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 because if you base your choice on "current" trends by the time you graduate they will probably be outdated.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.

PHB for who?

[araven]

There's no one way, the path to becoming CIO for a Fortune 500 company differs considerably from the path to be CIO for a small organization, or in the public sector.

Speaking for myself, I did systems administration while I was in school, went to Library School and came out with an M.S.I.S. with a focus in database design. I spent some time in a big corporation as a sysadmin. Then saw a great job as a UNIX admin at a Public Television network associated with a University. In a small pond, it was easy to parlay very very very hard work and my degree into my current IT Director/CIO/CTO position.

The thing that made all the difference for me was that from day one I didn't hide in my cube with my nose stuck to an X-Window, I volunteered for everything, and showed my very real interest in the entire organization. I got to know people in every department even though I technically didn't have to do any user support at all. Now, that's what I look for in "management material." Everyone I hire can "communicate well" but the ones who might take my job someday are the ones who see how their jobs relate to what the organization is trying to do, and who tell me how they can support those goals better. Prove to the existing management that you understand technology but can also translate it into achieving business goals, and prove that you think of IT as the means, not the end.

The other thing I managed to do right, I articulated my management philosophy clearly in my interviews. (I've interviewed management candidates who simply cannot tell me what a manager is for!). I told the interviewers in no uncertain terms what I think good managers do, proving that though I had exactly zero previous management experience, that I wouldn't dive in without a clue. For reference, if the interviewers want to hear a philosophy involving squeezing the most out of staff...run. IMHO, management is about supporting your staff, providing them with resources, defending them from abuse, protecting them from distraction, and making resource demands incessently to provide whatever motivation each person needs (far more than "salary" in most cases).

So I guess I suggest picking the kind of organization you want to go to, seeing what kind of qualifications they look for in a PHB, and really loving and believing in the places you apply. (you'll need to, a good PHB works more hours than her subordinates). Then go outside your job description and prove that IT can make things better, not just more expensive. And all the while, think about the best and worst bosses you've ever had and come up with hiring and retention strategies, and a solid management philosophy of your own (I never read a management book) and be ready to articulate it, then to live it.

Realize this though, once you're a PHB, you will not have time to be a technologist anymore. What's more, your staff will see it as unwelcome micromanagement. If you can't give up the root passwords, then don't become an executive. You'll only hate it. Satisfy your technical cravings at home.

My $.02

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