Should Project Managers Go Trade Specific?

Ray is a skilled Project Manager Professional with over 20 years’ experience overseeing all phases of project life cycle, risk, budget, data analysis, documentation and people management in construction, energy, IT, waste management and the financial industry.

  Career Development   Stakeholder Management  

I have been doing projects as a PM for more than 15 years, when project management was not considered such a strong discipline. I have been completing projects in different trades, including IT, software, energy renewable and in RE construction. 

However, while talking to some other colleague PMs, I was under the impression that the role of PMs and the PM methodology is going trade specific. The reason for this, I was told, is because it helps PMs do a better job since they are experts in the particular trade they are working on. I am not sure if this is a good idea because I believe it could limit the role of the PM consultant to just those trade-specific areas.

It has always been my belief and my experience [you can find this in  A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide) – Fifth Edition] that being a PMP-certified consultant gives you the tools to successfully complete most projects within budget and the designated timeframe, and meet the project goals and requirements.

Don't misunderstand me: I believe that knowing a specific trade – software development, for example – can help you understand the project better. By that I mean that it helps you understand the magnitude of the project as a whole, and not only because of your knowledge of software programming.

It has been my …

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