I have been a PM for 18 years, I feel the career path of a PM can get stagnant after a certain point of time. There is a salary cap of a PM after certain years of experience. Has anyone change their career path and were successful in terms of career growth and salary? I just feel in today's world where there are smarter tools and modern methodologies there is not much scope for a project manager. Saving Changes...
I disagree that the career path can stagnate as you can always reinvent yourself by taking on projects in a different domain, switching sectors within the same domain (e.g. public to private) or working for organizations with different levels of PM maturity.
And the PMI Salary Survey shows there is a wide range of salaries for the PM job family internationally so if you are open to moving, there are many opportunities to make a lot more money if that is your primary motivator.
Kiron Saving Changes...
Anonymous
The career path can become stagnant, depending on your industry. Typically moving up in salary and title will require taking on more leadership and people management responsibilities, eventually moving away from hands on delivery and being in a position to truly take responsibility for a portfolio and large-scale initiatives. Saving Changes...
If you feel your career is stagnant, there are two main directions: stay or leave.
If you decide to stay, continue upgrading yourself with the latest knowledge and gain more experience from it. Ever since I became involved in the world of project management, I’ve realized that the more I know, the less I know. There is so much more to explore.
If you decide to leave, I wish you good luck! Don’t be afraid to make the decision to change, as long as you believe it’s worth the effort. Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
If you stick to one employer and one industry, your career will stagnate.
I was happy to stay with IBM for 31 years but was able to work in several industries (of IBM clients) and IBM divisions. It was never boring, and I learned a lot.
My career was not defined by how much I earned but by how much I learned and became capable of.
Also, volunteering multiplied that learning, gave me a sandbox to try things before usingb them on my business projects. Saving Changes...
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