brihoppy

hey all...

following on from a few comments on another thread, i was wondering if anyone can give me an insight into being a project manager...?

is it really a viable, credible job, or just another fancy title; is it a competitive area; what are the basics, etc...

thanks for any input, bri...

Gutmann pug

Yes mate i'm a project manager for a large manufacturing company.

Its a great job, no two days are the same. I would suggest going at it a fresh you need some kind of qualification such as Prince 2. You will also need a good knowledge of a microsoft projects system.

Most of all you need good man management skills, again with proof, good sense of humour, good report writing skills and a large portion of common sense.......

Gary

scoobyjimbo

I moved from IT project management to IT management (about 5 years ago)and am glad I did. Dont get me wrong i enjoyed the variety of the job and the role but the overwhelming pressure can be most of the time imense. Look at the job sites you see loads of project managers roles advertised and they usually have decent salaries. This is usually becuase there are a highish turnover of project managers which keeps the job market fairly active. If you can handle the pressure and like man manageent and you are well organised then go for it. But as already mentioned you will probbaly need prince 2 acrediditation to get the good salaries, also knowing about ITIL (if you want to be an IT project manager) would be good.

Good luck

J

brihoppy

yeah ive got the skills and qualities you describe but unfortunately i dont get to use them much in my current job...

i looked at a training company that does the prince2 course...each course only looks like its a few days long...is that right...?

SWRTWannabe

I've not done it myself, but some colleagues have Prince 2 certification. There are two exams - one multi choice and one essay based. Feedback from project managers at work is that it is worth having some project management experience before doing the Prince2 course, rather than attacking it afresh. Of course, that does assume you can get the experience first...

wacky.banana

I would think carefully before you leap into project management. The pressure can be immense, yours can end up being the back that all the arrows in the world get fired at and it can be very, very lonely.

When things are going well, primarily because you have been working your bollocks off, everyone wants a piece of the action to claim as their own. When things aren't going too well and you need, say, some political muscle or help to drive things through then, guess what, those same arseholes go seriously awol!

The most difficult thing to pull off successfully, IMO, is managing virtual teams, especially when key individuals have dotted reporting lines into you and you are not necessarily their key priority. This happens most often with IT partners who can be very difficult to manage and can sell your *** down the line without a hint of concern for your future.

Bitter? Not me. Just sharing my very very hard earned experience.

Oh, btw, been doing this for over 10 years now. Don't know how I have lasted the test of time.

mart360

agreed,

from the Pm,s ive worked with, some support, and actually project manage, listening to what they are told, and working within the remit.

Others dont give a stuff, have the end goal only in mind, and as long as that is reached, they ignore much else. or dont do anything but push all the problems they make out to other members of the team, and then expect them to solve the issues.

anyone can pm if theyve got a good team, if theyve got a bad team then you really find out how good a pm is

mart

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Brihoppy,

also take into account that contract project managers can easily earn £500 plus a day full time - BECAUSE you are expendable - whoever your contract with can turf you out tomorrow. Then you have to go and find some work and may be away from home 5 days a week all year.

The earnings can be much higher than clearly some people realise - however there are some downsides. If the market collapses you could be out of work for a while...

...and then you can go to Dubai and get three times the money and ten times the bonuses

Rannoch

brihoppy

its just a thought, and in all honesty its not about the money...

ive been struggling for a few years now to identify an area id like to get into when i leave the forces (or even sooner) that utilises the personal qualities i have...

project management is only something ive come across recently, and it kind of appeals to me...as would anything in that general sphere i guess...

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Perhaps try in Muppets ?

Nikko2

Brihoppy, I work for one of the big IT companies. We have lots of ex forces people working here.

Infact most of the best people I have worked with in the PM area are ex forces.

We have recruited lots of PM's this year and are continuing to do so.

At the moment i think the market rate for a FT experienced PM is looking at £45k experienced senior PM's £65k+ there is usually a 20-30% bonus floating around as well.

With all the big contracts around at the moment more work exists than people to do it.

As others have said you do tend to get sent all over the place to work. But if you are ex forces this will be nothing new.
This tends to keep things interesting as well. i get itchy feet in the same place after a while.

brihoppy

whats the best way of making some in-roads...?