I recently had an IT Project Manager share that they'd like to start taking technical courses to become a technical PM. All of the technical PMs I've met have gone from technical to project management, and not the reverse.
What are your thoughts on this? Is either direction viable, or is this a career path less travelled?
Edit: Please note that the essence of this thread assumes there is such a role as technical project manager, and is to solicit input on career path direction, specifically. Technical to PM, or PM to Technical. Which is the natural progression for companies that have Technical PMs, and is either path a viable option? In my experience it's only from Technical to PM, and not the reverse. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
There was a debate on this in an earlier discussion thread ... I personally believe that its good to be technically solid but there is nothing called Technical PM but id rather say a PM with solid technical background. Those are my two cents Michelle. Saving Changes...
Thanks Rami, I'll find that thread. I think the other part of my question, regarding the direction, is answered by your response of 'PM with technical background'. i.e. they go from technical to PM path. Saving Changes...
The term technical project manager may mean different things such as:
- a subject matter expert who manages a project while also providing technical leadership to the project team
- a project manager that manages a project without actually leading the technical resources but who had worked in a technical position before moving to project management
- a subject matter expert responsible for the technical aspects of a project "paired" with a non-technical project manager responsible for the operational aspects of the project. (this is actually a fancy name for a project technical lead)
In all cases the technical project manager is someone who had started his/her career in a technical position and latter either moved to project management or started to do project management work while still doing technical work as well.
Taking a technical course will not make you a technical professional in the same manner as a project management course will not make you a project manager. However technical jobs tend to be much more skilled than project management ones so it is much easier to transition to project management from a technical position than the other way around.
Nonetheless a technical course could help a project manager to better communicate with the technical people who are building the products or the services that have to be delivered as part of the project. Saving Changes...
saurabh mahajanPMP, ITIL, PRINCE2| vodafonePune, Maharashtra, India
Its a topic that i am also wondering since some time now. With the change in business working and client expectation, PM roles certainly needs a technical touch. I am also currently working on automation testing technologies to lead a team on the same.
IMO: a PM's primary skills should be strong in project management and technical to suffice it. Saving Changes...
Dominic LawProduct Manager| PCCW GlobalHappy Valley, Hong Kong
Well, normally a Project Manager has prior working experience before being promoted onto a management position, so naturally there are more talks about going from technical to PM career. But at more senior positions sometimes technical and management skill requirement can become vague, which means maybe 50% technical and 50% project management skill. So my opinion is that it can depend on case by case, and each individual can offer something different based on the mix of technical and PM skills.
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1 reply by Adrian Carlogea
Mar 14, 2016 8:52 AM
Adrian Carlogea
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In IT the project manager is usually not a management position as the project manager does not manage an organization or a part of it and he has no direct reports.
However the project manager before being assigned his first project should have some work experience but usually companies are looking for experience in an entry level project management position and not in a technical role.
Being a senior technical IT professional will be almost impossible to find a job as a project manager and you will have to start from an entry level position before you can be assigned your first project. There are exceptions but the exception is something that doesn't happen too often.
On the other hand if you are at the beginning of your technical IT career you can switch easier to a project management position and the short time spent in a technical role could be an advantage.
Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Project management is not a technical activity. The problem is that, when you see the project manager role implementation inside the organizations around the world, you will see that those are not project managers at all. So, technical project manager does not exists as a role. What that person wants to do is to be a subject matter expert in the technical field that could perform the project manager role. Is that the case let me say is the worst thing to do when you start an initiative: assign a subject matter expert as project manager.
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1 reply by Adrian Carlogea
Mar 14, 2016 9:05 AM
Adrian Carlogea
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In the companies for which I have worked the project manager was not a technical position at all and most project managers hadn't worked in a technical role before becoming project managers.
However I think there are pros and cons for a subject matter expert doing the project management work also. A SME unlike a PM can provide full leadership to the project as he will be able to lead the technical resources. The problem is that he may neglect the project management part of his role and focus too much on technical issues.
On the other hand while a "pure" PM can focus entirely on project management issues he will have virtually no control over the team who he will have to trust blindly on all the technical matters. For such a PM the team will be to a large extent some sort of black box.
Well, normally a Project Manager has prior working experience before being promoted onto a management position, so naturally there are more talks about going from technical to PM career. But at more senior positions sometimes technical and management skill requirement can become vague, which means maybe 50% technical and 50% project management skill. So my opinion is that it can depend on case by case, and each individual can offer something different based on the mix of technical and PM skills.
In IT the project manager is usually not a management position as the project manager does not manage an organization or a part of it and he has no direct reports.
However the project manager before being assigned his first project should have some work experience but usually companies are looking for experience in an entry level project management position and not in a technical role.
Being a senior technical IT professional will be almost impossible to find a job as a project manager and you will have to start from an entry level position before you can be assigned your first project. There are exceptions but the exception is something that doesn't happen too often.
On the other hand if you are at the beginning of your technical IT career you can switch easier to a project management position and the short time spent in a technical role could be an advantage. Saving Changes...
Project management is not a technical activity. The problem is that, when you see the project manager role implementation inside the organizations around the world, you will see that those are not project managers at all. So, technical project manager does not exists as a role. What that person wants to do is to be a subject matter expert in the technical field that could perform the project manager role. Is that the case let me say is the worst thing to do when you start an initiative: assign a subject matter expert as project manager.
In the companies for which I have worked the project manager was not a technical position at all and most project managers hadn't worked in a technical role before becoming project managers.
However I think there are pros and cons for a subject matter expert doing the project management work also. A SME unlike a PM can provide full leadership to the project as he will be able to lead the technical resources. The problem is that he may neglect the project management part of his role and focus too much on technical issues.
On the other hand while a "pure" PM can focus entirely on project management issues he will have virtually no control over the team who he will have to trust blindly on all the technical matters. For such a PM the team will be to a large extent some sort of black box. Saving Changes...
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