I have a question - I have been searching for another PM job and one HR recruiter mentioned that a position is for infrastructure projects. I asked if it's for software and she said "yes." I asked her if it's for waterfall or agile and she didn't know. Now, she did say that she knew nothing about IT and was just screening. She also mentioned Microsoft Project and I said that I didn't really know it, since we don't use it as we have our in-house tools and are moving to agilecraft.
So, I'm confused. I'm a software project manager. Is that what this PM job is for - managing creating software for infrastructure? Or does it sound like something different (like Operations)? It's very vague. Yes, I know, I will ask if I get to the next step in the interview process, but just trying to figure out if the recruiter was confused or if I'm confused...
Thanks! Saving Changes...
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Drake SettsuProject Manager / BloggerHi, United States
Some recruiters do not have a clue when they are screening for a PM or Technical position.
If you get to the next step, I'm sure that person can go into detail about the job description.
This job sounds like you could be assigned both infrastructure and software projects.
I wish you all the best on landing that job. Saving Changes...
It sounds like you are a Project Manager who is versatile enough that can work in a number of project related roles. Ultimately if you are managing a software project, Infrastructure project or a commercial retail project you are still going to apply the principles, practise and methodologies of Project Management using you own tool and techniques and the software that you are planning to use to manage the Project. I have found that recruitment agencies rebadge the same job under different label so the most important thing to look at is not the actually job title but the required skills needed for the Project Management Job. On principle I always ask for a Job Specification before discussing any job. The reasons for this are 1. To be sure that there is actually a job on offer 2. See if I am interested in the Job 3. If I have enough knowledge in the required areas of knowledge to be consider a contender for the job and not making up the number son the interview pool. Saving Changes...
Infrastructure is a pretty broad term. While it used to mean hardware-related solutions in the past (e.g. servers, workstations, network devices), the term has been expanded to include supporting software components such as operating systems, databases and middle-ware.
Infrastructure projects usually don't lend themselves to an agile lifecycle (it's hard to deliver 1/2 a server) but that shouldn't prevent you from using agile methods and applying an agile mindset to the project.
When employers post jobs, often they are not hiring for a specific job, but rather they are hiring for multiple positions but post one job requisition to cover several. Based on the applicants they get, they assign them to the best fitting job once hired. It's equally annoying to the applicant as it is the individual groups needing people, as it's harder to find the right fit for both parties when you have a pool of people and a variety of jobs.
As Kiron noted, infrastructure is a very broad term. It can be the physical hardware necessary to run the business. It can be the software architecture necessary for the technical team to develop the products. Infrastructure products in general are focused on developing the tools the business needs to develop their products, rather than development of the end product itself.
While some infrastructure products don't fit well with an agile lifecycle, others very much do. For example, if there is an architecture already established, but your job is to customize the infrastructure to fit the business needs, that can be a perfect fit for agile. If you are running network cables end to end in a building, it is hard to change the lengths and capacity later so agile probably isn't a good fit. Saving Changes...
I agree with Keith regarding hiring practise but I fairly sure this is illegal in many jurisdictions as a employer must hiring a person for a specific job and not pool talents and decide how they meet the employers needs. Employers may be in the driving position when it comes to hiring but if these practises come to light then this may have a negative reflection on both the employer and employee. As regarding infrastructure, It sounds like implementing a ERP system as most systems in organisation are wholly integrated, and your right Kiron half a server is no server at all. Saving Changes...
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