A lot of fresh graduates and early professionals want a project manager title but are not sure how to get it when their experience is in a completely different area. In this Lounge Access conversation, Shoaib speaks with someone from a digital marketing and design background who wants to jump straight into a project manager role and is frustrated by job descriptions that ask for experience they do not yet have.
Shoaib begins by clearing up where the project manager role usually sits in the hierarchy. He explains that project manager is rarely an entry level job, since you are expected to lead people, understand project language and handle responsibilities that are hard to manage straight out of college. Instead, companies tend to offer roles like project coordinator, project analyst or junior project manager to those who are new to the domain, and then grow them into full project management positions over time.
To be considered even for those entry level project roles, Shoaib points out that you must show some evidence that you understand project management concepts and terminology. If a team member writes that an activity is on the critical path and needs escalation, you should at least know what that means. This is where structured learning and certifications come in. Shoaib suggests looking at the CAPM certification, especially for those who do not yet have three years of project management experience for PMP, and using its syllabus to get familiar with basic concepts.
The idea is not to collect certificates for the sake of it, but to learn enough to speak the common project management language during interviews and in day to day work. By combining a starting certification like CAPM with targeted applications to roles such as project coordinator, project analyst or junior project manager, you can realistically move into the project management track even if your current work has been in a different field like digital marketing. Lounge Access gives you the chance to discuss your own profile, goals and doubts directly with Shoaib so you can create a step by step entry plan into project management instead of guessing your way through.