Abstract
IT manager is entirely accountable and responsible for the ongoing programs of IT service. Information technology management has been termed as a fast-growing field in the contemporary world. Corporation has recently been looking to upgrade their technology which can only be accomplished with the help of the information technology manager. The essay is an analysis of Information technology management position in the world of employment, typical responsibilities, educational and experience qualification and salary offered for the post.
Overview
The majority of the IT management programs are specifically developed to educate and create managers who can manage, implement and administrate the merging and convergence of the communication and information technologies. In addition to this, program curriculum is critical since they offer students with a critical technical competency and management skills required to integrate individuals, communication technology and even business processes to support the strategic goals of an organisation (Catalin & Alina, 2011). IT management disciplines include IT configuration management, Business/IT alignment, IT service management, IT governance, IT financial management and Sourcing.
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Introduction
IT management is simply a field where the firm’s information technology resources are all managed according to their needs and priorities. Common types of such resources are the substantial investment including the networks, hardware, date and even software. Other resources include the staffs hired to manage them (Chaffey & White, 2010) specifically. The management of this responsibility in any company will entail most of the fundamental management duties such as controlling, staffing, organizing and even budgeting in addition to any core aspect to technology including tech support, network planning and even software design.
The fundamental aim of the IT manager is specifically to create value by using technology. In attaining this, the business strategies and technology has to be accurately aligned. Organisational value creation will entail a network of relationships particularly between the external and internal environment. It has been established that technology tends to play a significant role when it comes to improving the core value chain of any given organisation. It is critical to ensure that the technology and business management work as synergistic, collaborative and even creating team rather than a purely mechanistic aspect of control (Catalin & Alina, 2011).
Summary of news or articles
Often, employers often prefer those individuals who have attained a bachelor’s degree in IT management (Chaffey & White, 2010). An undergraduate in IT management will learn practical ways to implement their acquired computer science knowledge to the world of business. The majority of the students often go on to obtain a graduate degree in business with IT Management as a specialization.
Job outlook
The current statistic has projected that the information technology manager position will grow by 15 percent between the present day and the year 2020 which is believed to be a faster rate compared to the overall average for most occupations. This field has continued to grow at a rapid rate correlated to the growth of the technological innovation. Therefore, with the massive growth and development organisations have seen the need to embrace the mobile and wireless technologies and this will result in rapid growth of demand for the IT managers (Chaffey & White, 2010).
Present level of employment
Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the majority of the jobs in the IT field are rapidly growing, and the trend will go on in the future (www.bls.gov). Today, organisations are after competent persons who are believed to have the ability to meet the company’s technological requirements. According to the BLS, it was predicted that the employment of IT managers would rise by 15% between the years 2012-2022, a faster rate compared to to the national average for most of the jobs. Every year, IT companies publish millions of employment opportunities for IT managers implying that the demand for qualified IT profession is rapidly increasing. A degree in IT management has been shown to be a great start in accessing job opportunities across the world. The overall projected growth of the IT management employment between the years 2014 to 2024 rose significantly by about 15% increase which is much faster than average.
Salary trends
Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the IT managers currently earn an average annual salary of $132,570 in 2013. The median annual salary as at the year 2014 was approximated to be $127,640. Information technology managers who are currently working for larger corporations and particularly in the densely populated regions often earn higher salaries. On the other hand, those IT managers at smaller companies tend to earn significantly lower wages.
Typical responsibilities
Some typical duties of an information technology manager include: first, the manager monitors the progress with an aim to meet the set deadlines, the budget and attain the highest level of standard. Further, he manages all technology projects in an organisation and supervises the IT staffs. According to Catalin & Alina, (2011), the manager also is responsible for delegating duties and tasks to the project personnel. The manager further establishes and maintains the technical and the operational requirements, and evaluating core solutions to resolve technical challenges of an organisation.
Educational or experience requirements
The educational requirement for an IT management position tends to range from bachelor's degree with experience which might include hand on the technician to the advanced degree in computer science or business management. Further, in most instances, certification in the project management including Project Management Institute's PMP certification seems to be highly desirable for IT managers (Laudon & Laudon, 2004). It is the requirement that he or she must possess a higher level of technical expertise. In addition to this, he must be able to communicate and articulate effectively. A stronger customer relationship has also been shown to be a critical aspect in addition to excellent interpersonal skills and technical expertise in to be able to support the enterprise work efficiently. Lastly, he must be familiar with diverse aspects of the organisational, technical process and systems.
Discussion
It is clear that information technology management careers tend to vary significantly and are common in the areas of government, the non-profit organisation, commerce and industry. As it has been established from most studies, the role of IT manager is simply to plan, coordinate and even direct all computer related activities (Brancheau, Janz & Wetherbe, 1996). These activities include setting and managing security policies, analysing networks, installing and upgrading computer hardware and software in addition to determining short and long-range IT goals. For an individual to function effectively in this position, he or she must be well versed with knowledge of data management, media policies and even internet threats. From the analysis, it is evident that a degree or an advanced degree in computer science or business management is sufficient as a qualification for the position (Bird, 2010). It is important for one to ensure that he or she attains the highest qualification to enhance their chances of being employed as the IT manager. Salary trends have established that various companies offer salaries and wages based on their size and the level of activities. Therefore, it might be substantial improve your level of competency and move to the large corporation if interested in huge salaries.
Implication of lesson learned
The major lesson learned from the study is related to evolving nature and trends in the current employment market. From the analysis, it is evident that with the rapid growth and development in the technological world, organisations have seen the need to embrace the mobile and wireless technologies and this will result in rapid growth of demand for the IT managers. Therefore, as an IT manager, it is important for one to equip himself with adequate and required skills and competencies that are demanded in the job market (Chaffey & White, 2010). An advanced degree in computer science or business management is the most desirable if an individual wish to enhance his or her level of competency in the modern world. Employers have been looking for the person with the distinct qualification which is considered as a vital asset to the organisation. It might be critical to ensure that you become an all-rounded person who would be able to fit appropriately to the specific qualifications that employers are after.
Conclusion
From the analysis, above, Information technology management has been defined as a discipline where the firm’s information technology resources are all managed according to their needs and priorities. This field has been shown to be fast growing and the trends that have been experienced as far as the IT management is concerned to have been amazing. The essay has identified the primary responsibilities of the manager and specific educational and experience for one to qualify for the position of an information technology manager. Further, the essay has identified the salary trend in this post and its implication in the future.
References
Bird, M. (2010). Modern Management Guide to Information Technology. Create Space.[1] .
Brancheau, J. C., Janz, B. D., & Wetherbe, J. C. (1996). Key issues in information systems management: 1994-95 SIM Delphi results. MIS quarterly , 225-242.
Catalin, P., & Alina, P. (2011). Information Technology Management. Journal of Knowledge Management, Economics and Information Technology , 1 (2).
Chaffey, D., & White, G. (2010). Business information management: improving performance using information systems . Pearson Education.
Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (2004). Management information systems: Managing the digital firm. New Jersey , 8 .
