What are the ways to transform your career from IT to exclusively Project Management? Having in IT field for several years at different roles including technical lead/manager, but how to get your self into a PM role? What factors contribute to it and how to do the search? Thanks.
Many Project Management job postings desire a technical background. There is a lot of healthy debate on this site and others regarding technical background, tech PM and generalist PM. What I would recommend is this:
* Find a posting for a PM that requires your exact technical background. This will give you an advantage.
* Position how any soft skill strengths you have (leadership, communication, organization, etc) can translate to a PM role.
* If you're serious about this, enroll in a project management course.
I don't think you'd have to start as a coordinator if you get some education and make sure that first PM role is one that desires your exact background.
Now a word of advise...Once you land this new role, challenge yourself to focus on the PM side of the role, and allow the technical staff to step up to the challenge of fulfilling the technical side. I've noticed a tendency for techncial PMs to jump into the technical details, sometimes at the risk of missing big picture for the project. Also it will be more rewarding for the technical resources if you allow them to do their role, and you just provide overall tech guidance while focusing on project delivery and leadership.
Best of luck!
Michelle
Hi Michelle
I was looking too for project management positions that require technical background and I was unable to find many. In fact I have only found one that matches to some extent my technical background. For the overwhelming majority of jobs previous experience as a project manager is mandatory, unless we are talking about a junior project manager position.
Now regarding whether or not the project manager should get involved in the technical details of the project this depends. If the project manager is actually a technical lead responsible for project management too then he must get involved in the technical aspects as he is supposed to provide technical leadership to the team.
On the other hand if the technical lead works with a project manager that has the same technical background as he does then yes some conflicts may arise on technical matters. However in this scenario the project manager has no formal authority over the team members so they can just ignore his suggestions on technical issues.
The advantage of having a project manager with technical background, even if he is not responsible for providing technical leadership, is that he will be able to better understand what's going on in the project and he will be in a much better position to communicate with the stakeholders on project related issues.
...
1 reply by Michelle Daigle
Mar 24, 2016 10:30 PM
Michelle Daigle
...
Hi Adrian,
By way of clarification, I do believe that a PM with a specific technical background has been hired in part because they bring that to the table. My advice was more to not get lost in the weeds but to keep sight of the PM big picture and always be aware of the line, where they risk doing other people's role, or doing what comes naturally, which is their tech background. I've seen this at play.
I guess that's the spirit in which I meant the word of caution.
I was looking too for project management positions that require technical background and I was unable to find many. In fact I have only found one that matches to some extent my technical background. For the overwhelming majority of jobs previous experience as a project manager is mandatory, unless we are talking about a junior project manager position.
Now regarding whether or not the project manager should get involved in the technical details of the project this depends. If the project manager is actually a technical lead responsible for project management too then he must get involved in the technical aspects as he is supposed to provide technical leadership to the team.
On the other hand if the technical lead works with a project manager that has the same technical background as he does then yes some conflicts may arise on technical matters. However in this scenario the project manager has no formal authority over the team members so they can just ignore his suggestions on technical issues.
The advantage of having a project manager with technical background, even if he is not responsible for providing technical leadership, is that he will be able to better understand what's going on in the project and he will be in a much better position to communicate with the stakeholders on project related issues.
Hi Adrian,
By way of clarification, I do believe that a PM with a specific technical background has been hired in part because they bring that to the table. My advice was more to not get lost in the weeds but to keep sight of the PM big picture and always be aware of the line, where they risk doing other people's role, or doing what comes naturally, which is their tech background. I've seen this at play.
I guess that's the spirit in which I meant the word of caution.
Michelle
...
1 reply by Adrian Carlogea
Mar 25, 2016 9:12 PM
Adrian Carlogea
...
Thank you very much Michelle. So your concerns are more on the fact that the project manager with technical background may neglect his pure project management responsibilities because he may get too attracted by the technical aspects of the project. Probably this is one of the reasons that many companies don't value technical background too much for their project management openings.
It's like project management to a large extent ,in the IT world at least, has become a profession on its own and has little to do with technical aspects. I am currently working on a contract in Australia and I know someone that has a bachelor's degree in project management. This means that here someone who had graduated from high school can study project management in college and after graduation can start working in an entry level project management position with no need for work experience in other domain.
Nonetheless I think there is also a downside of this approach. I know that many people who may read this will not agree with me but the fact is that if you are not able to do the work of a group of people you simply can't lead that group.
I know that many project managers value their leadership skills and leadership is also mentioned in many job ads but for the project team members the overwhelming majority of decisions that count are technical in nature. A project manager that is not deeply involved in the technical aspects of the project will not be part of the decisions for which the team members actually care and so he will not be perceived as a leader no matter what degree of formal authority he has.
1) Get yourself assigned as PM to a small project
2) Work on the project management team for a medium or large project
3) Do project management work (e.g. event management) for volunteer organizations.
All the best. Saving Changes...
Tariq JavedProgram Manager| Government of PakistanIslamabad, Federal Capital, Pakistan
Dheeraj remember Project management is a melange of art of leadership , motivation , team building and science related to time , cost and quality management. So need to be conversant with the process groups and ten knowledge areas to be a proficient project manager and it generally comes with practice and application. Saving Changes...
By way of clarification, I do believe that a PM with a specific technical background has been hired in part because they bring that to the table. My advice was more to not get lost in the weeds but to keep sight of the PM big picture and always be aware of the line, where they risk doing other people's role, or doing what comes naturally, which is their tech background. I've seen this at play.
I guess that's the spirit in which I meant the word of caution.
Michelle
Thank you very much Michelle. So your concerns are more on the fact that the project manager with technical background may neglect his pure project management responsibilities because he may get too attracted by the technical aspects of the project. Probably this is one of the reasons that many companies don't value technical background too much for their project management openings.
It's like project management to a large extent ,in the IT world at least, has become a profession on its own and has little to do with technical aspects. I am currently working on a contract in Australia and I know someone that has a bachelor's degree in project management. This means that here someone who had graduated from high school can study project management in college and after graduation can start working in an entry level project management position with no need for work experience in other domain.
Nonetheless I think there is also a downside of this approach. I know that many people who may read this will not agree with me but the fact is that if you are not able to do the work of a group of people you simply can't lead that group.
I know that many project managers value their leadership skills and leadership is also mentioned in many job ads but for the project team members the overwhelming majority of decisions that count are technical in nature. A project manager that is not deeply involved in the technical aspects of the project will not be part of the decisions for which the team members actually care and so he will not be perceived as a leader no matter what degree of formal authority he has.
...
1 reply by anonymous
Mar 26, 2016 10:11 AM
anonymous
...
Thank you so much Adrian and Michelle for valuable insights.
Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Mar 25, 2016 9:12 PM
Replying to Adrian Carlogea
...
Thank you very much Michelle. So your concerns are more on the fact that the project manager with technical background may neglect his pure project management responsibilities because he may get too attracted by the technical aspects of the project. Probably this is one of the reasons that many companies don't value technical background too much for their project management openings.
It's like project management to a large extent ,in the IT world at least, has become a profession on its own and has little to do with technical aspects. I am currently working on a contract in Australia and I know someone that has a bachelor's degree in project management. This means that here someone who had graduated from high school can study project management in college and after graduation can start working in an entry level project management position with no need for work experience in other domain.
Nonetheless I think there is also a downside of this approach. I know that many people who may read this will not agree with me but the fact is that if you are not able to do the work of a group of people you simply can't lead that group.
I know that many project managers value their leadership skills and leadership is also mentioned in many job ads but for the project team members the overwhelming majority of decisions that count are technical in nature. A project manager that is not deeply involved in the technical aspects of the project will not be part of the decisions for which the team members actually care and so he will not be perceived as a leader no matter what degree of formal authority he has.
Thank you so much Adrian and Michelle for valuable insights.
