15 Ways to Get a Gig as Project Manager

Mike Clayton recently answered a question that he often receives from his audience: “How do I get into project managing?”
I enjoyed Mike’s words so I decided to riff on them.
seize opportunities ? Any opportunity. You should take every opportunity to be involved in a project, and then look for more responsibility.
Absolutely Mike. Absolutely Mike.
Definitely.? Both professionally and personally, a lessons learned file is essential.
Keep a list of useful information you have learned. Tips, tricks, tools, insights? Keep it with you
This is probably a good idea for many people. I don’t like to carry around notebooks. Blogging is for me a key way to retain important information and think carefully about it. This, as well as responding to forum questions and posing mine.
Do you need training? Not just project management, but any business, communication, or personal skill. Keep track of what you learn in your notebook.
Training is vital and often overlooked by organizations. Shim wrote an article on the Importance of Coaching and Training to Organizational Growth, which I commented on. Too bad that most companies don’t see the importance of training like the military.
I can produce training for project managers if anyone is interested.
Get qualifications. You won’t be a great PM if you don’t take the time to study and pass exams. But they will help you think more clearly and give you a badge people will recognize.
True.? True.
You must approach these certifications with the right mindset. Yesterday, someone emailed me asking if they could afford thousands of dollars for a training course in CAPM. NO!? Boot camps are a waste of time. They only teach you how to remember and pass a test. If you are okay with that, then you are doing it wrong.
Read insatiably. Project Management magazines like the APM’s Project or Project Manager Today are particularly useful. However, blogs and websites offer a wealth of information, comment, ideas, and formal learning.
Absolutely.? Connect people. You can make people more valuable by connecting them.
Mike, that is a critical point. Leadership is about facilitation and bridging gaps between people to establish and maintain good communications. This doesn’t mean that you are the most important member of the system. You should be the one who makes it run smoothly.
Do not be a prima donna. Do not be a prima donna if you have a simple task. Instead, take on the challenge with the joy of a major challenge and accomplish it well. You will be known as someone who is able to do anything to get things done.
If you are looking for a mentor within your organization, find a project manager to ask if they can give you the simple tasks. Although they may seem simple and boring to them, you can gain valuable experience and insight from taking over these tasks. This will help you improve your people skills and increase your knowledge.
This is great advice. I’ve found that this is the one thing social media is really good for. You can leave comments on blogs and interact with people on LinkedIn. There are many other resources out there.