No matter how much you hated Bill “Yeah, I’m gonna have to ask you to come in on Saturday” Lumbergh from Office Space, you have to admit that he had a better job than Peter. Why, you ask? Because Bill was a project manager.

If you’d like to go around confiscating your coworkers’ staplers – or more to the point, if you’d like to step up from just working in IT to setting the direction for the projects and products you work on – a job as a project manager might be for you.

Project managers lead teams of coders, network techs, security specialists, database administrators, and other IT workers to create new products, features, or systems. They determine what resources are needed to meet certain goals, map out how much time a project will take, assign team members to different tasks, and ensure that project milestones are met.

It’s a complex role that requires a blend of technical knowledge and experience, communication skills, and business savvy. And while that sounds like a tall order, the position does come with its benefits. Even newly-minted project managers make upwards of $85,000 a year, according to Payscale. Plus, as experienced IT managers, they’re well positioned to eventually move up to the CIO / CSO / CTO level.

If that sounds interesting, consider these requirements as you prepare for a job as a project manager:

Experience. Many project managers grow into the role at the company that currently employs them. A manager with in-depth knowledge of the product they’re developing is invaluable.

Communications and business skills. Project managers are expected to play a larger role in a company’s business, and as such they need stellar communications skills as well as a grasp of budgeting and project planning. Pursuing an MBA is a great way to gain these skills and to demonstrate to employers that you’re serious about making this transition.

Certifications. Some firms require or highly prefer project management certifications, such as PMP (Project Management Professional) or Project +. In gaining such certifications, you’ll learn important project management skills and familiarize yourself with project management software that you’ll need to use to track projects at many large companies.