What is it Like to be an Office Manager in an IT Department?
The IT manager in a company is more than just the office computer person. They not only take care of maintaining the machines and troubleshooting computers around the company, but this manager also handles high-level technical issues like security and planning for the future of the workforce. Without the IT manager, most companies would not be able to function efficiently, if at all.
The Day-to-Day Details
Daily tasks for an IT manager often involve helping employees with computer and printer mishaps, changing passwords, running daily system backups, installing new software, and helping higher-ups with improving systems for payroll and more. But this isn't all an IT manager would do, lest you think that the job is like a hamster wheel of forgotten passwords.
Additional common tasks include helping the company's administrators plan for future upgrades and how to take the company in a new direction with adequate technical resources. An IT manager must also monitor for threats and monitor how the company's security is doing, as well as keep an eye on developments in the field regarding new threats and new techniques for protecting the company's technology.
For the head of an IT team (if the company has several IT workers and not just one IT person handling everything), the day could also include researching new models of servers and computers and creating new databases and systems at the request of the company's managers. The manager could also take part in local seminars and national conventions as either a guest or an attendee.
Size and Similarities
Many of the tasks that an IT manager has to do stay the same no matter the company size. However, an IT manager may be less busy at a smaller company, simply because there is less to deal with in terms of the number of computers and people. This is mitigated, though, by the possibility of having a larger IT team at a larger company, allowing the team to divide responsibilities.
IT managers in larger companies that have multiple locations may have to coordinate with team members working in vastly different environments. The IT manager may be in San Francisco, for example, while the network in a satellite office in Chicago needs troubleshooting.
The managers in the IT department also have to keep an eye on non-technical issues like the department budget and personnel issues. While a separate human resources division would handle paperwork, the manager may have to address personality conflicts and staff shortages, discussing IT staff expansion with company management.
Formal Education Is a Must
Being an IT manager is not something that anyone can do. Unless a candidate can prove that they have extensive experience in an IT environment, a minimum requirement is a bachelor's degree. The degree shows that the candidate has at least a certain amount of technical knowledge.
The bachelor's degree must be in Computer Science or a related field. Again, there may be a few outliers who don't have the formal education but do have proof of extensive and more-than-adequate knowledge, but for most applicants, that formal education is a requirement.
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