Project managers - the solution for every corporate gap?
Seth SteinerDirector, Analytics and Performance| Fahlgren MortineCharleston, SC, United States
Hello fellow PM's,
For the last 8 months, I have been keeping an eye out for a new opportunity in project management. Now, more than ever, I am seeing a demand for project managers. However, it is discouraging me in the field based on the job descriptions I see. Companies are making project managers responsible and on the line for so much more than what we train for. They are lumping business analysis, product mgmt., customer service, operations, training, and basically any other gaps they feel they are missing in their business.
It's important to be knowledgeable and proficient in as many fields as we can. However, there has to be a line. Quality over quantity. I find myself questioning where this will all go and if I want to be a part of that ride. Good companies are hard to find; reasonable project management opportunities, likewise. This is driving up the competition in the field immensely. I have to imagine other project managers are seeing this and we are all singling out the most reasonable job description posts and all applying.
Anyone else out there experiencing this or have any food for thought on this? Saving Changes...
The competition is high, and complexity increases exponentially every year. The way to combat that is training, qualifications and gaining more knowledge and experience. To win a higher number of jobs, domain experience or expertise is needed to set you apart. Saving Changes...
Waqas JavaidProject Director| Infrastructure Development Authority of the PunjabLahore, Punjab, Pakistan
"What you allow, will you continue"
I am a strong believer of predefined job descriptions for a certain position, However, i've never seen any organization in my experience that remains committed to the same JD. Which is why this Pandora box opens up for the Project Managers or individual serving at a higher position.
A businessman or high ups would definitely ask more of you than you can offer. But you and only you can define the fine line between YES & NO. If you're working for an XYZ organization for quite some time and doing it in the best of organization's interest, then you have to draw a line somewhere. You have to say NO to something you don't want to do. If you allow all things to happen within you, it will always continue to digest you. It may reflect bad on your part, but that's not what you were hired for. You have to meet with them at your terms as well to make an amicable environment professionally. Saving Changes...
Anton OosthuizenSenior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self EmployedPretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
You are correct. typically they would require PM certification with some BA experience as beneficial. I've always seen PM and BA as complementary disciplines and if I had my way they will be merged ;) Saving Changes...
Yes the competition is tough at the same people ask the work profile they are comfortable. Saving Changes...
Joseph Prem AnandProgram Manager| Deutsche Bank AGCary, Nc, United States
The trend I see is to hire more specialists and less generalists. I can offer an interesting perspective as to why job descriptions (JDs) appear to be contradictory to this trend. At least part of the issue might be in the way JDs are created. Many companies use a template that is wide enough to catch a fish and a zebra. In other words, they want to cast a wide net. Having a plethora of terms might also help to get enough hits in automated job search engines. Some other JDs request many skills expecting the candidate to have at least a few of them. For example, they need project management talent, plus one or few of the other skills - not all; but they fail to mention it clearly in the JD. Also, at times a single JD is prepared for a set of similar positions (corporate laziness?). Having a discussion with the recruiter or at the interview stage might help clarify as well as set the right expectation. Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
I believe PMs need a rudimentary understanding of Business Analysis at the very least to carry out their jobs. If all we can do is ask people for statuses and produce reports, then it’s no wonder so many people sneer at Project Management and regard PMs as paper pushers who add lots of overhead and very little value. Some PMs don’t even understand basic tenets of the industry in which they work, and can’t have a meaningful discussion with the subject matter experts they’re supposed to lead. Apparently schools are teaching PMs that all they need is theoretical knowledge to run a project, which is entirely untrue. A PM who doesn’t know a variety of skills besides Project Management is like a surgeon who can only make incisions in the skin – it’s enough to get you started, but that single skill isn’t enough to successfully complete a complex operation. Saving Changes...
The tendency to seek PMs who are "everything and the kitchen sink" is driven by low organizational PM maturity and/or a major imbalance in the talent supply/demand equation. Employers have the right to demand anything they want, but most will usually compromise once they realize that their project deadlines will pass if they hold out for the perfect candidate.
Sometimes, I accept interviews purely to coach the interviewer :-)
Kiron Saving Changes...
RAJESH K LProject Manager, PMP| Bharat Electronics, Bengaluru, IndiaBengaluru, Karnataka, India
