I became a project manager almost by accident! I originally started as a Business Analyst working in SAP, and before I knew it, I was managing projects. It wasn't part of the plan, but I grew into the role.
How did you land your first project management role? Was it something you planned, or did you stumble into it like I did? Saving Changes...
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Mike FrenetteManager, IT PMO| Halifax Water (retired)Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Wow. Now, THAT's a question!
Some of us probably got a little mentoring and experience, studied for their PMP, wrote and passed their exam and became very successful PMs!
I did it the other way around. I became a very successful PM, passed the exam, then studied for it.
Kidding.
But, I did manage through luck and common sense to manage many successful projects before hearing about PMI and the PMP, studying for and writing the exam, taking on more PM roles, then PMO roles, and ended up managing a few PMOs.
I call myself an accidental project manager.
And now, with the roll out the PMOGA Value Ring Methodology and the upcoming PMI PMO Practice Guide in December, I guess I will have to call myself an accidental PMO manager too!
To answer your question more directly, my first project delivered a court system in Nova Scotia, Canada. I was a technical IT expert who was asked to manage a project, and, never one to say no, I accepted the challenge. Thus began my project management career.
When asked what I do for a living, I used to say, "I work with computers." Then I started saying, "I manage projects." Now I say, "I manage a PMO.".
Like many, I started out leading small projects within my area of expertise (systems management) and my manager at the time thought I'd make a good PM and insisted I take a foundational course in PM concepts. That was the catalyst which made me switch gears...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Mayte, the short answer to your questions is: I am an accidental project manager. My background is in structural engineering. I started designing buildings, then slowly found myself moving into managing projects until it became my full time job for the past 20 years and counting! Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
I had to fight to get my first Project Manager role. I was a contractor and a Business Analyst, and though I had picked up project management skills informally I couldn't get hired for Project Manager roles because I didn't already have that job title on my resume. I overcame this by doing extensive volunteer work for non-profits as a Project Manager, and eventually I landed my first paying Project Manager job. Once I had that recruiters acknowledged my existence and it was easy progressing in the field.
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1 reply by Danny PMP, PgMP
Oct 03, 2024 11:27 PM
Danny PMP, PgMP
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Eric Simms I admire your dedication. You are truly a fighter!
I had to fight to get my first Project Manager role. I was a contractor and a Business Analyst, and though I had picked up project management skills informally I couldn't get hired for Project Manager roles because I didn't already have that job title on my resume. I overcame this by doing extensive volunteer work for non-profits as a Project Manager, and eventually I landed my first paying Project Manager job. Once I had that recruiters acknowledged my existence and it was easy progressing in the field.
Eric Simms I admire your dedication. You are truly a fighter! Saving Changes...
My start was somewhat a fortunate series of errors.
I was hired as a structural engineer at a job fair out of college, but they hired too many in that skill and moved me to waste systems. Certainly not my passion but there was a lot of new work going on, and I really needed a job.
You won't last long in sanitation without a sense of humor so the team was easy going. I'd rough out the tubing layout or caution placard, and hand it off to people better at the fine details.
After getting into engineering for the glamor and drama of inventing world changing things, I learned that in sanitation related engineering, all that glitters is not gold and wanted to solve bigger, more complex problems. My teammates were happy not leading anything and we got along so they were happy to let me take care of the administration parts.
When a bigger project hit our team I had the enthusiasm, and probably more importantly not just the trust from my coworkers, but they helped coach me to understand and manage the work. Saving Changes...
Project Manager| AWR Development (BD) Ltd. Cox's Bazer , Bangladesh
For ten years, I worked as a junior team member and later as a senior project team member. When I transitioned to a project manager role, I had to create a formal project management plan, essentially a schedule. Despite initially needing to gain knowledge in the process and knowledge area of project management, I successfully delivered the scope of work within the budget and the agreed-upon time frame. Saving Changes...
The short version is that HQ in San Francisco decided they didn't need PMs in Sacramento, so they let them go. A little while later, they realized none of the projects were getting done, and none of the PMs in San Francisco wanted to do them.
Meanwhile, my department was going to bring on a consultant PM to help with setting up a new department. I suggested we bring in a consultant to our team, instead, and have one of us do it, since 1) we already had a relationship with the people forming the department, and 2) it would be cheaper. A few days later I was offered the position. Saving Changes...
D KennardSenior Project Manager. Global, SCADA, Med Devices, GSC, IT, CRM - Contract| BreachRevelation.comMy office is in CDM in Newport Beach - If your near, let's have
coffee,CA - Open to remote or SoCal onsite contracts :), United States
I was a BA at first and loved doing the interviews with staff and helping them ask the right questions, writing pseudo code, doing as-is/to-be diagrams, mapping current processes. My electronics and dev background made for quick work and stress-free liaison relationships because I understood what it took to create the client's vision.
However, at every job I was on, after some time, the manager would also give me projects to manage. The work without the title or money was OK because I really like to have the big picture and being able to help the client look to the future and think about scalability. My suggestions as a BA weren't always followed, but as a PM I was the lead and could help make the outcome more successful.
I stopped applying to BA jobs and at my 1st PM gig with Toyota in 2012 I knew I was "home". I never looked back. Now I have managed projects in several countries and love this phase as well. And sometimes my BA skills are used, so my 1st love is still part of my life :) Saving Changes...
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