An IT Manager keeps a company's technology running and points it at business goals. You direct a team, set priorities, manage budgets and vendors, protect data, and translate between technical staff and executives. Most people get there by first working hands-on (help desk, sysadmin, analyst, or developer) and then growing into leadership; no license is legally required. This roadmap teaches you why each piece matters: first you learn how technology works, then how to run it reliably, then how to lead people and money, and finally how to shape strategy. Work through it at 8-10 hours a week, bu
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Every stage from beginner to expert, with lessons, practice drills, projects, interview questions and free resources. Free with a Rolearch account.
Stage 1 of 4 · about 16 weeks
Understand how computers, networks, operating systems and basic cloud work, and can fix common user problems. Build a small home lab (a few virtual machines) and write a how-to document for each fix you make.
Computer hardware and the boot process
Every ticket you will ever manage starts with a machine that behaves badly. If you know what is inside it and what happens when it starts, you can tell a dead disk from a bad update in minutes, and you can judge your team's advice and vendor quotes later as a manager.
Operating systems: Windows and Linux
Users live in Windows, macOS and increasingly the browser, while servers and cloud run heavily on Linux. As a manager you will not do every task yourself, but you must know what is normal, what is risky, and what is hard.
Networking fundamentals
Most 'the computer is broken' calls are really 'the network is broken' calls: no internet, can't reach the file server, Wi-Fi drops. If you understand IP, DNS and DHCP you can find in five minutes what takes others an hour.
Cloud basics
Your future department will run on cloud services such as Microsoft 365, AWS and Azure. As a manager you will approve their cost and risk, so you need to understand the building blocks now, by touching them with a free account.
Troubleshooting common user problems and writing how-tos
Your first credibility as an IT person, and later as a manager, comes from solving problems methodically and leaving clear instructions others can follow. The how-to library you build now becomes your portfolio and your first knowledge base.
Then 3 more stages (about 112 weeks in all) with lessons, drills, projects, 10 interview questions with strong answers and free resources.