Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice from experienced project professionals who have gone through the process of entering project management early in their careers; I graduated from the University of Johannesburg two years ago with a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics, and after graduating I decided that I wanted to transition into project management, so I have been intentionally trying to build a foundation in the field by completing the Google Project Management Certificate, earning my Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) through PMI, volunteering with PMI, and supporting a student enterprise through the African Leadership Academy in a mentoring and advisory capacity, where I gained exposure to coordination, stakeholder communication, teamwork, goal setting, follow-ups and supporting project activities, but despite all of this I am still struggling to secure my first formal role in project management, particularly positions such as Project Coordinator, Project Administrator, PMO support or other entry-level project roles; the biggest challenge I keep encountering, especially in South Africa, is that even many entry-level opportunities ask for one to two or more years of previous project coordination or administration experience, and I feel like I am caught in a cycle where I need experience to get the job, but I need the job to gain the experience; I am continuing to apply and develop myself, but I am starting to wonder whether there is something I am missing in the way I am approaching my career transition or presenting my experience, so I would really appreciate practical advice from experienced PMI members on what I could be doing differently, whether there are particular types of roles, industries, skills, networking strategies or approaches I should be focusing on, and how I can make my existing volunteer and project-related experience more competitive when applying for that first opportunity; I am very willing to learn and put in the work, but I would really appreciate guidance from people who have successfully made this transition or who have experience hiring and developing early-career project professionals.
