenticeships is available for 16-24 year olds and some over-25s. To find out more, visit http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/. For information about apprenticeships in other parts of the UK, see Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You can take IT courses at local colleges, which are open to any age group. These include:

City & Guilds (E-Quals ICT Systems Support 7262) IT Practitioners Diploma Level 2 and Advanced Diploma Level 3
BTEC National Certificate/Diploma for IT Practitioners (ICT Systems Support)
OCR (iPRO) Certificate for IT Practitioners (ICT Systems Support) at levels 2 and 3
CompTIA i-Net+ Certification.
The City & Guilds and OCR awards at Level 3 also contain optional units taken from CompTIA, Cisco and Microsoft certifications. See the Training section for more details.

These courses aim to provide you with the relevant knowledge and practical skills to install, upgrade and maintain network systems. They will cover areas such as:

network setup and configuration
LAN, MAN, WAN and GAN networks
networking protocols - TCP, IP, FTP and VOIP (internet telephony)
data transmission technologies - Ethernet, ISDN, ASDL, wireless, and ATM
network security - firewalls, anti-virus software and virtual private networks.
You may improve your prospects of getting into this job if you take a computing BTEC HNC/HND, foundation degree or degree. Employers will also consider other subjects and provide relevant training afterwards. At the moment, three out of five people working in computing started out with a non-IT degree.

For information about foundation degrees see Foundation Degree Forward. To search for colleges and universities offering foundation degrees, HNDs and degrees see the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

If you already have qualifications and experience in other areas of IT, for example maintenance and installation, you may be able to move into a networking role.

Training and Development
Once you are working as a network engineer, it is important to keep your skills and knowledge up to date. You can do this by taking some of the courses listed below:

CompTIA Network+ Certification
Certified Novell Engineer (CNE)
City & Guilds Higher Professional Diploma in Information Management Using ICT or IT Practitioners Level 4
OCR (iPRO) Higher Level award for IT Professionals (ICT Systems Support) Level 4
NVQs/SVQs for IT Professionals at levels 3 and 4.
Some of these cover Linux operating systems as well as Windows.

Cisco Certification
Cisco offers certification at several levels for students and network professionals alike, including:

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) – although not essential, ideally you should have a level 3 IT qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) – you will need CCNA or a equivalent level of knowledge and experience
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) – it is recommended that you have several years' IT experience.
You will find more details on the Cisco website.

Microsoft Certification
You can work towards a range of Microsoft awards but the two most relevant to this job are:

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) – covering network analysis, design and implementation
Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) – covering network implementation, management and maintenance.
Once again, it is recommended that you hold a level 3 qualification or have extensive experience in the IT industry before starting certification training. See the Microsoft website for more details.

Graduate Professional Development Award (GDPA)
E-skills, higher education institutions and IT employers have developed this award, which you can take as part of an undergraduate, postgraduate or work-based training programme. It covers key skills required by the industry, including problem solving, teamworking and technical competencies. See e-skills UK for details.

The British Computer Society (BCS)
You can take the BCS professional awards to enhance your career prospects. These include a Certificate, Diploma and Professional Graduate Diploma, which are equivalent to the first, second and third year of a university honours degree. You can choose from options including computer networks and network information systems.

The Pay (a rough guide)
Salaries start between £15,000 and £20,000 a year.
With experience, earnings can rise to between £21,000 and £32,000.
Senior network engineers can earn over £35,000 a year.

Job Prospects
Recent employer surveys suggest a long term upward trend in demand for networking engineers. Opportunities exist in a variety of sectors including finance, retail, local and national government, the health service and utility companies. You can also work for IT firms, dealing with their own systems or working in their contract services divisions. 

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If you are wondering how to become a computer game developer within the field of IT, below are tips and advice on training for and beginning careers in this area of the information technology industry, as well as job prospects in the UK.

The Job Description
Computer games developers produce games for PCs, games consoles, the internet and mobile phones. The work may involve developing new games or updating existing titles.

A game can take several months or even years to produce. There are many stages leading up to its release, from creating ideas and characters to programming and testing.

Typical responsibilities:

designers decide what a game looks like and how it plays, they may come up with an original idea themselves or work from an existing concept
artists and animators create the game's visual characters, objects and scenery and bring them to life – some produce concept art and storyboards at the planning stage, while others use 2-D and 3-D computer modelling and animation software during the production stage
audio/sound engineers create sound effects, character voice-overs and music for games
programmers create the code that makes the game work – they may specialise in developing graphics, artificial intelligence (AI), or gameplay software
quality assurance (QA) testers check playability and reliability, and report any problems or bugs to the development team
producers or project managers oversee the whole process, and make sure that the finished game is delivered to the publisher or distributor on time.

Person Specification
The key personal attributes of good computer game developers include:

excellent computer skills
a wide knowledge and understanding of computer games
creativity and imagination
a logical approach to problem-solving
good teamworking and communication skills
flexibility and adaptability
the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
patience and attention to detail
willingness to keep up with industry developments and learn new skills.

How to become a computer games developer
You will usually need a relevant HND or degree to work as a games designer, artist or programmer, Several colleges and universities offer foundation degrees, HNDs, degrees and postgraduate courses in computer games design or development.

You could also get into the industry with other relevant degree subjects like:

computer science or software engineering
animation, graphic design, fine art or illustration
interactive media
maths or physics
multimedia design.
The most useful courses include practical skills and work placements – many people find their first job in the games industry through work placements they do as part of their degree. See Skillset’s website for a list of industry-endorsed courses. Check with colleges and universities about course content and entry requirements.

A popular way to get into the games industry is as a quality assurance (QA) tester. You do not need a degree to start at this level, but you must have a lot of experience of game playing and in-depth knowledge of game platforms and styles. It is also useful to have some knowledge of programming.

Employers will want to see proof of your talent and creativity, so you will need a portfolio of work to show. This could include completed game projects, ideas for games or computer programmes, artwork or an animation showreel.

You could also show commitment to joining the industry by attending games festivals and events, and keeping yourself up to date with computer game magazines and websites.

Contact Skillset Careers for more advice about breaking into the computer games industry.

Training and Development
You will normally train on the job, learning from more experienced staff. You will start at a junior level and work under the direction of a lead designer, artist or programmer.

You should keep up to date with industry developments throughout your career. It will be useful to learn more software packages that are relevant to your job, for example:

3ds Max, Maya or Direct X, for artists and animators
C, C++, Assembler and various AI tools, for programmers
Logic Audio or Cool Edit Pro, for audio engineers.
Many other packages are available, and some companies also create software to meet their own needs. See Skillset's website for a database of media courses, including a wide range of short courses for the computer games industry.

If you are a QA Tester, you could take Information Systems Exam Board (ISEB) Foundation and Practitioner Certificates in Software Testing, which can increase your skills and employability.

Skillset has developed a QA testing apprenticeship, which leads to NVQ Level 2 in Computer Games Testing.

The Pay (a rough guide)
Games testers can expect to earn between £10,000 and £15,000 a year
Starting salaries for artists and programmers are usually around £20,000 a year
Experienced and skilled designers, lead programmers and producers usually earn around £35,000 to £45,000
Many companies also offer bonuses and share schemes for successfully completing projects.

Job Prospects
The computer games industry is a growing and fast-moving one, with many opportunities for people with the right skills – animation, camera, lighting, mobile technology and scriptwriting skills are particularly in demand. You will often work freelance on fixed-term contracts, although contracts can often be long because games can take years to develop. As with all employment related to computers, there is strong competition for jobs.

It is common for computer and information systems managers to have prior experience in one or more of several specialty areas, including information technology, systems analysis, and programming. While a bachelor’s degree will usually qualify one for a management job, having a Master’s degree that emphasizes both technology and business administration is highly favorable for employers. This is such as business and technology is becoming interdependent in business decision-making. Information technology degrees are sometimes offered in management-information, which combines communication and business skills with core information technology. Sometimes, if a manager has adequate training and experience all that is needed is an associate’s degree. A manager in this situation will often go on to earn a Master’s degree at some point in order to further their advancement.

A wide amount of skills in technology and business will aid computer and information systems managers. Employers look favorably upon potential managers with backgrounds in both software and other specific technology and business. The importance of manager’s decisions that affect the business has only been augmented by the growth in e-commerce. Managers should have the ability to work with all people, including customers, in this process.

Managers will benefit from having strong leadership and communication skills in their dealings with people within and without the organization. This is especially important in the collaboration process within a project team. In general, computer and information systems managers exercise an important role in representing a firm when interacting with outside individuals.

Over the next decade, computer and information systems manager occupations are likely to expand at a rate faster than most other occupations. This is especially so as technology evolves and requires more workers and managers to guide this process. Moreover, employee and manager turnovers will bring added job opportunities. Those with a Master’s degree in business technology and management, and those with good interpersonal skills will be most qualified for these opportunities.

Notwithstanding the economic recession, the future holds strong for computer and information systems managers. Organizations will be implementing complex networks in order to stay competitive in this field. Thus, more managers are required to maintain these networks in smooth operation.

Es electronic commerce continues to rise, so will the need for network security. This has become an increasingly vital issue in recent times, as organizations are required to understand potential attacks and vulnerabilities, such as those caused by viruses and hackers. Managers will continue to be needed to maintain such things as “cyber-security” and assume roles of leadership in order to sustain the integrity of the computing departments. As a result, demand for managers with strong security knowledge will grow rapidly in the future.

The roles that computer and information systems managers fill will continue to change with the evolution of e-commerce and customer inter-relationships. Additionally, wireless Internet technology will result in the rising demand for managers with both technical and business knowledge.

Depending on specialty are skills area, approximate annual salaries for computer and information systems managers range from $47,000 for the bottom ten percent to $140,000 for the top ten percent. In 2002, average annual earnings for these positions were $85,000. Different specialties include computer systems design and services, company management, insurance providers, credit intermediation, and work involved with Universities or technical schools.

Robert Half International found in 2003 that approximate average earnings ranged from around $82,000 to $151,000 for upper-level information technology managers. The National Association of Colleges and Employees surveyed and found that averages for entry-level positions were around $55,000 for those with a Master’s degree in Business Administration, an undergraduate degree, and less than one year experience. Additionally, entry-level salaries for individuals with a graduate degree in data processing or management information systems averaged around $44,000.

An added incentive to becoming an upper-level manager is the many associated benefits that others do not qualify for. These include stock option plans, bonuses, and expense accounts.

 

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