InformationWeek

May 10, 1999

I am a 37-year-old manufacturing manager with a bachelor's degree in computer science, an MBA, and 12 years experience in the textile industry. I would like to transfer to the IT industry as a project manager and am wondering how best to go about this. I use computers quite extensively for my current job (Windows 95, Excel, Access, and some Visual Basic programming), but my core technical experience dates back to my college days. Should I go back to school--get a certificate--and begin my career switch as a programmer? Or will IT employers hire someone with project-management experience in a different industry and train on the job?

The likelihood of migrating to a project-manager position in IT from your current role is slim. As we approach the millennium, technology has advanced so rapidly that a core foundation is critical to success. My suggestion is that you start from the bottom, via the programmer route or network integration. Without a core foundation in today's technologies and a refresher in approaches and methodologies you're doomed. The business experience you already have would be a terrific balance to newfound technical expertise.

More Questions:
Should I stay with my current career path at my company?

Will a company pay me to train on their software even if I'm considered a "mature worker?"