IT Infrastructure PM roles

[Pacific808]

Hi All

I'm currently an IT PM and have been for the last two or so years, managing everything from web development projects to office relocations to small infrastructure projects. Before this I was a support engineer for around 4 years in various windows environments, so I'd say I'm fairly technical.

I'm looking to move to a purely infrastructure PM role as this is an area I enjoy. I'm struggling however to find any roles, most of the ones I find seem to want 5/6 years experience minimum and a proven track record of managing multi million pound budgets, which I just don't have!

Does anyone have any advice as to how I can break into this area? I'm looking around Kent/London/Essex area?

I have prince2 practioner and ITIL foundation qualifications.

Posting under a different account

Cheers

[halo34]

I look after a range of IT teams.

In my experience I expect a PM to have PM type skills, with some understanding of infrastructure. I however expect my infrastructure team to have really technical skills, but don't expect them to drive projects in the same way.

Long story short - mostly I think PMs are expected to be less technical and more focussed on driving projects.

The PMs here tend to get involved in everything and anything IT related. Its maybe only at a big multi-national level there would be a requirement for dedicated infrastructure project management, even then would you be really hands on?

Consulting might be a route - but I know for that for my infrastructure side, I look for hands on experience with a proven 4-5 yrs. Quite simply it underpins the business and get it wrong with big consequences.

[Kudos]

Contract or perm? Any particular sector? There is a ton of work in the area around London at the minute. Fujitsu always looking for people I believe

[Kudos]

Contract or perm? Any particular sector? There is a ton of work in the area around London at the minute. Fujitsu always looking for people I believe

[Pacific808]

Would prefer a permanent role with lots of scope for learning and career progression (that part is key) but would settle for contract work to rack up the experience.

I'll check out Fujitsu, thank you. Although I have struggled to find anything to apply for due to my lack of experience. I just need to get my foot in the door somewhere really!

[MadDad]

Pacific808 said:

I'll check out Fujitsu, thank you. Although I have struggled to find anything to apply for due to my lack of experience. I just need to get my foot in the door somewhere really!

I think you might just find that is an overall reflection on the market at the moment. There seem to be more permy roles than contract work being advertised but neither are at the levels usually being advertised this time of year. I have been a contract PM for 8 years and have always walked from one role to another, this year it seems painfully difficult and clients seem to want a lot more for their money! A lot of the PM job spec's being advertised are a mix of a traditional PM and a solution/technical architect - a rare beast as the two usually follow very different career paths!

[Wilmslowboy]

Shame....exactly what we are looking for...

PM - lots of varied projects....desktop, Windows's, MS, migrations, telephony, contact centres, networking, security ...
6,000 employees....most projects in the £50k to £1M budget range...

But we want someone in Manchester ...not "dawn sarth"


My advice register and connect with as many recruitment agents as possible....they are the gatekeepers to you getting an interview.

[MadDad]

Wilmslowboy said:

My advice register and connect with as many recruitment agents as possible....they are the gatekeepers to you getting an interview.

You are so right, one of the biggest challenges is getting past the agencies to the end client! You might know that you are a great candidate for the role and have 70% of what the recruiting company are looking for, but it counts for zilch if the agent won't put you forward.

A few years back agencies used to want to meet the candidates and pre-vet them before putting them in front of a client, I struck up some great relationships with a small number of agencies who would contact me with roles that had not hit the job boards because they knew I would fit with the clients needs and culture.

Unfortunately times have changed as competition in the agency market is fierce with most agents fishing in the same candidate pool. These days CV pre-vetting is completed by software so if you don't have 'key words' in your CV the chances are you won't even get as far as a 'real' person reading it! In my experience if you get through the CV filtering the next step will be a call with the agent, followed by an interview with the recruiting organisation.

[Pacific808]

Wilmslowboy said:

Shame....exactly what we are looking for...

PM - lots of varied projects....desktop, Windows's, MS, migrations, telephony, contact centres, networking, security ...
6,000 employees....most projects in the £50k to £1M budget range...

But we want someone in Manchester ...not "dawn sarth"


My advice register and connect with as many recruitment agents as possible....they are the gatekeepers to you getting an interview.

I'm not in a position to relocate anymore, otherwise I would be all over this. Do you have any provision for home workers with visits to the office when necessary? 'Work is a thing, not a place' as I keep hearing!