InformationWeek

November 5, 1998

I am in my late 20s and a couple of years into my second job since graduating with a bachelor's degree in IS six years ago. I have been an Oracle developer since graduation and recently received my Oracle Masters certificate in Application Development. In addition I am working on my MBA. I have been promoted quickly and am now assuming system analyst and project management responsibilities. While I really enjoy development, the analyst/management role moves me toward my financial goals. Am I too young to be moving into lower management? Will my job be more vulnerable if the economy turns sour? Can I stay in the developer field a few more years and not miss the management boat?

You're asking the right questions. There is a trade-off when you move into the project-management/managerial ranks: You are moving away from the day-to-day technical piece in return for gaining the skills necessary to move your career toward management. What you do will depend on your interests and your career goals. If you enjoy your role and hope to accelerate into upper management, my advice is to keep abreast of the current technologies being utilized in your company today and continue to manage those projects. To stay ahead in technology management, you need to be aware of and experience complexity issues like large-scale integration initiatives and E-commerce solutions. On the other hand, if your interest lies in continuing to develop core technologies, you may want to look at other roles that have fewer project-management responsibilities.

More Questions:
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