Reply to: advice on Project Management

[Lucifer Box]

You Cynical Lot

Interesting that this thread has two sets of replies in it. Ones containing useful and (hopefully) helpful advice, and others containing comments along the line of "I wouldn't bother asking that question here, you won't get any sensible comments".

I dunno, I guess CUK just isn't how it used to be. Maybe we're all going soft?

[WageSlave]

I agree with the majority of comments, although it is possible to develop a career as a contractor. I landed a PM role without ever having a permie job. So it is possible. Be sensible with the contracts you select (right client and right role). Try to specialise in a particular field. With your techie background the obvious choice would be development projects.

Certification is useless in reality but an increasing pre-requisite to many contracts. Very often clients expect a candidate to be a PRINCE Practitioner and PMI qualified. Of course, such certification is not an indication of ability. My current client has permie PRINCE Practitioners in abundance and each one is a useless feckwit.

It might be useful to join a consultancy (PA Consulting, Cap Gemini, Accenture, Atos...), get a couple of years working on project teams as an analyst/support and then be creative with your CV.

[Alf W]

You're going to find it very difficult to take the step up from Developer to Project Management with only a few academic letters after your name. You need real experience of dealing with awkward clients, techies who lie about progress and can't work together, coping with unreasonable pressure from young upstarts trying to "drive performance", negotiating office politics and all these sorts of things. The theory only teaches you how to operate in a world where everything goes how the Project Plan tells you it should go.

Remember the food chain goes Developer, Analyst Programmer, BA then Project Manager. You can't jump too many steps up that ladder.

The best thing to do is contact one of the bigger Agencies with an honest CV. They'll tell you straight where they think you could find work but don't expect any advice on 'developing your contracting career'.

The best PM Contractors are far too busy to **** about getting 'accredited' anyway.

[Mustang]

I agree with Lucifer, most of the ads I have seen require experience rather than qualifications - although Prince 2 is branded around a lot. The better PM's have "battle scars" from running a number of projects so it would pay you to start off as a permie running projects and then go freelance. You can always spot a new PM by their keenness to revert to theoretical approaches rather than practical ones!

As you can see by some of the comments, be prepared for some reactions - most people cant see the benefit of a project manager (or processes and methodologies) until the project is late/over budget/and of poor quality. That attitude is not just individuals but also organisations. However, persevere - it is an exciting profession!!

[Lucifer Box]

Newpm, you will find it very difficult to get a contract PM position, even a junior one, without some hard PM experience on your CV (certificates and training courses simply don't cut the mustard). To be honest, you will it a difficult jump to make even in permie land, as all of your 'hard' previous experience appears to be technical.

You need to make the jump gradually, and I would suggest securing a BA job or two first, possibly a project office job if you can. You need some analysis skills on your CV. If you can get a contract doing that, fine, but you may have to stay permie for that.

[threaded]

of course, which would be the best advice.

[BoredBloke]

"My advice is to completely ignore any advice you might receive here"

Does that include your advice to ignore all advice?

[DimPrawn]

My advice is to completely ignore any advice you might receive here.

[BoredBloke]

"The best you can hope for is some p1ss taking and a whinge about fast track visas."

Have FTV's been done on the new board yet?

[Bovvered]

Advice

Unfortunately newpm, you really have come to the wrong place for advice. Even though this is a contractors' bulletin board, and you are looking at getting into contract management, you will, in fact, find very little advice about contracting here.

The best you can hope for is some p1ss taking and a whinge about fast track visas.

[WageSlave]

Newpm,

It's not clear whether you are interested in contracting or consulting through a firm as a permie. Which option you prefer determines your best course of action.

As a permie consultant, you don't need experience. Although the market is flooded with MBA graduates, apply to the more operational consultancy firms and take it from there. Your Prince certification will help. Remember: consultancies want an easy product to sell, so define yourself in very easy ways. For example, PRINCE PM specialising in software development. Anything spilling over neat edges just confuses them.

As a contractor, you really need experience. I suggest you get yourself a role as project support or Business Analyst, gain a few years worth of experience on your CV and then apply for project manager roles.

HTH

PS. As a general rule, most posters on this site hate project managers. For sensible advice on the topic Malvolio is a safe pair of hands.

[shaunbhoy]

Don't mention any technical skills you might have. Most Project Managers don't have any and will blackball you if they think you do. Just pretend to be a technically inept gobtulipe that is up to speed with attending meetings and conference calls and you'll be fine.

[milanbenes]

cripes you want to be a PM !

are you wanting the fast track route to a nervous breakdown ?

forget the MBA and learn .Net !

Milan.

[newpm]

Hi,

Thanks for your response. I do know the role of Project Manager. any advice about gaining first time contract would be appreciated though.

Thanks

[SupremeSpod]

Hi,

Can you please advice on how to go about getting into contracting as a Project Manager.

I have about 7 years experience in Java (J2EE) and server side development. I'm currently doing part-time executive MBA in one of the top business school in the country but would like to leave my current technical role and move into PM.

I will finish my course next year and would be looking to get into management consulting.

The plan now is to pass prince2 foundation exam next month and to start applying for PM role.

Any advice on the following would be much appreciated;

1. Skills to promote in my CV (Technical or Managerial)

2. Preference for agency

3. Rate for new PM with limited experience (although current responsibility include managing projects)

4. Any other things to take into consideration

Thanks

Do you know what the role of a project manager is?

Nice to see your lack of initiative, you should go far!