Though the main benefit of a good mentoring program is it allows more senior professionals to share their unique skill sets that can bridge skills gaps in more junior employees. Bridging these skill gaps can create a more productive workforce that can drive organizational improvements.

What Successful Mentoring Programs Have Mastered: Matching

Mentoring programs are only as strong as the relationships they help foster. Here are several ways to create positive, long-term mentor and newbie relationships.

Identify Skills Gaps Before Making a Match

Identify the gaps you are trying to fill in your mentees skill sets and match the mentees with executives who can help fill those areas. For example, if an employee needs to improve in reporting or presentations, ensure they are matched with a mentor that excels in those areas.

Ensuring mentor and newbie aren’t in the same management chain

When a relationship exists outside the bounds of a management relationship, there is a higher probability the relationship will be more productive. The chance for open, honest dialogue dramatically increases when the mentee does not have to worry about repercussions to either them or their boss. On the other hand, mentors can also provide more direct feedback when the mentee isn’t their employee which could strain their professional relationship.

Match newbies with mentors who are in roles they aim for  

Asking newbies what career goals they foresee for themselves in the future can help make mentor matches. For example, if a junior IT professional wants to be more security-focused, setting them up with a mentor who is a cybersecurity expert would work best.

Try to find some common ground for the match   

Relationships that start out with some common ground tend to be more successful. For example, matching employees who have attended the same college or have similar interests outside of the office is highly beneficial in yielding a robust and productive relationship. This common ground can help bridge the initial awkwardness and create the beginning of a positive relationship.

Moving Forward

Mentoring programs are only as strong as the matches they make. By producing successful mentoring partnerships, many companies can bridge skills gaps that exist in their organization. When the time comes to add these new employees and future mentees, it’s best to reach out to industry experts, professional recruiters. A professional recruiter will be able to identify top industry talent whose involvement will be able to enrich your mentoring program.

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Being a strong IT project manager requires a blend of both technical and soft skills. The Program Management Institute teaches the principle of the talent triangle which best demonstrates the crucial skills for success. This triangle features the following:

Technical Project Management

These are the nuts and bolts of project management which include program management skills such as organization, prioritization, and communication. It’s these skills that a project manager will use every day to ensure that their project is on-time, on-budget, and is meeting delivery milestones. These skills are the foundation of any project manager’s toolkit.

Leadership

The ability to lead is probably the most critical skill in IT project management. This is especially true given that a project manager typically does not have direct line management of project resources. Thus, they must lead without authority using motivational techniques and getting employees to buy into “the vision” behind a project. These are the non-technical personal skills such as motivation, adaptability, and problem-solving. Does the project manager display strong communication skills? Does the project manager motivate those around them? Is the project manager able to adapt to any situation no matter how difficult or unexpected the problem? These areas are critical for success especially when a project manager is responsible for a large team or complex project.

Strategic and Business Management

Does the project manager have the skills to foresee challenges ahead and plan for them in advance? Can they look beyond the numbers and see the overall business impact of their decisions? It’s this type of thinking that looks at the “bigger picture” and is necessary for managerial advancement.

Moving Forward

When looking at your resume and experience against the PMI talent triangle, it can be hard to figure out the best course of action to make your dream job a reality. Depending on where you are in your career, you may want to consider certifications such as the PMP as a stepping stone toward your future. Finally, it may be best to consult a professional recruiter to examine your situation and come up with a plan to achieve your career goals.

The post Want to be an IT Project Manager? You will need these skills! appeared first on Open Systems Inc..

With this in mind, Computerworld surveyed IT professionals who planned on adding to their headcounts in 2017 and these were the top 6 skills they were looking for among prospective new hires.

1. Programming

Languages and fluency are key here. As much as knowing multiple languages is great, it’s best to have a quality over quantity approach.

2. Help Desk/ Tech Support

Companies will always need tech support. Time is money and humans are error-prone; as a result, tech support personnel are critical to any organization. In particular, candidates who are familiar with multiple types of hardware and software are highly sought after.

3. Security/Compliance/Governance

It’s all about security these days!  In this area, skills can be proven by holding highly sought-after certifications such as the CISSP or CISM.

4. Cloud/SaaS

Cloud has taken over the world by storm. Owning and maintaining racks of hardware is expensive and time-consuming. As a result, companies are shifting the responsibility of services to off-network providers. For this reason, there is now a wide array of technologies in the cloud category such as Office 365, AWS, and Azure. Experience in even one cloud technology can give a candidate an edge.

5. Business Intelligence/Analytics

Data, data, data! Business is driven by data, and it’s this data that allows trends and buying patterns to be discovered. Thus, potential employees must have the skills to mine, analyze and, understand data and turn it into results.

6. Web Development

As more and more services are moving to the web/SaaS model, the need for skilled web developers with experience across the entire stack is great. Additionally, given the pace of change today, experience with DevOps and Agile development methodologies is a huge plus!

Making a Skills Assessment

Before embarking on a new job search, a candidate should do a self-inventory and determine their strengths and weaknesses. With an inventory in hand and the list of top sought-after skills above, they should come up with a plan to enhance and enrich their skill set. Skillset improvement can come in the form of classes, certifications, or even self-study.

Conclusion

When in doubt about the best approach to make you and your skill set more marketable, it’s best to consult a professional recruiter to get the best advice for your development.  They will be able to assess your resume and experience and guide you in the best ways to make sure your skills are serving you and your job search. Contact Open Systems Inc today!

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