Question:
How to get an entry level Project Manager job ?
Nikolette
2013-08-19 12:54:08 UTC
How can I break into a job as a Project Manager? I am PM certified and currently going to school for medical Billing and coding. I have a BS in business. My career counselor says I need a masters but that doesn't seem right. No job descriptions require one. Do you guys know what/were I can start? Or are you PM's and can share how you or a friend started?

Thanks.
Seven answers:
TruthMastaT
2013-08-22 07:36:53 UTC
Several points:



1. Stop the Medical Billing and Coding school! One of my best friends is a medical biller (very experienced) and she's barely making any money! The market is completely oversaturated. Get out now!! Don't waste another minute!



2. Project Management is a fantastic career (I am a PM). There is tons of flexibility and demand. There will ALWAYS be projects no matter what.



3. You do not need a Masters to be a Project Manager (I have only a BBA).



4. I started in Project Management by joining a major consulting firm. I started out as a lower-level analyst doing project work for a Project Manager. As I gained more knowledge and experience, I took on more and more responsibility until I was eventually given my own projects to manage. That is pretty much how it always works. Nobody is going to let you manage a project if you've never even been on a project before (regardless of your PM certification). Further, you shouldn't want to manage a project until you've had some real-world experience working for an actual Project Manager. You will learn far more from a good (and sometimes bad) Project Manager than you would from a book on Project Management (or a certification).



5. If/When you're looking for a job, look at these type roles:



o Junior Project Manager - They won't expect you to be an experienced ace at Project Management and you'll probably be working for (and learning from) a more senior PM.



o Project Coordinator - You'll be assisting the Project Manager and/or the other folks on the project team which will give you a great opportunity to observe how projects operate, etc.



o Business Analyst - This is typically the "entry-level" for project work. The BAs come in a learn what's going on with the business that the project is there to change. They listen, understand and document their findings. You may want to read up on BA work (and the overall System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)) to understand the forms and phases involved in an IT project (most projects are IT-related by the way). As a BA, you'll be able to learn a lot by observing the project in general and the PM in particular. It's also good to start at "the bottom" so you'll know what a BA is supposed to do so that you can manage them more effectively when you're a Project Manager one day. Some BA positions are looking for heavy knowledge and experience in a particular industry. Other BA positions are just looking for someone smart and organized who can perform a set of tasks that the project requires.



6. I recommend that you pick a specialization of some sort. You don't have to do this right away but have that in mind as your Project Management career progresses. For example, you may want to specialize in systems/IT projects. You may want to specialize in business process improvement projects. Or training projects. You may want to specialize in a particular industry such as banking, health insurance, manufacturing, etc. The more senior you become, the more you'll be expected to know. You could always be a general PM who does any kind of project in any industry. But you want to guard against becoming what some of us PMs call a "Clipboard Charlie." A "Clipboard Charlie" is a PM that is simply checking the boxes on the PMBOK (or whatever PM methodology they're supposed to be using) but they have no valuable input or contribution into the success and direction of the project. The Clipboard Charlies can be considered PMs but they just deal with forms and paperwork rather than digging deep into the solutions that the that project is implementing. Again, the more knowledge you gain of a particular industry or area of practice, the more valuable you become. Anybody can get certified as a PMP and anyone can be a Clipboard Charlie. Distinguish yourself (eventually)!



Please contact me if you have further questions. I really enjoy discussing this stuff.



Good luck!
?
2016-10-02 09:51:45 UTC
Entry Level Project Manager Salary
2016-12-25 21:19:41 UTC
1
?
2016-07-23 03:48:46 UTC
2
Libbie
2013-08-23 00:57:28 UTC
Hi ,



I would also say ring up a couple of recruitment agencies who specialise in Project Management and ask them what you need. They know far more about the market than a career counselor who, are quite frankly, not in the real world. It will also be good to make contact with them as they may be able to get your foot in the door in terms of a job. There's a link to a UK recruitment agent below, but I've never used them so I don't know what they're like.



In the UK if you want to be taken seriously as a Project Manager you need a Prince 2 qualification (I think it's a week very intensive course). It's probably be worth looking into if you're in the UK.



Hope this helps. Good luck
Caren
2013-08-19 12:56:42 UTC
i know a project manager that has an engineering degree. medical coding degree is not going to get you anywhere.

a degree in business and you are taking medical coding? a min wage job?
?
2016-07-09 23:11:40 UTC
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