Hello all,
I recently joined this forum to try get some guidance on what I should do to forward my career and become a project manager.
The problem I have is that I'm a developer (PHP, MySQL, etc.) and I'm wanting to become a project manager. Now the problem that I face is that my current work place there are vacancies for me to branch out and start doing pm work to gain experience.
I still need to do something like PRINCE2 qualification to help me progress but I'm still working out how to get good experience if my current workplace there are no possibilities that will allow me to put valuable experience on my CV.
I know one way would be to find another job where there would be the possibility to get pm experience but I would rather not jump ship just yet as I would like to get the relevant experience that I have just mentioned.
Hope people can point me in the right direction.
Wanting to become a PM from a developer role
I'm guessing you meant to say "... there are NO vacancies for me to branch out and start doing pm work to gain experience."
Well you are in a tough pickle for sure. In fact, I don't really see any way in your current job will lead to you becoming a PM. PM is a position not unlike management jobs in the sense that companies typically will not risk hiring from the outside, somebody with no experience. Hence one of the typical way to become a PM (if your not already) is to prove yourself within your current company and hope they will promote you or change your title to one. That was how I did it. The other is to go back to school, get some training on Project Management and try to land a job as a Project Coordinator where you will assist a PM and then eventually work your way up.
I would suggest if your truly serious about wanting to become a PM then your going to have to take the risk of leaving this company and either find another company that is willing to allow your to expand your role and give you the opportunity to learn to become a PM or look for a Project Coordinator role somewhere
Well you are in a tough pickle for sure. In fact, I don't really see any way in your current job will lead to you becoming a PM. PM is a position not unlike management jobs in the sense that companies typically will not risk hiring from the outside, somebody with no experience. Hence one of the typical way to become a PM (if your not already) is to prove yourself within your current company and hope they will promote you or change your title to one. That was how I did it. The other is to go back to school, get some training on Project Management and try to land a job as a Project Coordinator where you will assist a PM and then eventually work your way up.
I would suggest if your truly serious about wanting to become a PM then your going to have to take the risk of leaving this company and either find another company that is willing to allow your to expand your role and give you the opportunity to learn to become a PM or look for a Project Coordinator role somewhere
"When you fail to plan, you plan to fail" - Benjamin Franklin