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A career in IT management
I am currently working as a Network Analyst in an Indian IT MNC , and keen to enter the IT Management field However, I hardly have an experience of 2 years in the Technical field.
I have an offer of pursuing MS in IT Management from UT Dallas.
Is this the right time to go for this Masters program and I also need some useful information as per your experience.
Expert's answerI sense some hesitation since you say you are keen to go into management and yet you ask whether it is the right time. Do you prefer working with the technology or with the people? Specialized technical skills are sometimes more valuable than general management skills but they can also be more difficult to maintain over time as technology moves forward. In the end managers work more with people and less with the nuts and bolts of the hardware and software. If getting away from the technology and spending more time directing, planning and tracking the efforts of other people appeals to you it may be time to pursue that Master's Degree. Or it may be time to work on moving into a managerial role in the organization you work for now. If the company you work for wants to send you to school then that is real incentive to pursue the degree now. Without funding from an employer or the graduate program you may find the difference between having a full sized paycheck and being a student a bit of a shock. UT Dallas has a good reputation. If you are keen on the idea then go for it. |
Peter Principle
People looking to upgrade their job title / function can often do so by downgrading the prestige of their employer. In the case of the wannabe manager-in-point here, working for a big company as a worker-bee can make one a prime candidate for a "higher up" position at a smaller company. No need for certification, education, or personality manipulation. All you need is recommendation.
Reply
I just stumbled on your post, and having just graduated from that exact program I decided to respond. The curriculum of the program is really good. If you want a really heavy technical program though you need to go to CS. I was able to change my career through the classes and knowlege I gained in the program. That being said, I kind of wish I had done the MBA program instead. The two curriculums share many of the same classess. The IT management program will have you in many of the general MBA classes. If you do an MBA you will also be able to take the same ITM classes if you want. Lots of students do an MBA with a focus on IT. The main difference is the MBA is more versatile and you will be able to enter any field you wish.
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