Q: I have been in the call center industry for six years starting in operations, then moving to training and quality. Recently, I took a position as a business analyst and now have been promoted to IT program director for a dotcom company. I do not have a degree or certification, but I have a successful track record of achieved objectives.

What should I do to further climb the corporate ladder?
A: Quite honestly, I don’t have any clue as to what an IT program director is or does. But let’s take an educated guess that, following your last position as a business analyst, your current role also has a business and technology alignment and application focus. If so, you have indeed made a very significant career shift from the operational side of things in the call center, to a more strategic and business-oriented position today. If that’s the case, then I advise you, as I have many times in this column, in the direction of learning more about your company’s business plan and its products, services and competitors. Spend time with managers and staff in operating units and support groups to truly develop an understanding of your company’s business. You might even consider a rotational assignment in a profit center that really interests you. And surely you must give very serious consideration to completing your baccalaureate degree and even continuing on to an MBA. There are several universities that award college-level credit for job-related experience, and many that offer a variety of flexible part-time options and distance learning via the Internet. Yahoo has a fairly complete listing of these options under its Education heading.

Balancing Act

Q: I’m 33 years old, have seven years of IT experience as a developer and project manager, and already make a six-figure salary. My career goals include eventually becoming the CEO by way of the CIO/CTO position. My undergraduate degree is in computer science, and I’m working on two master’s degrees?an MBA and a master’s of science in finance.

Since a CIO-level position is probably not my next position, am I spending too much time looking into the future? Should I be spending more time on the technical issues, which have led me to where I am now? Is there a proper balance between the two?
A: You are doing just fine. To have such a clear and articulate vision of your career goal?and to be able to prepare for it early?is a gift. During the course of an IT career, the balance of the technical and the nontechnical (business and leadership) content is a blend that starts out nearly 100 percent technical and winds up nearly 100 percent nontechnical.