Are there Project Managers that are not accidental?
Anonymous
I am a true accidental project manager. I was a software engineer for many years until my leadership skills were recognized, my project manager was promoted and I was given the opportunity to become a project manager and took it. No training, no advice, just baptism by fire. Are there more formal paths to project management in the IT world? What are they? What are the paths upward after project management? Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Dear Anonymous, you raise an excellent question. Perhaps one could also ask if there are people managers that are not accidental as well. There are formal training programs and certifications for project management of all kinds such as PMI, Six Sigma, and many others. With respect to paths upward after project management, you might take a moment to study the organization structure of the IT Department at a few companies of varying industries and sizes. Seeing who reports to whom can be very insightful for both understanding career path options as well as professional development requirements. Good luck! -- Mark Perry, VP of Customer Care, BOT International Saving Changes...
