Going Corporate: A Geek's Guide shows technology workers how to gain the understanding and skills necessary for becoming an effective, promotable manager or sought-after consultant or freelancer. Technology professionals typically dive deeply into small pieces of technology--like lines of code or the design of a circuit. As a result, they may have trouble seeing the bigger picture and how their work supports an organization's goals. But ignoring or dismissing the business or operational aspects of projects and products can lead to career stagnation. In fact, understanding the larger business environment is essential for those who want a management job, a consulting gig, or to one day start a business. It's also essential for those who have been promoted and find themselves flailing for lack of a business education. Going Corporate: A Geek's Guide to the rescue! This book is designed to help readers gain management skills, insight, and practical understanding of essential business and operational topics. Readers will learn to develop project and program management skills, deliver service efficiently and improve processes, implement governance, analyze financial statements, and much more. After reading this book, technology professionals will understand such things as enterprise architecture, IT operations management, strategic and financial management--and how each relates to the others. Detailed case studies help cement an understanding of how an IT organization and its workers succeed in the 21st century. This book: * Illustrates how pieces of the business puzzle fit together to form a robust enterprise * Prepares readers to get promoted into management * Explains the key management skills and knowledge required for a successful IT career What you'll learn * The skills and knowledge it takes to be an effective project, program, or mid-level manager, in-demand consultant--or even a C-level executive * How your current job fits into the bigger picture * What your organization must do to create customers and make a profit * How good governance turns strategy into effective action * How understanding finances--corporate or departmental--can help unlock business potential * The tools necessary for making sound operational decisions Who this book is for * Workers in the technology trenches wondering how to improve career potential * Technology professionals aiming for management positions * Fresh graduates starting a career in the corporate world * Recently promoted managers with little or no business education * Students in technical or business programs This book will also be useful for practicing engineers and managers as a refresher course on operational challenges encountered in the day-to-day life of technology executives. Table of Contents * Understanding Enterprise IT * Project Management: A Different Perspective * Delivery and Program Management * Service Delivery Management * Portfolio Management * Presales, Bid Management, and Sales and Marketing * Infrastructure Elements * The Cloud: Fundamentals, Strategy, and Economics * The Fascinating World of Finance * IT and Business Processes * IT and Business Analytics * IT and Operations Management * Corporate Governance in IT Companies * IT in Modern Vehicle Development Programs * Streamlining IT Using Service-Oriented Architecture * Strategic Thinking and the Evolution of Information Systems * What Managers Are Discussing * What CIOs Are Discussing * References and Suggested Readings