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project management jobs

R

rookie1010

Senior member
Hello

How does one get into project management,

i guess a way would be to apply for a project management role, but what experience does one show to apply for such a position

are there certain tasks that one can carry out as a lowly ant worker that would elevate him so that he/she may be eligible for a project management position?
 
PM here.

Show instances where you have led a team in case you are applying for a different company. Show initiative & willingness to shoulder responsibility - trite but true.

Of course, having a PMP helps a lot. 🙂
 
PMP is usually good for a raise, but you don't need it to get into PM. Just know the basics, show initiative, etc.
 
Originally posted by: zebano
PMP is usually good for a raise, but you don't need it to get into PM. Just know the basics, show initiative, etc.
Click to expand...

Most are usually grown. Getting the PMP will ensure that you will be considered. However, taking that route can more often than not, stop you from getting your hands dirty.

 
Originally posted by: zebano
PMP is usually good for a raise, but you don't need it to get into PM. Just know the basics, show initiative, etc.
Click to expand...

What I'm seeing is the requirement for formal certification and education/training. Every professional does project management to some extent but to really be PM you should have the training/education.

If you can't describe the steps and required documentation for project management methodology then you probably shouldn't be a project manager.

OP - get some books and start reading. PMI is project management institute, some good stuff there.
 
Just a heads up, in my experience, project managers are one of the first to go in times of layoffs. I'd look for a stable field of project management.
 
why are project managers the first to go in times of layoffs, who manages the projects after that

what is a stable field of project management?
 
At our place... PM's have evolved to only having a cursory knowledge of the project.

They basically book-keep estimates/actuals and make sure all of the approvals/forms/etc are filed at the right times for on-time reports, extensions, decision points, etc. No managerial tasks other than working with the mgrs to allocate people to projects and sort out priorities... almost secretarial.

Not saying thats what PM's everywhere should be, or are in any way - just chiming in that I can understand them being the first to go - around our place anyway - and we're a pretty big corp.
 
A PM is a glorified babysitter. From you down the food chain there will usually be quite a few fvck ups that you'll somehow have to orchestrate productivity out of the muck and mire. From you up, you'll be answering for each and every $$ the fvck ups waste to the top brass. Good luck and prepare to endure if that's what you really want.
 
Originally posted by: rookie1010
why are project managers the first to go in times of layoffs, who manages the projects after that

what is a stable field of project management?
Click to expand...

Because when $ dries up, so does project funding. Time to focus on core business, not projects.

I meant a stable field of work, like say health care. That way you don't have to deal with industry flux so much.
 
The PMI is the single best way to become a certified project management professional. An alternative (if young enough) is simply to work for a large consulting firm and finally make manager - at one point Andersen Consulting alone probably produced 10-15% of all project managers in IT. The large firms live and die by formal methodology, and they teach it (some well, some less), and your work experience will be the equivalent of certification or degree.

More tactically - LEARN MICROSOFT PROJECT. Inside out. All of it. Get three books on it, and understand them all. Understand estimates, actuals, duration driven, effort driven...the whole kit and kaboodle. Actually, understand half of it and you probably exceed most practicing project managers: there is a heck of a lot of complexity there. Few people that I have met can really tap into that software and make it do complicated stuff easily - and it does have the power to do that. Be that type of person, and you will get staffed in junior project management roles, and then learn project management as you do it. Not the best way, and very dependant upon who is actually leading the projects that you are learning on, but relatively painless and cheap...

BTW - I disagree with the above comments about PM work drying up. In fact, PM work is one of the few good responses career-wise to off-shoring - someone has to manage the offshore contracts and projects, and that person is themselves not offshored...

Future Shock
 
Originally posted by: Future Shock
The PMI is the single best way to become a certified project management professional. An alternative (if young enough) is simply to work for a large consulting firm and finally make manager - at one point Andersen Consulting alone probably produced 10-15% of all project managers in IT. The large firms live and die by formal methodology, and they teach it (some well, some less), and your work experience will be the equivalent of certification or degree.

More tactically - LEARN MICROSOFT PROJECT. Inside out. All of it. Get three books on it, and understand them all. Understand estimates, actuals, duration driven, effort driven...the whole kit and kaboodle. Actually, understand half of it and you probably exceed most practicing project managers: there is a heck of a lot of complexity there. Few people that I have met can really tap into that software and make it do complicated stuff easily - and it does have the power to do that. Be that type of person, and you will get staffed in junior project management roles, and then learn project management as you do it. Not the best way, and very dependant upon who is actually leading the projects that you are learning on, but relatively painless and cheap...

BTW - I disagree with the above comments about PM work drying up. In fact, PM work is one of the few good responses career-wise to off-shoring - someone has to manage the offshore contracts and projects, and that person is themselves not offshored...

Future Shock
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Good post and I agree completely.

Formal project management methodology is super hot right now and it takes a good amount of training/education to "get" it.

Not only that the great thing about project management is you get other people to do the work. You're just managing it, pushing it forward and documenting it.

MS Project is a necessary tool to need to master but in other places "real" project management tools are put in place.
 
thanks for all the replies

you mean Project managers can get 500-600 dollars an hour?

time to focus on core business, not projects
Click to expand...
can you give an example of core business and projects, i geuss projects would be a sort of an adventure, correct?

does health care require project management?

learn microsoft project is a great piece of advice, i will get on it right away

MS Project is a necessary tool to need to master but in other places "real" project management tools are put in place.
Click to expand...

can you list some real project management tools?
 
the comptiaproject + certification is also provided by the PMI?

if i acquire one of the certifications, i stick it on my resume and then look for a project management job or can the PMI help me to get a PM job?
 
Originally posted by: Future Shock
The PMI is the single best way to become a certified project management professional. An alternative (if young enough) is simply to work for a large consulting firm and finally make manager - at one point Andersen Consulting alone probably produced 10-15% of all project managers in IT. The large firms live and die by formal methodology, and they teach it (some well, some less), and your work experience will be the equivalent of certification or degree.
Click to expand...

i used to work for accenture (formerly andersen consulting), and i have to agree. sometimes it's best to work from the bottom up. you will be hard pressed to find someone who jumped to PM without any experience (e.g. if you want to become an IT project manager, it is best for you to start as a developer, technical architect, coder, or tester doing project work; or if you want to become an engineering PM, start your career as a process engineer, or in a design role). number 1, it grants you credibilty, and number 2, no one wants to hire a PM with no specific industry experience. you can learn all the project management skills you want, but without specific industry experience, you will be relegated to basic program management functions, a project engineer, or a project controls role, not a project manager.

Originally posted by: rookie1010
thanks for all the replies

you mean Project managers can get 500-600 dollars an hour?

does health care require project management?

learn microsoft project is a great piece of advice, i will get on it right away

MS Project is a necessary tool to need to master but in other places "real" project management tools are put in place.
Click to expand...

can you list some real project management tools?
Click to expand...

i doubt you would be able to make that much money unless you have some seriously deep or specialized experience. just learning ms project won't do much, but it's a start. another popular tool in the engineering business is primavera. a lot of businesses will use their own custom project controls tools. project managers are paid because they know the project and industry inside out, not to fiddle with details in ms project or playing with schedules. they can get an analyst or any guy off the street to track the progress of the proeject in wahtever software application and create any reports he/she needs.

Originally posted by: FoBoT
you will be hated by those that actuallly produce
Click to expand...

hahaha sometimes this is true, but ulitmately if something goes wrong, the PM takes the heat, so their job isn't always so easy either
 
my company keeps hiring more and more and more and more PM's , but not more worker bees

so now we get assigned to work for mulitiple projects, salary, no overtime pay
more and more PM's who are all at higher pay grades than the workers
no new workers

morale is slipping, to say it the nicest way possible
 
i have got a few years of experience doing coding,testing, development, research and i wanted to know how to make it to the next grade.

i guess software development experience is transferrable, i mean if i got some work ex in c then i can be a project manager in java too. i mean the life cycles are pretty much the same, correct?

i guess with good presentation, interpersonal skills and project management skills coupled with domain knowledge, one can hope to make the next change to a higher, better, more lucrative level
 
Originally posted by: rookie1010
time to focus on core business, not projects
Click to expand...
can you give an example of core business and projects, i geuss projects would be a sort of an adventure, correct?

does health care require project management?
Click to expand...
You want to get into PM, and you don't know what "projects" are? 😕

Every business requires projects from time to time.

Originally posted by: FoBoT
my company keeps hiring more and more and more and more PM's , but not more worker bees

so now we get assigned to work for mulitiple projects, salary, no overtime pay
more and more PM's who are all at higher pay grades than the workers
no new workers

morale is slipping, to say it the nicest way possible
Click to expand...

Wait until the VP/worker bee ratio gets out of whack. That's a sure sign the company is setup for failure. PMs don't cost jack compared to VPs. 😉
 
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