Hello there, I am trying to make a career change into project management. I have experience in front-line patient care, getting others trained/certified (insurance and medical interpreting) and administration. I want to gain experience in the field, but most of the positions I am seeing, ask for some sort of PMP cert to be hired onto the team. I would love to join a team as an assistant to a pm but I am not sure if this even exists. Is there some entry level position/title I can search for that would allow me to gain the experience without having the cert? Saving Changes...
I would suggest focusing less on job titles, and more on responsibilities. I have been a PM many times with some other title, and seen many PM positions that are purely administrative.
There certainly are PMs who have assistants. That might be called a PM, a project administrator, or something else. You might primarily support one or more PM functions, or lead smaller parts of a larger project. In business administration groups, there are many PM related functions performed such as scheduling and cost estimating.
Another option is working with your manager to define development goals in a non-PM job which include more leadership. That could be leading training development, process improvements, or managing other small technical initiatives with mentoring and more oversight than a PM operating more independently. Saving Changes...
1. Take a foundational course in project management with hands-on exercises covering most if not all of the knowledge areas in PMI's Body of Knowledge.
2. I'm assuming you have served as a team member or work stream lead on a project before, but if not, do so to understand how the theory differs from the practice.
3. As Keith mentioned, you can target roles such as Project Coordinators, Project Analysts or Project Control Officers. Those require analytical and organizational skills but usually no direct project management experience and as you'd be paired up with a seasoned PM, you'd get a great chance to gain some valuable experience.
Good luck!
Kiron Saving Changes...
Esther Bessell van WindenDirector of Administration and HR| Global Peace FoundationFairfield County, CT, United States
Hi Fernanne,
Making a career change can be difficult, so give yourself space and time.
@KeithNovak and @ Kiron Bondale already shared some wonderful suggestions.
Some of my thoughts:
1. As a member of PMI you have access to a free digital version of the latest PMBOK. You can download it, and access it on your computer or phone with your specific user license. This way you can learn pace your learning. Another very useful resource is Rita Mulcahy's products. While they target preparing you for the exam, they naturally teach you the science of Project Management. They offer audiobooks, online resources, and hardcopy materials, something for every style of learning. https://rmcls.com/pmp-exam-prep/
2. As you study and learn, you can immediately begin to apply what you have learned and improve the existing processes at your current company. This is a wonderful way to introduce project management values and make a positive difference.
3. There are many other free resources for members on this site. I like the webinars, easy to choose an area of interest, or need and continue learning daily.
4. Many companies have initiatives that are actually projects. You may find, that some of the work you have already done/been doing, has included projects or project activities. Take time to document your role, your work, the processes, challenges, budget, schedule, goals, accomplishments, etc.
All the best to you on your new path. Project management is an amazing profession. Soo many wonderful opportunities for growth.
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Fernanne
My fellow colleagues gave great suggestions that I totally agree with especially the foundational course and project coordinator role.
RK Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Fernanne,
great suggestions here.
Besides looking for job that offers learning opps for you, let me point out 3 considerations:
1. you can gain experience by doing projects as a volunteer. Could be at PMI or elsewhere (community, Habitat, ..)
2. sometimes work you did in another role may qualify as PM experience but it is hard for you to change to this perspective. Talk to PMs about this.
3. get a career mentor
You do not necessarily require PMP for being part of the project team and fulfill PM tasks. You can gain experience through coordination of the projects or ... as well.
Thomas made good points. Saving Changes...
Ignoring certification, for a moment, when you look at job descriptions for PM positions, what do you see? Is it all descriptions of types of work that you've never done before? They might be small, but for many people, projects are a part of their daily lives and they don't have the title "Project Manager". When you're crafting your resume, you shouldn't be providing a brain dump of your work history, you should be expressing your experience in the context of the position you're applying for.
I have the same question, in a different context, regarding certification. When you look at job descriptions for PM positions, what do you see? What are the certifications being requested? There are what we sometimes call "entry level" certifications that don't require experience, such as CAPM and CSM.
If you get the CAPM, for example, can find a job posting that doesn't ask for a specific PM certification, such as PMP, and your experience aligns with what the company is looking for, you increase your chances of getting an interview.
Search for Junior PM positions to find postings to review. I just googled "junior project manager florida". The Google jobs list came back with 44 Junior PM jobs in and around Florida. The first search result was from Indeed with 27 Junior PM jobs in Florida. The next was from LinkedIn. I wouldn't trust that it has 4000+ current job listings for Junior PMs, or suggest that you review all of them, but if you want a good understanding of the position, take some time to research what companies are looking for. There will be inconsistencies, but these inconsistencies can also help you identify employers with unrealistic expectations for a Junior PM. Saving Changes...
You can search for "Project Assistant" or "Project Analyst", which will help you to acquire experience and PM knowledge. Saving Changes...
Huong CunninghamResearch Science and Data Analytics Project Manager| UNOSNorth Chesterfield, Va, United States
Great question. I was a PM (in higher education) and career changed to healthcare IT. So I did the reverse of what you're embarking, so to speak. To my surprise, my PM skills were an excellent fit in healthcare IT, even without the formal title. If you are tech savvy, plus patient-care, may I suggest searching for opportunities within your health organization as a transitional step. There are lots of opportunities to leverage your clinical know-how along the way, some call them "project champion", "coordinator", "patient experience", etc. ERP implementation projects especially need a lot of staffs who understand patient-care. Best wishes! Saving Changes...
Latha Thamma reddiSr Product and Portfolio Management (Automation Innovation)| DXC TechnologyMckinney, Tx, United States
Thanks all for sharing your aughts to good questions. Saving Changes...
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