An overview of the job of an IT Manager:

IT Manager commonly referred to as an information technology manager is a professional who is given the responsibility to manage the information systems server for clients who maybe living in any part of the globe. This manager work with clients to create and plan an executed program, so that professionals of various departments can start working on the development of the server. This manager must supervise the working of research methods by implementing cost reduction operations and maintaining security of the information system server. In order to carry out these activities, they must distribute the tasks among appropriate information technology sectors and supervising the progress of the tasks assigned.

This professional is to help responsible for the efficient working of the computer systems within the organization by overseeing the installation of various automated software and backup systems. They are also involved in the purchase of hardware and software’s in order to improve the technology infrastructure of the organization. Information technology managers also contribute to the organizational policies regarding the strategic planning and quality standards of the organization.

These professionals play an important role in every size of the organization particularly in service sectors where they work with technicians, database administrators and programmers within the organization. Information Technology managers report their daily operations to a Senior Administrative Officer by providing recommendations and consultations about the future development of the allocated resources of the organization. They are involved in effectively managing these resources which will ensure the maximum implementation of technological resources and services. An information technology manager often works with information project manager to carry out the operating costs of the development of the server within the specified budget of the client. The employment prospects of an IT manager are very bright because of the expanding internet and technology market. The advancement for this professional is expected to grow faster than average when compared to all the other professions by the year 2014.

How is an IT manager trained for this job?

The position of an information technology (IT) manager requires handful amount of educational qualifications which knowledge would help the professionals to carry out the duties and responsibilities handed on to their shoulders.

Following are the educational requirements of an IT manager:

Educational Requirements:

• Candidates would require a bachelor’s degree in the field of engineering, computer science or any other related field of information technology to stand eligible for the entry-level positions of an information technology job.
• Further, educational qualification is a master’s degree in field of computer science engineering is a must to acquire a position as an information technology (IT) manager.
• The course study instills in the candidates the knowledge of subjects such as computers combined with the installation techniques, computer language skills which are very essential to interpret the technical data etc.
• Additional training programs may be taken up to polish skills of computer language such as C++, Java, and Python etc.
• A number of training programs are offered for free of cost by the organization to their employees who enhance the candidate’s skills thus increasing their growth and skill set.
• These training programs and seminars give the employees an opportunity to interact with high level IT professionals.
• Information Technology professionals who want to boost their opportunities of career advancement must consider to specialize in the field of Java, Microsoft and other packaged applications of Veritas and PeopleSoft.
• IT students may also take up internship programs while pursing their degree education from experienced and reputed IT firms which would give them an edge over the other professionals and stands as a platform to display their professional talent and also the students tend to understand the work environment better by putting their theoretical knowledge into practical use.
• Prior experience is required to come to the position of an Information Technology (IT) manager.

What is the certification and licensure given to an Information Technology (IT) Manager?

• Certification and licensure is not mandatory for the profession of an information technology manager but gives an edge over the other professionals with high paying salaries.
• There are many certifications available for the position of an IT manager, one must choose the certification based on the elements and components learnt as part of information technology studies.
• The most sought after certification is Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Microsoft certifications and Cisco Certifications.
• Microsoft certifies its information technological managers as Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE) while the Cisco certifies these professionals as Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) and Cisco Certified Network Associates (CCNA).
• Certifications are provided by the company itself after completing the formal training sessions provided by these organizations.
• The only requirement to participate or stand eligible for these certifications is to have a degree in the related fields of computer science engineering or information technology field.

What does an IT Manager do?

A number of duties and responsibilities are enumerated for an IT manager as he represents the business analysts and other computer related programmers.

He plays a crucial role in the organization for database management.

However, it is seen that the duties given to this job role are dependent on the organization the professional is employed with combined with the complexities of the information systems carried out by the organization.

Following are some of the basic duties and responsibilities given to an IT manager employed in kind of industry:

Duties:

• It is the primary duty of an information technology manager to assist with the planning and implementation of various programs by altering the modifications to support the regional infrastructure.
• It is the duty of an information technology manager to work employees by helping them in implementing the internal systems and oversee the troubleshooting problems, archiving, systems backup and recovery of valuable information whenever necessary.
• Information technology managers are involved in creating strategies with the use of allocated resources in order to reduce risk management and scheduling the project plan.
• It is the duty of this professional to manage crisis situations of the organization that involves working the technical software and hardware problems.
• An important duty given to an IT manager is to provide access of internal data to the network of remote users by securing the data from external or internal attacks.
• They are given the duty to perform research for installing new systems and scheduling for upgrades by keeping a backup of the software systems information.

Responsibilities:

• The IT manager is given the responsibility of supervising and overseeing the activities of the engineering project team and to resolve conflicts that arise within the group.
• They are given the responsibility to oversee the administrative operations by maintaining the company’s infrastructural facilities and directing more employees to work whenever required.
• Information managers are responsible to provide customer service by responding to help desk issues and overseeing the activities of the help desk at the zonal level.
• These professionals are responsible for the planning and implementation of budget proposals by obtaining negotiating prices with the suppliers in order to ensure the effectiveness of costs.
• They are given the responsibility of recruiting, mentoring and training the new employees about the activities, policies and procedures of the organization.
• IT managers take the responsibility to interact with all internal employees to resolve problems related to the data based systems and provide solutions in a timely fashion.

What is the remuneration package of an IT manager?

• The salary package of an IT manager is very high as it is highest hierarchical position in the information and technological field and also these professionals form the core members for developing applications that improve the working of an organization.
• However, the salary for these professionals depends on factors such as experience in the industry, industry of employment and geographical location of employment.
• The average median salary of an IT manager is estimated to be $125,950 annually.
• The top ten percentile of information technology managers receive a salary of $142,739 per annum while the lowest ten percentile of the professionals earn salary up to $92,239 for a year.
• Apart from the usual salaries these professionals are also given bonus for any breakthrough in the field or for their overtime work that ranges around $986 – $19,718 annually.
• IT managers who have experience of less than one year in the industry earn salary ranging around $19,784 – $92,336 per annum while on the other hand professionals with experience of one to five years in the industry earn salary ranging around $34,692 – $87,053 annually.
• Information Technology (IT) managers who are employed to the industries of Information Technology (IT) services earn salary ranging around $51,221 – $120,188 annually.
• Professionals who are employed in the industries of financial services earn salary ranging around $54,596 – $131,128 per annum and manufacturing and distribution industries pays its IT managers an amount ranging between $49,021 and $103,377 for a year.
• Geographical location of employment has a huge impact on the salaries of professionals.
• It is observed that IT managers who are employed in the state of California earn salary ranging around $50,418 – $129,400 annually compared to the professionals who are employed in the state of Texas and receive an amount ranging around $46,699 – $118,784 annually.
• Besides this, they are also given perks such as health and life insurance plans, paid sick leaves etc. all part of their employment in the organization.

What skills does an IT manager need for the job?

Apart from the educational qualifications, IT managers would require certain skills and abilities which would help them to perform their responsibilities with efficiency thus allowing them to excel, grow and prosper in the field.

Following are the skills and abilities required by an information technology manager:

Skill Set:

• Knowledge of Technology: Technology is widespread and fast emerging. Hence, one essential skill of an information technology manager is to stay updated with the latest technology that favors the various purposes of the job requirements. Use of technology will make the work effective and managing these inter-linked systems becomes easier. Thus, learning the new technology is the key for success in a profession like information technology.
• Analytical skills: As these professionals work for the improvement of the business operations of the organization, they should have the ability to analyze and interpret key business data. He must have the ability to come up with solutions for all the inadequacies of the employer activities by developing programs that increase the database of the company’s information systems technology.
• Managerial Skills: IT manager works in various functional areas of the organization. He is given the responsibility to provide customer service and for this purpose he requires considerate amount of communication and interpersonal skills and managerial skills are required to organize the work in his hands to improve the effectiveness of the information systems. In addition to this, these professionals must be able to manage time and resources that are provided by the organization.
• Other skills include:
• Working in a team possessing leadership qualities.
• Delivering information to other employees clearly, precisely and in an understandable manner.
• Must be a computer literate person.
• Knowledge of a foreign language proves beneficial.
• Ability to think logically and keen decision making skills.