Getting Started in Project Management
Project Management Career Track
I get many questions from people who want to enter into project management as a profession. After all, this is pmStudent. One of the most common questions is “how do I get started”? I received an email from a reader today with this question, and so I would like to share some thoughts with everyone else, too.
Let me start off by saying that there are many, many ways that very successful project managers got their start. I can tell you about my personal experiences and share some pointers. This is all just my opinion, (just like the rest of everything I write!) so take it with some skepticism.
Experience First, Education Second
If you have to choose between formal project management education or real-world experience, go with the experience. In reality, this is not an either-or choice however. Go with both but always emphasize your opportunities to gain real-world experience. The optimal in my humble opinion is if you can be in a position where your projects are small enough that you have the flexibility to try out new concepts you are learning in real time. Volunteer efforts are wonderful for this type of flexibility.
- Volunteer at work, school, and non-profit organizations you may not even belong to yet
- As you learn, apply the concepts
- Seek a mentor by asking questions of project managers. Take them out to coffee or lunch as a way to tap into their experience and build professional relationships.
- If you are already part of a project team, start paying attention to what the project manager does. Offer to assist them in any way, even if you find it menial, and ask lots of questions.
That said,
Education is Very Important
- Read books and blogs (see links in the lower-right corner of the home page)
- Listen to podcasts (PM Podcast, PM411, Controlling Chaos-archives only, PM Prepcast)
- In particular you may find Episode 62 “How can I become a Project Manager” and Episode 65 “BS and MBA in Project Management” helpful podcasts. I’m interviewed in episode 65. Since that was recorded, I’ve decided to NOT pursue an MBA in project management. I’ve earned my BS in Project Management and am focusing on gaining experience and getting my PMP very soon. An advanced degree just didn’t pan out in the cost-benefit analysis for me at this point in my career.
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Write on pmStudent.com – You can write posts as you are learning. This is what I did when I moved from just plain experience into formally educating myself. It was wonderful to retain the concepts, think deeply about them and how I could implement them at work, etc.
- Join PM organizations. My experience so far is with the PMI. Join your local chapter, and some SIGs that look interesting. I can recommend the ISSIG in particular, they have a monthly webinar that is usually on topics that apply broadly to all project managers.
- PMP Prep material can be very valuable even if you’re no where near ready to take the exam (as long as the material is geared to you understanding it, not memorizing it). The best one I’ve found for this is the PM PrepCast™ where I feel I learned a ton even if you set aside the PMP aspect of it.
- Ask your management at work about helping you with a project management career track in the way of training, special assignments, etc. It never hurts to ask!
See more of my experience and advice (and a free eBook) here: Getting Started in Project Management.
Oct 14th, 2008 at 3:47 am
Another great learning platform is Prince2. This PM methodology started in the UK government but has been adopted extensively in the private sector. Here is a good introduction on WikiPedia.
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Oct 14th, 2008 at 8:15 am
Hi Josh and all,
PLEASE……. Project management is NOT a profession!!! Project management is nothing more than a PROCESS, SYSTEM or METHODOLOGY, and that process, system or methodology is embedded in nearly everything we do. (See Zwerman et al, 2004, “Mapping the Past to Explore the Future” and Giammalvo, 2007, “Is Project Management a Profession? And if not, what is it?”)
However, I pretty much concur with your advice on the experience first, degrees second, although I would contest your calculations on the benefit: cost ratio of a MS in PM.
I hold an undergrad degree in Civil Engineering, majoring in Construction Management, my Masters in Project Management from GWU and my PhD in Project/Program management along with 40+ years of experience, and I can tell you first hand that while the experience is what teaches you project management, it is the degrees that boost your billing rates.
Bottom line- some organizations, PMI in particular, have, IMPO, made project management into something much bigger than what it is or should be. And my major concern lies in the fact that so many projects continue to finish late, over budget, failing to meet quality standards or worse yet, failing to fulfill the purpose for which they were undertaken in the first place. As “professionals” we owe it to the practice of project management to focus our efforts on identifying and fixing the causes of what can only be described as something inherently wrong with the process to produce consistently abysmal results.
BR,
Dr. PDG, Jakarta
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Oct 14th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Dr. Paul, thanks for the comments. I’m afraid you’ll have to bear with me calling project management a profession, for I use the term generally and not in the specific formal manner you do. Frankly, I don’t care to screen my use of the term on your account.
When I spoke of the MS in PM, I was mainly referring to my personal family and financial situation. As I said, at this point it does not make sense for me, but it may later on.
I agree we should be trying to improve the success of project management….one way to do that is build up a formal discipline or “profession” around it to identify best practices and improve upon them. Decrease the variation in the PM processes, etc.
You seem to shoot down attempts at making things better without offering an alternative…
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Oct 14th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
To Bruce … PRINCE2 is really more product-oriented than project management oriented. It focuses more on documenting what the customer wants than on how to actually plan and manage the process of delivering it.
To Paul … when you assert that PM is not a profession, you really need to note that you are using a very specific and narrow definition of profession. According to the definition in most English (and American) language dictionaries, project management is a profession.
To Josh … maybe you should recommend (or even join) asapm. For a newcomer, there are many more opportunities with a start-up.
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Oct 14th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
To Bill:
I agree that PRINCE2 does not focus on specific techniques such as Critical Chain management, but is does cover the following aspects of a project:
- Starting Up a Project
- Initiating a Project
- Planning
- Directing a Project
- Controlling a Stage
- Managing Product Delivery
- Managing Stage Boundaries
- Closing a Project
PRINCE2 does not focus on Product development as such but rather uses products as a metaphor for the outputs of a project, be they services, applications, processes, products, houses, moon rockets, etc.
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Oct 14th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Josh I agree with volunteering as a way of getting some sort of basic understanding of and experience with project management. Volunteering at your local PMI chapter is a great way to get your chops and meet up with other local PMs that could potentially open doors.
I’m finding that writing about the subject really helps me to understand past successes and failures and work on improvement.
One other key to getting a foot in the door as a PM is learning how to stay organized and track things. I put together a Risk / Action / Issue / Decision (RAID) Log that I use as a single place to store everything related to a particular project, here:
RAID Log
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Oct 14th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
To Chris,
We provide a suite of online tools for project managers including Risks, Actions, Issues, Budgets, Expenses, Change Requests, WBSs, Timesheets, etc.
You can get more info over here: Programme & Project Management
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Oct 17th, 2008 at 12:47 am
To Paul D. Giammalvo,
Please sir, give us any reason why you think PM is not a profession? I have not seen any of them in your arguments.
There are projects, right? Every business activity should be managed, right? Projects are business activities, right? So what?…
Thanks.
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Oct 23rd, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Josh,
Nice article on getting started. I would add two major additional recommendations: Find a role model and get help from a mentor.
I have had a number of professional role models over the years. They are not famous people, but people whom I respect and admire in at least one important area. I asked them about their career (or researched it in magazines in books), and it helped me chart my own career plan.
I have also had great mentors. I asked people for help and advice. I have only rarely asked for an official “mentoring relationship”. Usually it grew out of questions and replies with some kind of role model. Over time they were helping more and more and becoming a true mentor. I have been extremely fortunate to have a few bosses and coworkers who served as great mentors.
Because there are so many ways to become a PM, it is good to find role models and mentors. Intuitively, I think you will be drawn to people who offer a viable path for you. It is a personal and difficult journey for many people, and a completely accidental journey for others. I wish you all the best of luck in your travels. If I can help anyone along that journey, please contact me.
I would also add that Dr. Paul Giammalvo has great material on the professionalization of project management. He and I have argued over the years, and there is a lot of truth in what he says. Bill Duncan makes an excellent point that Paul is working from an academic definition of “profession”, not the common-language one. It is an interesting topic. Personally I avoid referring to project management as a “profession” out of respect for true professions like doctors and lawyers.
–Alex
http://www.alexsbrown.com/
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Nov 11th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Am I in over my head?
I am a recent graduate with a degree having little to do with Construction Management and Project Management, nor am I an Engineer. However I have moved into a position as an entry level estimator for a Regional Prime Contractor. We primarily take on the horizontal construction of the project including but not limited to mass excavation, clearing, grading, utilities: domestic water, fire, sewer, storm drain, asphalt and concrete paving. I have hopes of moving into a project managment position, and personally I would like to earn a certification in Project Management and even a PMP certification. I just started researching this topic and found the PMstudent website today. I have already found a lot of usefull info and hope to begin my career path towards project management. may i ask though. Is this something attainable in the near future or a goal i will need to chipaway at over the years? By near future i will assume 1 to 2 years.
Spencer
Aiken, SC
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Nov 11th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Spencer, thanks for reading and congratulations on your decision to become a project manager!
First, you are probably not over your head as long as you are willing to learn and grow professionally. Be sure you are learning the most from the job and the experienced professionals in your field (that’s everyone, not just the project managers!)
Certifications are ok, but they should be for demonstrating knowledge and experience you already have. The PMI CAPM is an exception, and perhaps the entry level of IPMA. Those are knowledge-based certifications. The training and study you go through for any certification can be helpful if you apply it to your day job. I found this to be true with the training I bought for the PMP exam, which you can find here if you are interested. I bought it before I was ready to take the PMP, and it was a good general learning tool for the “PMI way”.
For general project management wisdom and especially for construction, you can’t go wrong with Reforming Project Management. In you situation, I recommend you go back through the archives and read Hal’s posts. There is a lot of wisdom in there.
I have other posts about my personal journey into formal project management, you can search or browse around the site to find them. Many PM’s start as estimators, project controllers, coordinators, or as a member of a project team. You can come into it from just about any direction. Feel free to email me anytime as well at joshnankivel@gmail.com
Best of luck!
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Nov 12th, 2008 at 6:10 am
Hi Spencer,
I wouldn’t even bother with PMI and the PMP. That organization is dominated by IT and Telecommunications people, and much of what they preach has a distinct IT/Telekom bias.
IF you are serious about staying in construction, I would recommend that you get certified by the Construction Management Association of America http://www.cmaanet.org or if you are happy with project controls, AACE http://www.aacei.org has some of the better globally recognized technical certifications in terms of cost estimating, scheduling and project controls.
Another suggestion would be the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) credential. While UK based, it does enjoy significant global recognition and respect.
Bottom line- for construction, CMAA, AACE and/or RICS would be my recommendation over PMI and the PMP.
BR,
Dr. PDG, Singapore’s Changi Airport
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Nov 12th, 2008 at 6:19 am
Bill!!!!!
I don’t believe you have read my PhD dissertation?
I looked at “profession” from the legal, sociological, economic, and semantic perspectives (full 360 degree view, based on 22 intrinsic and extrinsic attributes!!) and there simply is no way that project management qualifies as a profession. (noun)
Are there professional project managers? Yes, absolutely. But just because there are professionals doing what we do for a living does not make what we do for a living a profession.
I published a survey which some 400 respondents stated very clearly that project management is NOT a profession. It is a PROCESS or METHODOLOGY, and there has never been a profession founded on a process.
Using the data from those 400 global respondents, I was able to determine where project management stands vis a vis other occupations, from electricians and plumbers (we are higher than they are) but lower than MBA’s.
For anyone interested, email me privately as pauldgphd@gmail.com and I will send along the full dissertation…..
BR,
Dr. PDG, from Singapore’s Changi Airport….
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Nov 12th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Spencer,
I would disagree with Paul’s assertion that PMI is all IT&T people. It is a little over 50% IT and software people, as far as I have seen. It is a membership of over 200,000, so there are many, many construction people in that group.
I recommend getting involved with the College of Scheduling if you join PMI. They have the largest concentration of construction, aerospace & defense, and other non-IT members. You will also find some of the real leaders in construction project management there – Plotnick, O’Brien, and others.
I would recommend getting involved in AACEi and some construction-specific organizations as well. There are many things that I do not like about PMI, and I find that belonging to multiple organizations helps to mitigate those problems.
–Alex
http://www.alexsbrown.com
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Nov 12th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Hi Alex,
You can disagree with me all you want….. According to the latest information I have from PMI, their membership stands at ~265,000 and ~27% were IT/IS; ~10% were Telekom; Business Mgt was ~7%; followed by Financial Services, at ~5%. Construction came in below 5%.
And I never said that there were no construction people. What I said (and I stand by) is that PMI is DOMINATED by IT and Telekom people, and that their bias (through sheer numbers) is evident.
However, I am happy to see that we agree that no one “professional” organization has all the answers and that it would behoove others to experiment around.
For my American colleagues, I recommend that you contact Bill and find out more about asapm. wwww.asapm.org This organization was founded by at least a few of the disaffected/disenfranchised former PMI leaders. asapm (the initials are intentionally in lower case to signify the members are more important than the organization) is the US representative for IPMA and more importantly, is ONLY US focused. Unlike PMI et al, asapm is not seeking global hegemony…..
BR,
Dr. PDG, back in Jakarta
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Nov 12th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Dear PotPeyProject,
The simplest answer to your question “Why isn’t PM a profession?” lies with the fact we do not own or control the Body of Knowledge. Regardless of which perspective you research- Legal, Sociological, Economic or Semantic, all researchers agree that unless you can define and control the body of knowledge, then you will be unable to call what you do a profession. (If you are interested, Andrew Abbott has researched seminal writings on this topic, as has Eliott Friedson)
There are other serious obstacles, such as fiduciary obligations to the put the needs of the customer over those of our boss or employer; financial liability in the event we screw up; restricted use of the title “project manager”; and a host of other pesky issues, but when all is said and done, project management meets none of the extrinsic or intrinsic markers or attributes associated with a “profession” such as medicine or piloting an aircraft or law or teaching to a sufficient degree to warrant calling what we do a profession.
At the risk of boring Alex, Bill and others who have seen this before to tears, the best analogy I can offer is this:
Tiger Woods is unquestionably a talented golfer. One would be very hard-put to dispute the obvious, which that he is very competent at what he does,perhaps one of the best ever. Therefore he meets the first dictionary test of being a professional (n) – skill and competence. In fact, he is sufficiently competent that he makes a very handsome living performing for pay what most of us consider a hobby; hence, applying the second dictionary criterion, he meets the‘earnings test’ to be considered a professional (n). He is not an amateur. Having met both tests (highly competent and earning a living at what most do for a hobby) entitles him to be termed a professional (adj.) golfer.
However, just because Tiger Woods meets the criteria to be called both a professional (n) and a professional (adj) golfer, does not necessarily mean that golf qualifies as a profession, although Woods might call it his profession (his paid job).
Like you, I too would say “so what” except that some organizations, (PMI being the most egregious) are making claims in their marketing and other materials which claims very clearly that project management IS a profession. (I forget exactly, but I think if you check the PMI Code of Ethics/Code of Conduct you see the word “profession” like 11 times?)
Given that initial research by Bill Zwerman and Janice Thomas as well as my own follow on research established that project management is NOT a profession, for PMI (and anyone else) to claim that it is, borders on false and misleading advertising or worse yet, delusional thinking.
But even if we put all that aside, the fact that so many projects still “fail” (late, over budget, not meeting specifications or failing to deliver what they were intended to do) should tell us that project management is today where medicine was back in the 17th century. IF we want to professionalize what it is we do, then we need to EARN the trust and respect of the consuming public, and the only way to do that is through consistently delivering projects more successfully.
BR,
Dr. PDG, heading to bed in Jakarta
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Nov 17th, 2008 at 11:34 am
A respectful Thank You to all you, for your insite and opinions.
Cant wait to get started.
Regards,
Spencer
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Jul 17th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
YOU’RE AN ANGEL. Thank u so much!!
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Jul 31st, 2009 at 6:32 am
Hi Josh Nankivel,
I’m from Srilanka(May b u might not heard of it), anyway i’m a Beginner. My ambition is to become a PM. I haven’t start anything yet. I’m waiting and searching to begin my self in a proper way. can u please help me out with my questions. i would be really thankful to you. e-mail me jamsid@gmail.com.
thank you.
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Josh Nankivel Reply:
July 31st, 2009 at 9:49 am
You can contact me at http://pmStudent.com/connect
Thanks!
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Sep 27th, 2009 at 11:38 am
For those who says PM is not a profession, i totally dis agree. Let me state the fact that Project Management is a Profession, the process and etc. are just makes it a profession. There are courses now adays that directs individuals to become a Project Manager like any other managers do. schools and universities teaches these. I need everyone of you to understand that you are on the process your are working on your process and that your process is a profession, youre just not aware of it. cuz maybe your just overprocessed! Till then, it is a Profession!!! Period….
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Glen B. Alleman Reply:
September 27th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Joseph,
The self proclaimed heritics amoung us want us to accept that PM is not a profession. While at the same time those self proclaimed heritics sell PM training, conduct PM processe seminars for money (lots of money), and consult (for money) on how to improve PM process for global clients. Go figure.
Stick with what works for you – behave in a manner that reflects “PM as a profession, act professionally, treat your team and customer in a proffesional manner, and ask ‘what would a true professional do in this situation?’”
There is a small hand book for a former employeer (CH2M Hill) on how be act professionally while performing the companies business. That was the start for me of seeing my role as a Program Manager as more than a job and as a profession.
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Mar 8th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Hi guys
I know nobody has posted anything on here for a while, so I thought I would be the first for 2010!
I was pleased to come across this site and to see Project Managers from all areas coming together to discuss and help new people onto the Project Management ladder.
Many of the comments on here have really inspired me and the articles Josh has posted have been very useful to me.
I am currently studying to become a project manager – the course is: CAPM and MCTS. It is a home study course and I am doing it in my spare time.
I used to be an Air-Conditioning engineer but it wasn’t the right path for me. I am now working for myself doing property maintenance etc.
I am really keen and desperate to get my first step onto the ladder. But I am struggling to find anywhere or anyone to take me on. Obviously, I would need to start at the bottom but right now that is hard because of the current recession.
I would like to be in the construction side of project management as I have a great deal of experience in this area.
Any tips or advice you guys could give me, or anyone you could put me in touch with would mean the world to me. I haven’t had much luck this year so far and I would really like that to change.
Any response would be hugely appreciated.
Kind regards
Scott Norris (Surrey – UK)
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Josh Nankivel, BSc PM, PMP Reply:
March 8th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Thanks for the awesome feedback Scott!
A few recommendations for you:
How to get involved with PM organizations
My PM Career Newsletter (If you’re not already a subscriber)
Switching Careers to PM
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