Think you've got what it takes to be a successful project manager? Apparently so does about half the IT world. Granted, technical recruiters and industry associations say the demand for project managers is surging. But so is interest in the position. The Project Management Institute Inc. in Newtown Square, Pa., reports that there are currently 27,000 certified project management professionals in 26 countries.

It really should come as no surprise. The job of project manager is a natural steppingstone for people with technical experience and an eye on a management career. And at most companies, the pay isn't too shabby. Project managers can earn approximately $100,000 a year, on average, and more, depending on the scope and length of their experience.

How do you really know if you have what it takes to be a project manager? And how can you persuade your boss to give you a shot at the job? Consider the examples of how the following two project managers made their move.

Salomi Patel

Project manager

The McGraw-Hill Cos.

Hightstown, N.J.

When Salomi Patel joined New York-based McGraw-Hill in May last year as a programmer, she already had several years of work experience and an undergraduate degree in computer science. Because her goal was to move into management, Patel enrolled in the part-time MBA program with a concentration in MIS and e-commerce at nearby Rutgers University.

"I told my boss that I didn't want to be a programmer for a long time I wanted to be a project manager," says Patel. "I got the technical skills so that I could one day manage technical people and projects."

Within six months, her wish was granted. Patel's boss, Corri Russell, a manager at McGraw-Hill's Construction Information Group, was planning to take maternity leave and needed someone to take on project management duties while she was out of the office.

The group was rewriting an application that collects information for the Construction Group and puts it up on the Web. Russell asked Patel to lead the project.