How to Become a PHB?

Vagary asks: "There have been quite a few discussions about becoming a system or network administrator or developer, but in light of recent outsourcing trends it seems prudent to aim for something a little less expendable. What is the ideal education (eg: Master's in CS, MBA in Tech Management?) and entry-level career path (in light of today's job market) to become upper-level IT management such as a CIO or CTO?"

Comments

An ideal education is one you will enjoy...

[Codeala]

... because if you base your choice on "current" trends by the time you graduate they will probably be outdated. In Uni I have seen many who only reason to enrol in CS/IT is because of "the money", they have no real interest/passion for the subject. In my option these people will never be good developer/manager.

My advise is to select those areas/subjects you enjoy and worry about the job market later.

Not TOO specialized

[MrWa]

For starters, don't look into getting any MBA that specializes in a specific area. You can, of course, take those courses and do the studying necessary to know a lot about a certain subject (e.g. IT) but you don't want to limit your options or experience. MBA school is not about focusing on one particular subject.

Build on your experience. We can assume you are in IT already right? Make moves toward supervisory or management roles; show interest and drive; prove that you are already capable. Just showing up one day with a MBA and some IT experience will not cut it. As you move further up the ladder the game is more political than technical. Is that what you really want?

Do you really want to be a PHB? The rewards a very different - you won't often get the satisfaction of accomplishing something yourself. Unless you like managing and directing people and helping them to accomplish tasks, it isn't for you. The only real reward is knowledge about the strategic goals of the group or company; helping others to grow and better themselves; and, if your really good, inspiring others to do things they wouldn't have done otherwise. And you are probably even more replacable, since the skillset of a manager is easier to obtain (though harder to do well) then that of a technician.

No education is uniquely appropriate to management

[etymxris]

I know management that got there from all disciplines and walks of life. You don't get hired into management. You start with gruntwork and slowly demonstrate your ability to lead and manage.

Most top management I know started in a small company or division that got very large. Being one of the first people there let the pyramid structure of management fill in beneath them.

If you start out in a very established company that is unlikely to grow, then you are not likely to get promoted anytime soon. Given that not many companies are growing at the moment, this puts your chances of soon becoming a high-level manager very low.

Surgury

[macemoneta]

I'm pretty sure a pre-frontal lobotomy is required, but the tricky part is having your moral center removed.