I asked a similar question in Workplace SE and was advised to ask here. Note I am not an IT person / programmer but more of a business analyst - I do use a lot of IT tools though.
I am 3-4 years out of college in the same company and manage the team I started in (analytics). I enjoy the role, enjoy developing people, growing the team, managing crossfunctional teams to help our goals and helping other teams with our expertise.
Now some directors are asking me to prepare for more project management roles, and I am unsure whether this will move me away from the "corporate ladder". I am even unsure whether it's a tacit hint that they don't like me to be in my current team (they asked me to groom a successor so I can focus more on my next role).
But anyway, the main reasons I ask this is...
1) to understand where exactly project management fits as opposed to other management levels in the organization - especially because there seems to be so much about noise but nothing very specific about the topic out there, even certifications and professional bodies. So it seems like a profession of itself.
2) And, whether it will put me away from the track of developing seniority and moving up in my current department. i.e. Is moving to project management something more of a "lateral promotion"?