IT managers are a special breed of people who combine advanced computer skills with business savvy to ensure that corporate Australia runs without a technical hitch and maintains its bottom line. It’s not enough for IT managers to have postgraduate IT qualifications; they also need a background in business.
An IT manager needs to be a Jack of all IT trades. This is because IT managers need to be able to manage and solve all problems, whether they’re hardware or software related, have to do with the network, router or server, and whether they have to do with internal disputes among staff. They have to be dab hands at installations, configurations, security and programming.
According to Wikipedia, IT managers are like project managers except that the project never ends. This is why it’s a good idea to add a project management course or two to your IT study load.
IT and Business
The business part comes in when IT managers have to analyse a company’s IT needs but prioritise them according to the company’s budget, and client/customer demands. Finance courses and statistics come in handy here. They also need to be aware of emerging technology and should be able to find software and hardware that will simplify the company’s business processes, increase productivity and save it money.
IT managers might also have to develop training programmes for non-information technology-minded staff who have to use new programs, as well as keep an eye out for local Sydney-based courses that will benefit the IT team. These could include short day courses, rolling online courses and even semester certificate or diploma courses from some of the computer training colleges and IT schools in Sydney.
While web design doesn’t form an integral part of IT management, managers will benefit from a well-rounded set of courses that includes a wide range of computer skills. Ongoing training and development is also essential, especially as the field of IT evolves constantly.