first step into Project Management

[zeitghost]

Nobody in their right mind would want to remember the 70s.... the decade that everything forgot.

[WageSlave]

I truly find it hard to believe that it can be that difficult to land a project co-ordinator role, and from your pen portrait, it sounds as if you are more than qualified for such a position. I’ve seen co-ordinators with only one previous position to their name (and its connection to formal project management is tenuous). Obviously there are far more demanding clients, but these can be avoided for a while. Can you update an R&I log? Do you know how to use MS Project? Are you capable of sending out an e-mail requesting something? Can you understand a progress report? If so you should be fine.

Personally, I would advise you to obtain PRINCE certification. The certification is in itself completely useless and will not make anyone a good project manager. However, in my experience, clients are increasingly requesting this (along with PMI). Perhaps my experience differs from other accounts on this thread because I mainly work in the public sector (unfortunately). In government, hiring a contractor is largely about ticking certain boxes so that when HMT/Audit/OGC come sniffing because it’s all going wrong, the civil servant can say, “hey, not my fault, I hired an expert using OGC guidelines”. Get PRINCE and it’s simply one less reason for clients/agents to ding you.

Btw, the 80s - great time for a childhood

[Xenophon]

Best way forward is to get out there on more projects as an analyst and just keep mopping up extra responsibilities on the way.

This is good advice. Its what I did and I have been running projects as a PM for 6 years now.

[~Craig~]

Ok varying advice but all good none the less! thanks

[Xenophon]

My experience regarding PM qualifications is much as WageSlave describes. They frankly are fairly pointless most of the time when it comes to performing a role, but recruiters do look for them. I have a number of PM qualifications, but have they ever been discussed when interviewed by a client? Nope. They want to know (quite rightly) what I have delivered, what sorts of projects I have managed and so on.

However, as WageSlave says "Get PRINCE and it’s simply one less reason for clients/agents to ding you." So its a useful thing to have to get past the agency sifting stage, but in my experience doesn't play a hugely siginificant part when managing a project.

I would expect you to be able to pick up a Project Co-ordinator role without any formal PM qualifications - some relevant experience ought to stand you in good stead.