project manager career path

Project Manager Career Questions

by Josh

by Marco Bellucci via Flickr

by Marco Bellucci via Flickr

A business student recently interviewed me via email.  She is interested in project management and this was part of an assignment to reach out to people via Twitter to interview about what they do and the state of their industry/role.  (My kudos to the professor for encouraging students to use new media to interact with people who are already in the field!)

I asked her permission to share the interview with you, I hope you find it helpful.  Leave comments on what you agree and do not agree with!

How is the job market for project managers?

I would say it is healthy overall. Project managers lead teams to get things done in companies, and organizations always need them. Note that many project management jobs do not actually have “project manager” in the title. There are so many variations of the title. I suggest you look around on some of the job listings like careerbuilder.com, dice.com, etc. and see what you can find in your own region.

How do you deal with changes that are happening in the field?

Personally, I run a blog and community site, read other blogs, and am a member of PMI so I participate with my local chapter and several SIGs (specific interest groups). I’m also on the PMI New Media Council and will be presenting at the 2009 North America Global Congress in Orlando (October 11, 2009). Just as with any profession, there are a lot of niches and personal development opportunities to be had. Just staying active in advancing project management as a discipline is a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of it.

What are the best companies to work for?

Project management can be great in any type of organization or industry. If you can get into an organization who makes their money from doing successful projects you will be in the best learning environment. If you are a project manager in an organization, say in the financial services industry, and do internal projects that can be good too….but project management doesn’t get the attention it deserves unless the business model makes running projects central to the bottom line.

How do you use information systems in your job?

I’m self employed now, but in my last role as the lead project manager for the LDCM TSSC contract (building the ground system for a joint USGS/NASA satellite mission) information systems were certainly important. The key thing with IS is that the systems are easy to use, accurate, reliable, and allow you to focus on the few key metrics that help you manage the project. I’ve seen a lot of systems that have a lot of bells and whistles, and are virtually useless unless you get a degree on how to run the damn thing. It’s also easy to get lost in data and lose sight of what’s really important.

I will say this though. Managing projects is about managing people. If you get too data-centric you can lose sight of that. Tools and data don’t run the project, you and your people do.

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Run Away! (And Other Helpful Advice For A Career in Project Management)

by Josh

project management career path

I am passionate about project management in general, and helping people new to the field more specifically.

But let’s be honest.  We’re all nuts.

Not Everyone Should Be a Project Manager

There is a specific form of gluttony for punishment that comes with the territory (some consider it a clinical condition).  The decision to head down the project manager career path should not be taken lightly.

When I started out, there was a specific resonance I felt as I learned more about the role of a project manager.  Everything I had really enjoyed about my previous positions seemed to be a part of this crazy thing called project management.

“You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya punk?” – Dirty Harry (1971)

Hmmmm….actually I’m going to ask 2 questions instead.  And maybe some sub-questions…what the heck.  Being a contrarian is just part of my personality… though, it’s not a “desired skill” for project managers.  Especially not when you are contradicting a quote you picked yourself like I just did.  See what project manager employment does to you after awhile?  Koo Koo…Koo Koo

Shape Your PM Career
Get started and get ahead in your project management career.

Do You Fit In?

Those shiny, flashy careers in project management may seem inviting, but do you really have a passion for this kind of work?  Does your personality lend itself to the type of work?

Do you like working with people? I don’t mean like social work, (although I might have something there) I mean being able to relay technical concepts to business people and get geeks excited about what upper management wants.  You need to understand “Projects are about humans,” as the Project Shrink says.  The importance of communication in project management has become a cliché, but nonetheless, it’s true.  You need to do it effectively and fearlessly.

Are you passionate about this stuff? I really enjoy the process of creating something that never existed before.  Even if it is not a tangible, physical product it is very rewarding for me to be able to think about what we did as a team.  I love process improvement and change.  That’s one reason why out of the various project management careers out there (project manager, business analyst, project controller, program manager, etc.) I chose to be a project manager.

Do You Like Challenge?  (Being A Glutton for Punishment Helps)

One of the great things about project management is that at least once a week someone starts running around the place wildly yelling “My hair is on fire!  My hair is on fire!  My hair is on fire!”

Seriously though, I can’t even smell burnt hair anymore.

Do you like thinking about a project from every possible angle? Because that is what you will need to do in order to be effective.  The customer, the team, the sponsor, external stakeholders…they all have to be happy.  You need to be able to change shoes every 10 minutes or so.  The nature of projects is changing requirements and approaches as you go, so there will always be situations where you are the hostage negotiator that has to make everyone come out alive and feeling happy.

Do you thrive on change? The idea that a project plan is finalized and then very little changes from there is a fantasy… a theoretical construct that only lives in the pages of your project management textbook.

This doesn’t mean you throw your hands up in the air and let chaos rule… but it does mean that effective change management needs to be a key strength.  Uncertainty and change happen, and it is all in how you deal with it (and anticipate it) that makes the difference.

What other questions should someone ask themselves before jumping into the alligator pit?

If you want coaching from me for new project managers to get started in their career, I invite you to check out the online training course I put together for you.

I call it “Get Ahead In Your Project Management Career (And Do It Right)”

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