Seeking career advice while rebuilding as an international project manager
Mahdi SoltaniPerformance Evaluation Associate| Power Distribution CompanyEskishehir, Türkiye
Hello everyone,
My name is Mahdi. I am a PMP® certified project management professional with more than 10 years of experience in project coordination, operations, and delivery, mainly in infrastructure and manufacturing environments.
I am originally from Iran and have been living in Turkey for about a year. During this time, I have been trying to rebuild my professional life. As many of you may know, the job market here is currently very challenging even for local professionals, and as a foreigner it becomes significantly more difficult despite having experience and international credentials.
I am actively applying for roles related to project management, operations, customer/order management, and international projects, but progress has been slow. I wanted to reach out to this community to ask for practical advice or recommendations from those who may have gone through similar situations, worked across borders, or navigated difficult job markets.
In particular, I would appreciate insights on:
How to better leverage PMP credentials when local opportunities are limited
Ways to stay professionally visible and relevant during extended job searches
Any general advice on transitioning or repositioning skills across countries
I truly value this community and the shared experience here, and I look forward to learning from you all.
Project Manager| AWR Development (BD) Ltd. Cox's Bazer , Bangladesh
Welcome, Mahdi. Your resilience, experience, and PMP® truly show—glad to have you in the community. Wishing you clarity, momentum, and the right opportunity ahead.
Golam
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1 reply by Mahdi Soltani
Jan 06, 2026 4:21 AM
Mahdi Soltani
...
Thank you very much, Golam. I truly appreciate the warm welcome and encouragement. It means a lot to be part of a community where resilience and shared experience are valued. I’m glad to be here and looking forward to learning from everyone. Best regards, Mahdi
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Mahdi, you might want to consider aiming for a project coordinator or junior PM role initially to get local experience and rebuild momentum in the Turkish market. While it may feel like a step back, having recent, local experience often reduces hiring friction for employers and can open doors internally. I did this when I first moved to Canada.
On another note, make sure your CV and LinkedIn profile clearly translate your past achievements into measurable outcomes that are relevant to the industries active in Turkey, and highlight your PMP as evidence of structured, globally recognized capability rather than just a credential.
Staying visible is equally important during a long search. LinkedIn can be very effective if used proactively for sharing insights, engaging with project management content, and connecting with local professionals and recruiters. Volunteering with the local PMI chapter or participating in PMI events can help you expand your network, demonstrate local engagement, and sometimes lead directly to opportunities.
Repositioning across countries often comes down to combining patience with strategic visibility and being flexible on entry points while keeping long-term goals in sight.
Hope this helps - Good Luck!
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1 reply by Mahdi Soltani
Jan 06, 2026 4:22 AM
Mahdi Soltani
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Thank you, Rami. I really appreciate you sharing such practical advice and your personal experience. Your point about being flexible with entry roles to gain local experience makes a lot of sense, especially in a new market where trust and familiarity matter. Hearing that you took a similar approach when you moved to Canada gives me confidence that this can be a strategic step forward rather than a setback. I also agree strongly about positioning. I’m currently refining my CV and LinkedIn to focus more on measurable outcomes and aligning my experience with industries active here, while using the PMP as evidence of structured, globally recognized capability rather than just a title. Your insights on visibility and engaging with PMI and LinkedIn are very helpful, and I plan to be more intentional in that area moving forward. Thank you again for taking the time to share this. Best regards, Mahdi
Program Manager| HARPER SRLSanto Domingo / Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
Rebuilding in a new country is hard, and your experience + PMP are real strengths. In short:
Use PMP as credibility, but lead with measurable results relevant to the local market.
Focus on visibility, not just applications: engage on LinkedIn, connect locally, join PMI activities.
Be flexible on entry roles (coordinator/adjacent positions) to gain local experience and reduce hiring friction.
Reframe your background as cross-border and international delivery, not just “foreign.”
This is a market transition challenge, not a capability gap. Stay intentional and patient, momentum usually builds faster than it feels.
...
2 replies by Alaa Alnafori and Mahdi Soltani
Jan 06, 2026 4:23 AM
Mahdi Soltani
...
Thank you, Lissette. I really appreciate the clarity and perspective in your response. Your distinction between a market transition challenge and a capability gap resonates strongly. Reframing my background as cross-border and international rather than “foreign” is a valuable insight, and it’s something I’m actively working to reflect in how I present my experience. I also agree that staying visible and flexible while keeping long-term goals in mind is key during this phase. Your encouragement is very motivating. Thank you for sharing your perspective. Kind regards, Mahdi
Feb 24, 2026 1:37 PM
Alaa Alnafori
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I agree with you
Saving Changes...
Mahdi SoltaniPerformance Evaluation Associate| Power Distribution CompanyEskishehir, Türkiye
Jan 05, 2026 11:41 AM
Replying to Md. Golam Rob Talukdar
...
Welcome, Mahdi. Your resilience, experience, and PMP® truly show—glad to have you in the community. Wishing you clarity, momentum, and the right opportunity ahead.
Golam
Thank you very much, Golam. I truly appreciate the warm welcome and encouragement. It means a lot to be part of a community where resilience and shared experience are valued. I’m glad to be here and looking forward to learning from everyone. Best regards, Mahdi Saving Changes...
Mahdi SoltaniPerformance Evaluation Associate| Power Distribution CompanyEskishehir, Türkiye
Jan 05, 2026 2:46 PM
Replying to Rami Kaibni
...
Mahdi, you might want to consider aiming for a project coordinator or junior PM role initially to get local experience and rebuild momentum in the Turkish market. While it may feel like a step back, having recent, local experience often reduces hiring friction for employers and can open doors internally. I did this when I first moved to Canada.
On another note, make sure your CV and LinkedIn profile clearly translate your past achievements into measurable outcomes that are relevant to the industries active in Turkey, and highlight your PMP as evidence of structured, globally recognized capability rather than just a credential.
Staying visible is equally important during a long search. LinkedIn can be very effective if used proactively for sharing insights, engaging with project management content, and connecting with local professionals and recruiters. Volunteering with the local PMI chapter or participating in PMI events can help you expand your network, demonstrate local engagement, and sometimes lead directly to opportunities.
Repositioning across countries often comes down to combining patience with strategic visibility and being flexible on entry points while keeping long-term goals in sight.
Hope this helps - Good Luck!
Thank you, Rami. I really appreciate you sharing such practical advice and your personal experience. Your point about being flexible with entry roles to gain local experience makes a lot of sense, especially in a new market where trust and familiarity matter. Hearing that you took a similar approach when you moved to Canada gives me confidence that this can be a strategic step forward rather than a setback. I also agree strongly about positioning. I’m currently refining my CV and LinkedIn to focus more on measurable outcomes and aligning my experience with industries active here, while using the PMP as evidence of structured, globally recognized capability rather than just a title. Your insights on visibility and engaging with PMI and LinkedIn are very helpful, and I plan to be more intentional in that area moving forward. Thank you again for taking the time to share this. Best regards, Mahdi Saving Changes...
Mahdi SoltaniPerformance Evaluation Associate| Power Distribution CompanyEskishehir, Türkiye
Jan 05, 2026 6:52 PM
Replying to Lissette Indhira Pimentel Sosa
...
Rebuilding in a new country is hard, and your experience + PMP are real strengths. In short:
Use PMP as credibility, but lead with measurable results relevant to the local market.
Focus on visibility, not just applications: engage on LinkedIn, connect locally, join PMI activities.
Be flexible on entry roles (coordinator/adjacent positions) to gain local experience and reduce hiring friction.
Reframe your background as cross-border and international delivery, not just “foreign.”
This is a market transition challenge, not a capability gap. Stay intentional and patient, momentum usually builds faster than it feels.
Thank you, Lissette. I really appreciate the clarity and perspective in your response. Your distinction between a market transition challenge and a capability gap resonates strongly. Reframing my background as cross-border and international rather than “foreign” is a valuable insight, and it’s something I’m actively working to reflect in how I present my experience. I also agree that staying visible and flexible while keeping long-term goals in mind is key during this phase. Your encouragement is very motivating. Thank you for sharing your perspective. Kind regards, Mahdi Saving Changes...
Apart from the valuable advice already shared by experts above, I would like to share my thoughts.
To better leverage your PMP expertise, please use project management and PMP aligned terminology in your resume when applying for roles and emphasize on measureable outcomes, success stories and your leadership projects. You could also explore opportunities which do not have the titles like Project Manager or Project Coordinator, while they leverage project management and leadership skills.
I hope this helps. All the best! Saving Changes...
As someone who has worked across regions, I feel your situation, Mahdi. In tough markets, your PMP becomes even more valuable when you use it to show structured thinking, delivery discipline, and adaptability. Keep your visibility high through community discussions, case examples, and short thought pieces. Focus on skills that travel well like stakeholder engagement, planning, and value delivery. International roles often open for those who stay active, consistent, and connected. Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Mahdi, thank you for your openness. Rebuilding a career across borders is not just professional repositioning, it is personal reinvention. That takes courage.
On leveraging the PMP when local opportunities are limited: the credential itself is rarely the differentiator. What matters is how you translate it into business outcomes. Position yourself not as “a PMP,” but as someone who reduces risk, stabilizes operations, protects margins, and delivers under uncertainty. Quantify impact. In difficult markets, employers hire risk reducers.
On staying visible during a long search: treat visibility as active strategy. Share short, experience-based insights here to signal practitioner credibility. Consider short-term or pro bono engagements to maintain recent references. And explore remote or cross-border coordination roles, especially in reporting, governance, or operational support, where physical location is less critical.
On repositioning across countries: often the gap is perceived local fit, not competence. Study how similar roles are described in Turkey. Adapt your language and examples to match market expectations. This is not changing who you are, it is strategic translation.
Also consider adjacent entry points such as operations support, PMO roles, supply chain coordination, or risk analysis. Lateral entry can be faster than waiting for a perfect PM title.
Approach this as a project: define targets, test positioning, measure response, iterate. Your cross-cultural resilience is not a weakness, it is a differentiator.
Wishing you clarity and momentum in this transition. Saving Changes...
Program Manager| HARPER SRLSanto Domingo / Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
One additional suggestion: consider building a small “evidence portfolio”, short case summaries of 2–3 projects where you clearly outline the challenge, your role, the actions taken, and measurable results. This helps recruiters quickly see impact beyond geography. You’re not starting over, you’re repositioning. Keep treating this like a structured project with iterations and feedback. Momentum often builds quietly before it becomes visible. Wishing you steady progress. Saving Changes...
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