Confusing titles in tech recruitment:
defining the terms
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Blog
Tech recruiting is an extremely versatile professional field that contains a vast number of technologies and various professions which are emerging at an incredibly fast pace. However, what adds up to the specifics of the field is that in the world of technologies there is such a big number of positions that occurred within a relatively short period of time that some of them can be easily confused.
Big Data analysts are often confused with System analysts; companies hire Project managers giving them roles of Product managers, while Java and Javascript engineers seem like one position but with extended duties.
Titles can often be confusing, especially when there is not much experience in the recruitment industry, so GitMax is here for you to spread the light on some puzzled ones that may sound almost the same at first, however, they mean two different positions.
Buckle up!
Titles can often be confusing, especially when there is not much experience in the recruitment industry, so GitMax is here for you to spread the light on some puzzled ones that may sound almost the same at first, however, they mean two different positions.
Buckle up!
PRODUCT MANAGER VS. PROJECT MANAGER
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Let’s start with a first vital thing to get the picture straight - define the “project” and “product” terms.
PRODUCT
Product represents the heart of the tech body of any organization. It is the core that all other business processes revolve around. The product, one or several ones, either tangible or intangible and often endlessly upgradable is what a company constantly develops. And, when it comes to creating a product and facilitating its maintenance and improvement, a company initiates a great deal of various projects.
PROJECT
Project is a set of large-scale tasks aimed at reaching a specific outcome while working on a product development. It has a clear start and an end date, undertaken within certain constraints of budget, quality, and functionality.
It appears that a Project Manager is mainly responsible for the implementation of the project, controlling its progress and processes, monitoring project’s scope execution and establishing clear communication between team leaders and other stakeholders. Most commonly, there are several Project Managers in a company depending on the complexity of the projects.
A Product Manager, however, is in charge of the entire product, covering all the stages from idea to post-production and post-investment analysis, taking into account business, marketing and programming interests. A Product Manager should always question him/herself: What are we creating? What problems do we solve with our solution? What benefits will it bring? How can we improve our solution?, etc.
Recruiters at GitMax, for instance, specializing in IT management recruitment have developed their own “management question kit” that allows them to determine the best product minds in a short time.
An easy way to understand what the roles of these two positions imply is to think of a spring cleaning at home.
A Product manager defines what goal a family has to achieve - to do spring cleaning (answers the question “what has to be done?”). While a Project manager develops and outlines a plan of the spring cleaning with precise deadlines and required resources (answers the question “how it should be done?”)
Therefore, Product manager is responsible for the product as the whole entity, conducting various researches, analyzing data and coming up with dev solutions, while Project manager is focused on delivering specific projects which are aimed at creating or advancing the product.
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JAVA VS JAVASCRIPT
These two languages have long ago become the centre of various jokes and puns in the world of programming. Let’s look into the main features of these two languages and disentangle Java from JavaScript.
- How is Java distinguished from JavaScript?
- It is like “car and carpet”.
- Or it is like “moon and honeymoon”.
- It is like “car and carpet”.
- Or it is like “moon and honeymoon”.
JAVA
Java is a general-purpose object-oriented language which is designed for server-side programming. It is widely used in mobile (Android) and desktop application development, web servers, embedded systems, etc, and is a common Backend language. Today, it is one of the most popular and trending programming languages implemented by such tech tycoons as eBay, Amazon, LinkedIn, etc. As Java is the firth most popular language in the world, we’ve gathered a vast pool of Java talent at Gitmax to provide specialists for our clients’ projects in no time.
JAVASCRIPT
JavaScript is a client-side object-based language that has been primarily designed as a language for the web. It must be executed along with HTML in the web browser and is used dominantly for interactive web applications. Every animated piece seen at the website or highlighted buttons that change their colors when pointing at any block - it is all happening thanks to JavaScript.
It is one of the major skills for Front-end development, and, as you can now see, it has nothing to do with Java.
It is one of the major skills for Front-end development, and, as you can now see, it has nothing to do with Java.
- As a matter of fact, the confusion in these titles is nothing but a marketing ploy. JavaScript was known as LiveScript in the first place, however, with the soaring expansion of Java language, it was renamed for commercial reasons.
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TEAM LEAD VS. TECH LEAD
These two titles have one evident part in common, and that is leadership. But what exactly do they lead and how?
Let’s get it straight.
To put it simply, Tech Lead is usually the most experienced specialist on the team among the developers, who frequently prefers to delve into technical challenges having minimum engagement (if not having it at all) with complex issues related to people management.
Here, unlike technical leadership, management is aimed at establishing effective connection between the team members as well as communicating with colleagues from other teams and product stakeholders.
TECH LEAD
To put it simply, Tech Lead is usually the most experienced specialist on the team among the developers, who frequently prefers to delve into technical challenges having minimum engagement (if not having it at all) with complex issues related to people management. Technical lead’s main focus is to provide high-quality technical development of the projects and effective technical execution of the product. This position involves creating a technological base in a team (i.e. architecture, systems design, technological best practices, etc.), managing technical risks and issues arising during engineering, and honing team member’s hard skills (i.e. mentoring colleagues, consulting them on various challenging topics, performing quality code review).
However, it can be challenging to be both a great techie and a great manager as these roles still require different sets of skills.
Thus, we get to the position of Team Lead.
However, it can be challenging to be both a great techie and a great manager as these roles still require different sets of skills.
Thus, we get to the position of Team Lead.
TECH LEAD
Here, unlike technical leadership, management is aimed at establishing effective connection between the team members as well as communicating with colleagues from other teams and product stakeholders. Another vital part of the position covers delving into the business aspect of the processes (you cannot assign a task if you don’t understand it yourself), managing those processes as well as managing resources, expectations and changes within the projects of your team. Team Leads also take responsibility for hiring, on- and offboarding staff. As they know their team best, they should look for new teammates, grow those specialists, assist in their productivity and be able to part with those who do not fit.
In spite of being accountable for distinct processes, Technical leads and Team leads still have a match: these professionals have honed their leadership skills and they demonstrate initiative which is not very common among the techies, for example. At Gitmax, leads are often appointed to these positions within a few years of work as they work hard and stand out from other team members.
If we compare the software development team to a ship crew (not the Titanic, of course), then the Technical lead can be called the chief mechanic who ensures the reliable operation of the entire ship.
The team leader in this case will be the captain: he sets the course and monitors the well-coordinated work of the team and internal processes.
In spite of being accountable for distinct processes, Technical leads and Team leads still have a match: these professionals have honed their leadership skills and they demonstrate initiative which is not very common among the techies, for example. At Gitmax, leads are often appointed to these positions within a few years of work as they work hard and stand out from other team members.
If we compare the software development team to a ship crew (not the Titanic, of course), then the Technical lead can be called the chief mechanic who ensures the reliable operation of the entire ship.
The team leader in this case will be the captain: he sets the course and monitors the well-coordinated work of the team and internal processes.
- Mainly, these are not separate IT professions, but rather positions that are taken up by the most prominent team members. However, when a new, relatively “fresh” team is put together, team leads and technical leads are mostly hired externally.
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UX DESIGNER VS UI DESIGNER
In this case, the first key to understanding these two positions lies in deciphering the two acronyms these titles have.
In a nutshell, UX-design, where UX stands for “User Experience”, oversees how a product's interface functions. UI-design, where UI stands for “User Interface” accounts for how that interface will look like. These two processes are bonded and one cannot exist without the other. To gain a better understanding, let’s take a simple example:
In a nutshell, UX-design, where UX stands for “User Experience”, oversees how a product's interface functions. UI-design, where UI stands for “User Interface” accounts for how that interface will look like. These two processes are bonded and one cannot exist without the other. To gain a better understanding, let’s take a simple example:
Imagine that you are designing a house. UX will be the walls and the foundation of the house, while UI will be the finishing materials and all the furniture in the rooms. The foundation (UX) always comes first, because we need to determine the size of the rooms, the place for the doors and which side the windows will face. And once the base is finished, you start thinking about where to put the sofa and what color the walls will be.
Simply put, the logical flow of actions and the main body of the layout are created first, and then the visual details are determined. This rough analogy will give you an idea of how UI and UX designers work.
Simply put, the logical flow of actions and the main body of the layout are created first, and then the visual details are determined. This rough analogy will give you an idea of how UI and UX designers work.
UX DESIGNER
UX Designers handle the process of designing and improving the quality of the end-to-end journey of a user's interaction with a product. They go through a process of user’s behavior research, testing, development, content, and prototypes to check the quality of the results.
They collect and analyze the data about users' behavior, determine the goals and wishes of the customers, also taking into account current market experience. Based on this analysis, they create prototypes of the future interface, test them and come up with the most efficient and flexible solution for a particular product.
UX designers make sure that the company’s product meets the needs of users that allows them to smoothly achieve the desired result.
UX makes interface INTUITIVE AND USEFUL
They collect and analyze the data about users' behavior, determine the goals and wishes of the customers, also taking into account current market experience. Based on this analysis, they create prototypes of the future interface, test them and come up with the most efficient and flexible solution for a particular product.
UX designers make sure that the company’s product meets the needs of users that allows them to smoothly achieve the desired result.
UX makes interface INTUITIVE AND USEFUL
UI DESIGNER
The UI designers are responsible for how the user will perceive the product from a visual point of view. With the data-driven researches and conclusions drawn by UX designers, UI specialists turn them into a form of art. The major task of the UI Designers is to help users correctly use the product relying on its visual elements, at the same time using as few words as possible in the design.
The successful combination of iconography, typography, color, space and textures will help the user to easily navigate through a website, app, or video game.
UI makes interface CUTE
The successful combination of iconography, typography, color, space and textures will help the user to easily navigate through a website, app, or video game.
UI makes interface CUTE
- GitMax experience shows that as these processes are inseparable and there is still a lack of deep understanding, often, companies seek for one specialist who works on both UX and UI. However, it is crucial to differentiate their objectives in order to avoid misunderstanding while hiring.
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HR MANAGER VS IT RECRUITER
Last but not least, as those are the people responsible for all others mentioned above employees successfully operating in the companies - a low-key shoutout to HR managers and IT recruiters.
A recruiter is a professional who is actively closing open tech vacancies by searching for the best candidates. An HR manager, however, is a specialist who is responsible for the company's employees altogether, developing a corporate culture, and helping new colleagues to onboard and adapt.
A recruiter is a professional who is actively closing open tech vacancies by searching for the best candidates. An HR manager, however, is a specialist who is responsible for the company's employees altogether, developing a corporate culture, and helping new colleagues to onboard and adapt.
IT RECRUITERS
IT recruiters optimize the hiring process of tech specialists, making it faster and more efficient. Their duties include the search, selection and evaluation of candidates who can apply for the position of an IT company.
Such specialists may not be required to have practical technical experience, but must be well versed in the basic concepts, metrics and position criteria of the tech specifications.
Such specialists may not be required to have practical technical experience, but must be well versed in the basic concepts, metrics and position criteria of the tech specifications.
HR MANAGERS
HR managers accompany the employees throughout the entire time of their work in the company.
HRs help employees to adapt to the team, they resolve conflict situations, monitor the professional development of the specialists, their level of satisfaction, and motivation, in§§cluding covering operational issues (salary, statistics, vacation calculation).
HRs help employees to adapt to the team, they resolve conflict situations, monitor the professional development of the specialists, their level of satisfaction, and motivation, in§§cluding covering operational issues (salary, statistics, vacation calculation).
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Summing up
We hope that now there is less confusion about various software titles and roles in the tech industry for you. And so that you certainly hire specialists tailored for your project needs within a short time avoiding any confusions - GitMax will match you with the top tech talent for your outstaffing, custom development or recruitment purposes!
Let's work together!
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