Essential IT Project Manager Skills

IT project managers require a mix of people management and technical skills to facilitate a positive environment while keeping the project on track. Understanding the necessary skills and why each is important can help you determine which skills align with your current strengths and which you may want to spend time developing. By cultivating skills related to IT project management, you can stand out from other candidates and better market yourself for this type of position.

What is an IT project manager?

As an information technology (IT) project manager, you are responsible for lead projects that involve information systems and IT infrastructure. Typically, IT projects have a clear project objective with defined deliverables and deadlines rather than ongoing project work. For example, an IT project might involve upgrading the software on all organizational computers, collecting data for a research-based project, or setting up a new type of IT hardware.

Understanding core competencies as an IT project manager

As a project manager, you set the strategic vision for the project as a whole and set separate expectations and milestones for each employee or individual team involved. Your goal is to maximize the efficiency of the project while reducing risks and coming up with creative solutions to challenges as they arise. 

Because this role requires a mix of technical and people management tasks, important competencies involve both industry-specific skills and workplace skills. You need to stay current with technical trends and modern business practices, but you should also be able to motivate and lead teams to perform their best and remain committed to the organization's short-term and long-term visions. 

Communication and leadership skills

As a project manager of any sort, communication and leadership skills are important to ensure your project goals align with the needs of the business and that team members understand what is expected of them during each phase of the project. Specific skills in this area that may help you as an IT project manager include the following.

Team motivation

As a leader, it’s important to inspire each team member to want to complete their components on time and to the best of their ability. This involves keeping a clear group vision of the end goal, resolving any conflicts quickly, and facilitating coordination between different tasks and priorities. By being a strong role model, you can help create an environment where each team member feels connected to the project and inspired to do whatever they can to help move it forward. 

Creativity and problem-solving 

Being able to design creative solutions to challenges as they arise helps you to remain competitive as priorities and business needs shift. For example, if your business requires a new type of security system to protect its data, having the ability to consider several options and how each could impact the organization allows you to think critically and creatively about how to design the best solution. This is also important as challenges arise because it allows you to create solutions using a fresh perspective to minimize negative impacts while maximizing positive outcomes.

Project planning and time management

An important part of having strong leadership and communication skills is the ability to set clear milestones and expectations. Communicating timelines, budgets, and deadlines you expect each team member to meet can keep your project on track. Plus, you can better allocate resources and time for each step when you have a clear understanding of its requirements and monitor whether your anticipated needs match observed ones as the project progresses.

Adaptability 

Project requirements and scope can change quickly, therefore the ability to adapt to new circumstances and needs can help you become a more effective IT project manager. This may be especially relevant in technical fields—such as IT—because new technologies emerge at a fast pace. If your current systems aren’t keeping up with new developments, or your initial ideas didn’t work the way you expected, you’ll need to quickly determine the best way to upgrade to new systems and what that looks like in the context of your business. Adaptable teams are willing to change the project if needed, prioritizing the end goal over the initial plan or idea. 

Technical skills

Because IT is a technical field, understanding the technology around the systems you are working with ensures you can design and implement effective solutions. In addition to the specific technologies, technical skills such as the following can set you apart in this role.

Business analytics

As an IT manager, anticipating business needs and designing creative solutions ensures the organization's and staff's needs are continually met. This involves understanding the costs and benefits of certain projects and recommending solutions based on your insights. 

Risk assessment

Most decisions you make will involve some sort of risk, but it’s up to you and your team to minimize this risk in relation to the potential rewards. If the project doesn’t perform the way you anticipate, the resources spent on it won’t have had the impact you planned for, and you will need to spend additional resources on an alternate solution. Because of this, reducing the risk of failure and considering possible alternatives when deciding on a solution can help you make the best decisions for the organization as a whole.

Lifecycle management

The software development life cycle involves different spaces of design, implementation, and management. When working in IT, understanding how to manage software projects and minimize risk at different stages—and how to change workflows to maximize productivity—is an important skill.

Agile development

In an Agile framework, you prioritize collaboration and continuous improvement, allowing for the project to shift and change throughout the lifecycle. This method prioritizes adaptability with a focus on ensuring the end product meets goals in the most cost-effective and efficient way. Because you continually integrate feedback, you are able to respond to obstacles quickly and incorporate different perspectives from the team at each stage.

How to become an IT project manager

You can take several paths to becoming an IT project manager, depending on your available time, resources, and the stage of your career. For example, if you’re just starting out or you like the idea of going back to school, you might choose to earn a full degree for its comprehensive overview and structured curriculum. If you have less time, online certifications or courses might offer a more flexible approach. Some options to consider include:

• Earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in IT or computer science to start out in a more technical role before moving into management positions.

• Earn a master’s degree in project management or a related field to learn practical skills and theoretical foundations of how to lead teams.

• Earn certifications to demonstrate your proficiency, such as Agile, Project Management Professional, or Certified ScrumMaster certifications.

• Start with an entry-level position in IT security or database management to build connections and learn what your workflow would look like in this area.

• Take online courses or Professional Certificates on learning platforms like Coursera, such as the IBM IT Project Manager Professional Certificate to build foundational skills and earn recognized credentials at your own pace.

Learn more about project management on Coursera

IT project managers facilitate the flow of projects revolving around information technology systems and software. To build skills in this area, taking online courses and Professional Certificates on Coursera can help you develop the expertise needed to excel in this position. The IBM IT Project Manager Professional Certificate is a great option if you’re looking to go straight into an IT project management position, or you can prepare for entry-level positions in the IT space with the Google IT Support Professional Certificate.