Active Participant: Self-awareness can go a long way in advancing your career

  Career Development   PM Network  

Question: I’d like to take more control in actively managing my career in project management. How can I start?

Self-awareness is the most important part of career planning—and it’s also the most difficult. Without understanding who you are and what you have to offer, taking steps to change or improve is impossible.

For a project management practitioner, the first step toward better selfawareness starts with assessing an inventory of business and personal traits: knowledge, skill set, values, personality, interests and motivations.

Self-evaluation may seem obvious, but my experience has shown that many project managers still find it difficult to look inward. They tend to focus more on the organization they work for or the subject of their projects rather than the personal skills and knowledge they use to deliver effectively.

Evaluating your knowledge and skill level in project management can be done through competency frameworks. The outcome can confirm what you might already know, but it will also highlight gaps in your knowledge. Take time to carry out this assessment throughout your career.

How to understand your personality and values in relation to your work in project management may not be immediately apparent, but it is a deeper understanding of this side of you that will determine how you work, where you work and ultimately what …

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