From Consulting to working for large companies 1

[acfv]

I need some advice.

I've worked for a small consulting company for a few years now and I feel that my professional and technical growth has hit a plateau. The company I work for is a MSFT partner and I am one of the senior network engineers on staff working exclusively in the MSFT stack. I'm pretty sure I've reached or am very close to the salary cap for my current position, and there really is no other position to get promoted to. I think it's time to move on and I was thinking of applying for an IT management position in one of the larger companies, eventually leading to some kind of director or C-level IT positions in the future.

What skills will they look for when they look at a candidate? I have a BS degree in MIS and Finance, 10+ years in the IT industry, and a few MSFT certifications. I also have experience leading and managing small project oriented teams and I manage all of my projects.

What other skill sets will I need to get those jobs and succeed in them? Unix/Linux, I have zero experience, is that going to hamper my chances?

Thanks.

 

[kmcferrin]

When you say "IT Management position" do you mean a position as someone managing IT resources and equipment, or as a manager over an IT group? One manages people, the other manages technology. I'm assuming that you mean a "people manager".

In my experience, many of the larger companies are unlikely to hire someone from outside for a manager's position unless they have a track record of success as a manager and/or a degree in business management. You'd be better off getting your foot in the door as a technologist, then work your way up through team leader to a manager role. Going this route gives you the chance to get your head around how that company works, both from an IT standpoint and a business standpoint. I find that is usually critical to being a good manager.

Alternatively, if you like the consulting work but just feel like you've hit a wall, you can always try a new consulting company. Rather than working for a smaller Microsoft partner you could try working for a larger Microsoft partner company. In my experience the salary, benefits, and types of engagements really can be quite different between the two. Or if you've worked closely with Microsoft and have a good relationship with them, you could always try to make the jump to working for Microsoft. I just noticed a slew of postings for Microsoft Consulting Services on LinkedIn this week for nearly every type of technology. Going from working for a small MS partner consulting company to working for a huge consulting company like MCS is like night and day.

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCTS:Windows 7
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Server Administrator
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator
MCITP:Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2
Certified Quest vWorkspace Administrator