Release Manager And Software Development Specialist
Career review from a person working in the job
How I Got The Job
My Education: AS, Management Information Systems Information Technology Infrastructure Library Certification Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
My Prior Experience: I started as a software developer for mainframe applications. Later I continued to develop software but for client server-distributed applications. I later transitioned to a job as a software support technical lead where we provided product support for 40 - 50 applications.
My Job Profile
My Company: I work at a non-profit health care insurance company.
Job/Career Overview: The key responsibility of my job is to make sure that software releases move in tandem through our testing phases and then into our production environment in unison. Proper software management dictates that all software applications be tested appropriately before they're released for general consumption. I manage and track each component of software that makes up the final release. For each of these components there are multiple design phases and coding and testing that occur. I make sure each of these components moves through as expected.
In order to keep everything in sync, I work with business users, the development group, the business analysts, quality control engineers and system administrators. This requires a broad view of how applications interact with on another as well as a keen attention to detail. I have to track which version of software is in each phase at all times and be able to orchestrate the movement of a complete set of applications from one phase to another in totality.
More Insights: Often I am the gatekeeper and have to enforce standards, even when it is easier just to ignore the proper steps and find the path of least resistance. Many times I have to look like the bad guy and say NO, which can be difficult for some people to hear.
Love It? Hate It?
I rate this career 8 out of 10.
What I Love or Hate
I love the analytical part of my job since I get to use problem-solving skills on a daily basis. I implement processes which are meant to standardize and simplify the entire software release process.
The part that can be frustrating about my job is that I only get injected into the process at the end of a very long line of steps that must occur to properly develop and deliver software. This means I often get caught in the rush to get a product into use. Which means it's almost always crunch time.
My Career Tips
It is advantageous to have a knowledge of all facets of information technology, so take as broad a range of studies as possible and don't just focus on one particular information technology field. You should have just as much exposure to networking, security, and operating systems as you do to the various programming languages.
