Become

Software Development
Project Manager
in 2018

Overcome limiting believes, focus on what matters the most right now, leverage your current knowledge.

0.22
Hello,

Dmitriy Nizhebetskiy here. Ask yourself:

What holds you back from becoming a Software Development Project Manager in 2018?

This short cheatsheet will help you overcome your constraints, get a bit of focus, and
take the next step.

Right here I want to give you the first tip for a Software Project Manager:

It is version 0.22 of this document. Alpha version. It is not complete. It is not perfect.
Some links lead to the external resources.

It is a Minimal Viable Product (MVP).

Yet there is value already in here. You can read it and give your feedback right away.

Based on your feedback I can correct and add materials that address your real needs.

That is the way you need to approach the work on software development projects.
Always work towards tangible and testable results. Always try to get feedback from
stakeholders as early as possible.

Approach your career development as a software PM.

Do it incrementally and iteratively.

 It’s not about technical skills:

“
If you want to become a software development project manager, start by thinking about the
information that project managers ask for - things like estimates to complete, progress reports,
level of effort for alternative approaches, and so on.

Think about who uses that information, and why they

need it.

Think about the input you provide to all the decisions that get made by people who aren't part of
the development team, from sales and marketing to infrastructure management and production
support.

Then picture yourself as the person all of them look to for timely, accurate information

Dave Gordon and the person they come back to when their expectations aren't met.

Founder of:
The Practicing IT Project Manager Now consider your ability to handle all those demanding, critical interactions when the project is
vital to the future of your organization. Work on your people skills, with that role in mind, and apply
them at work.

Prove yourself.

Then ask for the job.

Become a link…

“
Develop your communication skills.

It's so important to be able to act as a link between the techies and other people in the business.

You have to understand enough about the development process to be able to translate it into
language that your project sponsor and customers will understand themselves.

You'll need enough confidence in your communication abilities to be able to give presentations,
write reports, chair meetings and answer unexpected questions.

The best way to develop your communication skills is to keep practicing! Ask for feedback on your
writing and presenting, keep checking that you are being understood and look at how people are
reacting to what you say and do.
Elizabeth Harrin
My top tip would be to read back your emails before you send them, and try to remove any words Author of
Communicating Change:
that aren't absolutely essential. Shorter is definitely better on email, but you need to keep the How To Talk About Project Change
message intact.
Blogger behind
GirlsGuideToPM.com
 You’ve got what it takes…

“
If you’re already a project manager in another industry, take comfort in knowing your project
management skills will transfer to IT. You’ll need those same skills of leadership, communication,
and problem solving that you’ve already been developing.

But you’ll need to gain an understanding of the software development world.

You don’t need to know how to write software. But you do need to understand what’s needed in
creating and delivering software to the customer. Understanding the software development
lifecycle will be very important.

It’s also important to understand software delivery and user adoption. Everyone may start using
the new solution at the same time or in phases. You may need to plan for user training and
Leigh Espy ongoing support. And all of this can be different from project to project.

Founder of:
You don’t have to pretend like you already know everything, but you do have to show you’re
ProjectBliss.net
making an effort to learn.
Author of
Bad Meetings Happen to Good
People: How to Run Meetings
That Are Effective, Focused,
and Produce Results
 Limiting Believes
(That are Likely Holding You Back)
1 “I need programming Skills to become a PM in Software Company.”

That is not true!

In most companies, you don't need programming skills.

Google, Amazon, and some other companies can allow themselves to enforce engineering project
managers. It might be a right approach for product companies, but it will not work in outsourcing/
outstaffing world.

(In fact, it is tough to find a person who is equally good at writing code and managing people. In
most cases, it is not cost-efficient)

You do need to be tech-savvy. However, rarely a company will expect you to write code unless it is
explicitly stated. But I would recommend staying away from such job opportunities.

If you don't have programming skills, you can become a software development Project Manager.
 Limiting Believes
(That are Likely Holding You Back)
“I need specialized certifications to become a PM in Software Company.”2
It is true to some extent.

If you are going to make a switch from other industry, a relevant certification will help you to get a job
easier. Here is the truth:

They are very easy to get. Much easier than a generalized PMI PMP certificate for example.

Moreover, most of them come in tiers. So, you may consider getting:

• Certified Scrum Master (2 days training + 30 minutes exam)

• Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certified (SSGBC)™ (1-2 weeks)

• Certified Product Owner (2 days of training)

• ITIL Foundation (2-3 days of training and learning)

I would recommend getting the low hanging fruits first (CSM). You may feel constrained during the job
search. Then, explore the job descriptions and learn the requirements for other certifications
 Limiting Believes
(That are Likely Holding You Back)
3 “Clients and customers are technical Gurus. I will not understand them!”
I worked with a client who was a software engineer. He tried to help us and focused on many technical
details.

Quite soon we had to force him to set only business requirements.

Here is what you need to know.:

If you do not actively write code on a daily basis on a challenging project, your skills and knowledge
depreciate really fast.

(That is another reason why a project manager should not impact technical decisions.)

You need to keep your clients on the level of business requirements, user experience and behavior, and
use cases.

Your team should be handling all the technical aspects of implementation. They should be the experts
who provide a solution.
 Limiting Believes
(That are Likely Holding You Back)
“It is all about coding!” 4
That is not true.

The best software engineers believe that writing code is the easiest part.

But there is a catch.

It is easy when you have clear requirements beforehand.

It is easy when your stakeholders know what they need.

It is easy when you have all the designs at hand.

It is easy when there are no serious changes in the middle of a project.

It is easy when no one distracts developers from work.

It is easy when there is a proper plan.

It is easy when there are transparent processes.

You see, it is all about project management. Before coding happens, there is so
much preparation work. It is the work any project manager from any industry
does.
 Limiting Believes
(That are Likely Holding You Back)
“There are no Project Managers in Software Development.
5 I Have to be a Scrum Master.”
It is true that Scrum and Kanban dominate in software development projects.

However, I'm quite sure that you will not get into a pure Scrum project.

As a Software Development Project Manager, you will act as a Scrum Master. It is just an additional role
for you.

But all other aspects of project management will be present there as well.
 How to become a
Software Project Manager?
1 Learn Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
• SDLC Tutorial for the Software Development Lifecycle
• What are the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) phases?
• SDLC - Overview

2 Learn Software Development Methodologies

• Scrum Master vs Project Manager vs Product Owner and More
• Project Management Methodologies: Which one is better?
• Scrum and How to be Truthful About it
• PM Tips #4: What is the role of a Project Manager in an Agile project?
 How to become a
Software Project Manager?
3 Get Agile Certification
Look for local education service providers. Prefer live classes and trainers from software
development industry.

4 Boost Your Tech Savviness

Here you need to understand different technologies around you. For example:

• How does a web site work?

• How does Dropbox stores all those files?

• How does the Internet work in general?

• What are the pros and cons of Android, iOS, Windows, OS X, Ubuntu, and other operating
systems?

• How does the code work on a mobile device or a desktop.

In general, you should be curious about all the surrounding technologies to a level where you
can explain them to your mother.
 How to become a
Software Project Manager?
5 Learn About Major Technology Stacks (at Wikipedia level)

• What are the Technical Skill of a Software Development Project Manager?

6 Improve Your Leadership and Motivation Skills

• Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory in Project Management

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and It’s Practical Application on Your Projects
• Expectancy Theory and How to Develop People With Motivation in Mind
• How to be the Best Project Manager (For Your Team)
 How to become a
Software Project Manager?
7 Create a Perfect CV

8 Network with Software Development Project Managers

One of the best opportunities to become a software project manager and get
initial experience is through a reference of another PM. Like in many industries
management positions are filled in with internally referred candidates.

Not a Project Manager
Difficult
Post graduate
Not IT, not project-based worker
1. Look for internships and training
programs within big organizations.
2. Research job opportunities in small and
medium outsourcing companies.
3. Position yourself as "Assistant" Project
Manager.
4. (Optional) Get experience working in the
software development project in entry-
level positions.
5. Look for opportunities for informal
project management and leadership
experience.
6. Leverage steps from the next case.
Note: the difficulty of this case relates to
general hiring tendencies. It has little to do
with specifics of the software industry. You
are competing for an entry-level position
with all other candidates.
Action Plans
Software Development Project Manager Software Development
Company Staff Not in IT Project Team Member
Easier
Technical Support Engineer
Software Engineer
Call Center
Any industry Quality Assurance Engineer
UI/UX Designer
Business Analyst
UI/UX Analyst
1. Invest time and efforts in learning
1. Network with local Software Project
basics of project management. 1. Talk to your Project Manager or Head of
Managers.
2. Find an opportunity to get informal Department and state your desire to
2. Upgrade your tech savviness.
leadership experience. become a PM.
3. Get required IT certifications.
3. Find a mentor in Project Management. 2. Create a 3-6 months Development Plan
4. Look for opportunities to get initial IT
4. Network with Project Managers to find to transition to a Project Manager’s role
experience within your industry.
entry-level PM positions. 3. Report on your progress regularly.
5. Boost your leadership, facilitation,
5. Read books and blogs on Project 4. Invest in training for Project Managers
conflict resolution skills.
Management. 5. Look for entry-level opportunities in
6. Update your CV to highlight skills and
6. Participate in free PM events. other companies.
knowledge required in Software
Industry
Note: you need to show your desire to be a Note: Suggest possibilities of part-time
manager and leader proactively. Success role as an assistant Project Manager.
Note: be ready for salary downshift.
in this case strongly depends on the
feedback from project managers you work
with.
 Let me help you in a better way!
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