Moving to PM from Test Management

[Belle]

Want some advice....has anyone moved from Test Management to Project Management as a contractor? I have 10 years TM experience but want to move to Project Management. What's the likelihood as a contractor even if I do some courses? If you've done it, I would appreciate some tips. Cheers.

[zara_backdog]

Very unlikely I'm afraid unless you have some actually experience on your CV - there are loads of experienced PM's sitting on the bench at the moment.

Most Junior positions seem to ask for BA experience, if you are in a gig at the moment is there anyway you could pick up some of the PM's stuff?

[HeadOfTesting]

Test Management is a specialisation of Project Management and if you analyse your experience I can almost guarantee you'll find it all there:

- stakeholder management
- risk management
- negotiation
- scheduling
- requirements management

etc...

A career coach may be able to help you go through this analysis but I doubt you would need such help.

But as the 2nd post on this thread indicates you will find that each discipline has its own dole queue and most people don't identify test management as a specialisation of project management.

I think it would be a case of re-factoring your CV, doing stuff like PRINCE2 to hit more keyword searches and using your network to put the message out that you're looking to switch. The last point is important as any opportunity is much more likely to come from a contact rather than an agent who is not thinking beyond your previous job titles.

I wish you luck, it won't be easy.

HeadOfTesting

[pzz76077]

Want some advice....has anyone moved from Test Management to Project Management as a contractor? I have 10 years TM experience but want to move to Project Management. What's the likelihood as a contractor even if I do some courses? If you've done it, I would appreciate some tips. Cheers.

Agents will select you based on what their word search finds in the CV you have submitted, so if you think you have relevant PM experience, make sure you CV reflects this.
Once you get past this gateway, then you need to prove that you can walk the walk with the client co so make sure you are on top of TOGAF, Zachman, Prince etc and can answer the interview questions.

Its as simple as that!

PZZ

[jgohilfb]

I think the move from test management to project management can be managed if you highlight in your CV the necessary PM skills you have, type of projects you have undertaken. You already have good 10 years+ of experience which is great.

I'd also recommend you undertake a Prince2 course as this is what majority of the recruiters are looking for when scanning CVs. Having completed the Foundation and Practitioner certs will open the door for an interviews.

The Arras People recently did a study on the current project management market which can be helpful to give you an idea - http://www.arraspeople.co.uk/project...PMBR_Short.pdf


Hope this helps.

[Numpty]

... want to move to Project Management. What's the likelihood as a contractor even if I do some courses? If you've done it, I would appreciate some tips.

You know the 'bench' that keeps being talked about on here? The one the out-of-work contractors sit on?

Well, us project managers are sitting in the North End stand. The seats are comfier and you can get a better tan. There's even a couple of rows of seats still empty, so you're welcome to join us, if you like.

[SameOldStory]

I know quite a few people who have done this, most of them were reasonably good test managers and absolutely awful project managers.

I think they got the gigs because they were cheaper than the available project managers.

YMMV.