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xiv How to Become an IT Architect
Preface xv
neers, system analyst, system designer, software engineers, and system
administrators.
Chapters 2 to 7 will give a clear understanding of the various architect
roles, what the benefits of becoming an architect are, and the different
paths that the IT practitioner should follow to become a successful
architect. Both the technical knowledge as well as the performance
competencies that will put them in front and will ensure they will get
hired are discussed. There will be no more guessing what the required
backgrounds for different architect types are and what the perfor-
mance competencies are that were required to lead the project teams
from the technical point of view. The architects will be able to com-
municate effectively with the stakeholders and influence them towards
the implementation of the best solutions.
Chapter 9 will give the IT practitioners clear guidance on how to
get the first architect job and what the employers are looking for in
the successful candidate. The knowledge you will get out of this book
will definitely put you on the right path to obtain that long-desired
architect job.
2. Existing architects: Including but not limited to business, network, so-
lution, system, infrastructure, data, security, and enterprise architects
(for a complete list, please refer to Chapter 2). You might ask yourself
why you need this book if you already an architect. What else can this
book teach you that you do not already know.
The book is trying to help you successfully transition between the
different architect jobs and to make you a more successful architect.
Let us say, for example, that you are a solution architect, you have
been a successful one for a number of years, and you would like to
become an enterprise architect. This book is giving you the path to
follow to become one. This is not a book about what certifications
to take and what to read to get the certification (although I do men-
tion some certifications that might make you more marketable). This
book is giving you a checklist of things to learn on both the technical
side and performance skills that will assure that you will be ready to
transition to the new architect job. If you need to become a better
leader (required skill as an architect), there is a section in this book
that discusses the aspects of the leadership on which you need to focus
as an architect, as well as the negotiation, presentation, communica-
tion, and other performance skills that you need on a daily basis.
If you are an architect but you feel that you might lack something
(maybe you cannot present your solutions too clearly or maybe you
are not able to influence the stakeholders and convince them that the