Reply to: Any Service Account Managers out there?

[malvolio]

ITIL boring? Surely not...

Mind-numbing detailed attention to every little nook and cranny of the books is boring and the biggest waste of time and money going. ITIL V3 is simply a cash-generation mechansism anyway. But ITIL concepts, properly understood and applied, are simply good sense. The trick is to understand them properly.

FWIW anyone in Service Delivery at any level needs to have done Foundation just to understand the basics. You can't do one without the other these days. Beyond that, "do as little as you need to get the desired result" is my credo.

[Hicks]

It sounds like you are in a similar situation to one I was in a few years ago.

I successfully migrated away from being technical to a similar role to this so it can be done.

BTW, how did you get on?

[Jefferson]

Isnt everything good money compared to support? Im sure you could find something more interesting to do which is also more lucrative.

I'm interested to hear your views - Any suggestions as to good areas to try & break into at the moment?

[escapeUK]

Thanks for all the responses.

The money is actually good compared with a lot of support type roles.
Any other thoughts are welcome but will definitely apply for it and see what happens...

Isnt everything good money compared to support? Im sure you could find something more interesting to do which is also more lucrative.

[Jefferson]

Thanks for all the responses.
I agree with a lot of what has been said - ITIL is a very boring thing to study but equally I know it's something I could do and there does seem to be a demand for it.
Been doing support to third line level for 10 + years now but my heart is not really in it and am fed up with the constant need to reskill and the increasingly ridiculous wish lists on job adverts and specs hence considering this position.
Am good at communicating with people so comfortable with that aspect of it although I would be different doing a less hands on technical role.

Went for a beer on Friday with one of the guys who has been doing the SAM role for 3 years now and he says it is generally good. He has a fair amount of autonomy and works out of the office for 2 days a week.
The money is actually good compared with a lot of support type roles.
Any other thoughts are welcome but will definitely apply for it and see what happens...

[escapeUK]

Good luck.

Presently contracting on an ITIL MI Delivery project.

I have never been so ******* bored in my entire life on any contract. Really, if anyone thinks that ITIL Service Delivery is a worthwhile existence then bloody good luck.

Rather you, then me.

I must admit I have been trying to get ITIL on my CV for a few years. When I say try, I mean try to read the mind numbling dull book on it.

My god, I can read book on servers and find them interesting. This is just so boring.

[Clippy]

Depends what level of support you are currently doing.

If you are currently Helpdesk/First Line Support then, IMHO, it may be a step too far at this stage of your career as, typically, a SAM type role benefits from breadth of IT experience.

Also, SAM type roles can vary greatly in content with some being little more than an outlet for users to vent at IT whereas other roles can be more fully developed by working closely with the business.

Do you know anymore about the content of the role? What about the individuals currently doing it? What kind of activities are they currently performing in the role? What do they do on a day to day basis?

[lukemg]

Oh right, you all want work to be fun and interesting as well ? You should have said, in which case the answer is to get as far from IT as possible, turn your 'hobby' into a career - good luck with that.
I never said it was fun, I actually enjoy the responsibility, I do get frustrated with bob's progress but not so it bothers me as I leave the building, I am paid to improve things and do whatever I can to do so. It almost certainly doesn't suit any coders I have met but if you slid into IT by accident rather than it being a labour of love since santa left you a spectrum it is an option. You need a think skin and the personality to balance the needs of everyone involved and influence them to get what is needed.
Forget the ITIL process, that just provides the framework, someone still needs to turn the gears and many client co's are desperate to get back some of the control they have given away - I give them the illusion this is possible !
Most of all though - I get paid and I can get home, everything else is a bonus.

[Troll]

I do general Service Manager roles, usually with big co's who have outsourced as much as possible and need that relationship managing.

Does that make you become the focal point for complaints? Or do you just describe process and have slopey shoulders?

I'm not sure I could do what you are doing, as my experience with the outsourced (offshore) Bobs has left me with a desire to throttle people - either the chief Bob or the muppet within the company who thought it was such a bright idea to hand strategic resource to a third party.

[Worzel]

Really, if anyone thinks that ITIL Service Delivery is a worthwhile existence then bloody good luck.

Rather you, then me.

Got to agree. ITIL and Prince have taken some aspects of IT to staggering new levels of dull over the last few years. Trouble is this stuff is perceived to be really important....more important than the tech who can actually create systems and fix stuff! Probably pays a whole lot better too...hmmm maybe we should all become "delivery managers"

Actually I think the OP is right to think along these lines though. It probably does make sense providing you have the temperament to get into this stuff.

[MarillionFan]

Good luck.

Presently contracting on an ITIL MI Delivery project.

I have never been so ******* bored in my entire life on any contract. Really, if anyone thinks that ITIL Service Delivery is a worthwhile existence then bloody good luck.

Rather you, then me.

[Jefferson]

I do general Service Manager roles, usually with big co's who have outsourced as much as possible and need that relationship managing. Sometimes it's setting up the service for new systems, managing existing ones or interim team manager stuff. It has been a real struggle to re-invent myself from support roles and I can still see the shifting sands in this game which could swallow me up, I have no idea what my next move could be !!

I think I will apply for this role and see what happens - I can't see a great furture in the direction I'm going in at the moment so got to be worth a go.
Thanks for your responses and good luck.

[lukemg]

I do general Service Manager roles, usually with big co's who have outsourced as much as possible and need that relationship managing. Sometimes it's setting up the service for new systems, managing existing ones or interim team manager stuff. It has been a real struggle to re-invent myself from support roles and I can still see the shifting sands in this game which could swallow me up, I have no idea what my next move could be !!

[Jefferson]

Sounds like a similar path to me from a few years ago. I would go for it, can't guarantee you a worthwhile and long-lasting career but I can guarantee you that support is toast and anything you can do to get out of it will be the best move.
As far as the job is concerned, if you have worked in any kind of support environment then the escalation work is easy - you don't even have to fix the issue ! As far as service improvement plans, periodic service reviews and business case development are concerned, then this can be a bit harder to pick up in a pure SDM role but for the SAM role you describe, it sounds like you will have an easier introduction.
Doesn't suit everyone and in the wrong role it is a bit like being the complaints dept. Also, expect your techie skills to fade rather quickly, you get out of the mindset and the tech moves on without you.
The roles can tend to be on-going and therefore more suited to perms, which can make getting a continuous flow of contract work difficult.
Good luck...

Thanks for your advice.
I've worked here on and off a few times so they know me quite well so I reckon I would be in with a reasonable chance if I went for it.
Can I ask what sort of role you are in now?
Cheers.

[lukemg]

Sounds like a similar path to me from a few years ago. I would go for it, can't guarantee you a worthwhile and long-lasting career but I can guarantee you that support is toast and anything you can do to get out of it will be the best move.
As far as the job is concerned, if you have worked in any kind of support environment then the escalation work is easy - you don't even have to fix the issue ! As far as service improvement plans, periodic service reviews and business case development are concerned, then this can be a bit harder to pick up in a pure SDM role but for the SAM role you describe, it sounds like you will have an easier introduction.
Doesn't suit everyone and in the wrong role it is a bit like being the complaints dept. Also, expect your techie skills to fade rather quickly, you get out of the mindset and the tech moves on without you.
The roles can tend to be on-going and therefore more suited to perms, which can make getting a continuous flow of contract work difficult.
Good luck...