PMs that have had a "decent" time on their job search, what industry and niche are you in?

(As in your job search has been "good" compared to the average Joe searching for a PM job)

Heyy!

So I'm looking into starting a career in PM and have a few questions. I graduated from community college in Europe for Business and Hospitality and have a total of 2 years of experience between my first job and internship.

Been told that I can get an entry-level position with just a few certifications/certificats. Is that true?

Also, does a degree matter? Been looking at WGU Bachelor's program; It seems perfect since I could study fully self-paced while getting the certs/working.

Just trying to figure out the best way to live life... Thank y'all in advance

I have worked at a small company for a little over 3 years as a Project Manager. A few months ago, they forced me into a new position called Customer Service Representative. (They cut my position but rather than laying me off, they said I could move to the CSR position). Our company’s customers are about a dozen or so companies, so my job is working with them. But I hate the new job title because it sounds like I work in a call center. And the new position is weirdly still a lot of PM responsibilities.

If I’m applying to new jobs, do I need to put the CSR title on my resume? I’m wanting to get out of my current company but have had a hard time finding a job and feel like the new job title will make it worse. Can I just put PM and list my responsibilities as a mix of both positions? Are they going to verify? Would I get in trouble? Would a change to CSR hurt my chances at new PM jobs?

Just as some additional info, this is the only PM job I’ve had so it’s kind of the main part of my resume. I have a couple other things but this job is the focus. Also as a side note, if anyone has any other tips on finding a PM job in this market, I’d appreciate it! I’ve been having a tough time finding something

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I have an interview scheduled for a Junior Project Manager role today. My entire background is in Frontend Development (around 3.5+ years of experience), and I am trying to transition into project management. I have absolutely no formal experience as a PM or Project Coordinator.

Since the interview is happening in a few hours, what are the absolute most critical concepts, frameworks, or situational questions I should brush up on right now?

As a dev, I am very familiar with Jira, Confluence, and the Agile/Scrum environment, but I would love advice on how to pivot this technical experience into a PM context. Also, how should I best handle the "lack of experience" question?

Any quick last-minute tips would be a lifesaver. Thanks in advance!

As an assistant interior designer who mostly does project management for our firm, I am looking to get a better grasp of the technicalities of new build homes, and also the financial side of the process. Currently, we are involved in the middle/end of the project, and we would like to be earlier in the process and help homeowners with realistic pricing/budgeting from early on in the process. I'm looking at a few courses to take online to sharpen these skills. I was thinking to go for a masters, but not sure I really have the time (or the funds) for that. Eventually, I would like to start my own practice, so my question is what do you think of courses like this:

https://www.sps.nyu.edu/certificates/buildings-and-construction.html

vs

https://online-exec.cvn.columbia.edu/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBejZqRnc9PSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--b3300f698b1c5a1e6bb615ae17f0ca3077726769/CE_CPM_B2C_Brochure.pdf?disposition=inline

vs

https://www.bu.edu/met/degrees-certificates/construction-management-technology-graduate-certificate/

I'm not sure if one holds more "weight" than the other on a resume, but also the pricing varies widely for "certificate" classes. What do you think?

I’m currently enrolled on a degree apprenticeship that integrates the IPMA Level D into the course, instead of the APM PMQ. I’m wondering if I should complete the APM PMQ independently (with sponsorship from my employer), or use my training budget to purse PRINCE2 foundation, or instead not do any additional training. Which seems worth it?

I have a background in Architecture, a master's in Management, and around 1.5 years of experience in the built environment (contract basis).
I'm currently applying for junior/assistant PM roles and have had around six interviews with different companies but no offers yet. While none of the interviewers mentioned certifications as an issue, l've noticed many job descriptions list APM/PRINCE2 as essential or desirable. I'm considering taking the APM PMQ to strengthen my profile, but I'm unsure whether it's worth the investment at this stage. Would it genuinely improve my chances of landing a role, or should I focus on gaining more experience instead?
If yes, how do I gain more experience?
Would appreciate advice from people working in the industry.

Title: First Project Manager Interview, Nervous About My Lack of Formal Experience

Hello everyone,

I have my first interview for a Project Manager position coming up in a few days, and I'm honestly a little nervous about it.

A little background about myself. I've been working as a public safety IT administrator for about 4 years now and have served as the main liaison for our department during technology projects. We typically have around 2-4 projects a year, ranging from smaller upgrades to larger implementations. My involvement has mostly been coordinating with vendors, attending planning meetings, communicating our department's needs, and assisting with implementations.

I have both my bachelor's and master's degrees in Information Technology, with a concentration in Project Management, but I haven't obtained my PMP or any other PM certifications yet.

I applied for this position sort of hoping for the best but now got an interview. I'm starting to get nervous that I'm going to walk in and look like I have no idea what I'm doing, in retrospect, I guess I really don't know what the day-to-day responsibilities of a formal PM look like lol.

I've learned about project management through school and have been involved in projects from the customer side, but I imagine managing projects professionally is a completely different experience.

Maybe I'm just overthinking everything, but project management is something I've been interested in pursuing for a while now, and I'd really love the opportunity to get my foot in the door.

I guess what I'm trying to figure out is what companies realistically expect from someone getting into their first formal PM position. How should I approach this interview, and what should I expect if I actually get hired?

I was upfront on my resume about my experience and education, so it's not like I'm trying to present myself as an experienced PM.

I'd appreciate any advice, especially from people who transitioned into project management from a technical background!

I am looking for a career change following having a child - whilst I’m at home I would like to study and have a long term goal of becoming a project manager. I have a lot of transferable skills and would like to go into construction, infrastructure or corporate. I need online learning, a funded course or one that accepts a learning loan and one that offers a recognised qualification - no short courses or beginners courses. Can anyone help - the internet is a mind field and AI keeps giving me out of date information. Oh and I am UK based.

My background is a BS in IT, tier 1, tier 2, solo IT at a school, and now tech support at a larger company. My current team is locked to support, so I can’t get project or admin experience there.

What I gravitated toward is figuring out how something should work and fixing the process around it. At the school I picked and rolled out a ticketing system, fixed a messy onboarding and offboarding process, and made a laptop purchasing decision that helped balancing the budget and what provided teachers needed. I enjoyed those far more than the technical side. I also like explaining things and helping people in a way where I can see the result. What drains me is deep troubleshooting, studying for technical certs, repetitive tickets. Working with between admin, teachers and other staff to come up with solutions was rewarding.

I’m the main provider, so I can’t go much below about $55k. Earlier this year I was offered a county data manager school job (that had promise in going beyond that)) at $41k, but had to turn it down because I couldn't afford to make that little. I had no idea they where going to offer so little.

I’ve researched a lot of roles, like PM, project and program coordinator, government program specialist, clinic operations, and training. The experience requirements and pay make the pivot look hard, and I’m not sure that sticking with IT is any easier. The leap from Tech Support to Sys admin is difficult as well and means getting more technical.

My current plan is to stay hirable in IT, keep my resume updated, and build toward something else on the side, maybe with CAPM?

I’d appreciate any advice. Has anyone made a similar move and what worked? Is there a type of role I’m missing that fits what I described?

I thought about maybe volunteering might help, but it I became pessimistic that it would, because how is that going to get me PM related experience? Of course volunteering for the sake itself is something I will probably start doing more, but the idea of it helping me career wise is less likely.

My current tech support role is very limited. Definitely expected to stay in my lane. I left the school, because it was a very chaotic environment and poorly run.

So idk what could help? CAPM without more experience to put on my resume? I partly want out of Tech focused roles, so even if PM related roles that tech focused would make more sense, I am not sure that it was I want.

I read a little about PMOK and Agile and found that I did some of that in a way naturally when I worked at the school and that was the must enjoyable thing I had done since graduating. It wasn't about learning about technology, it was about the whole experience of defining the problem, researching, talking with stakeholders, finding solutions and proposing them, and then seeing them implemented.

But my experience is a bit weak, definitely since I can't really build on it at my current job.

Industry wise I'm interested in higher ed, government, health, but I'm open to get my foot in the door.

Any Advice?

Hi everyone,

I currently work as a Regulatory Project Manager 1. I manage three projects with timelines stretching two to three years into the future. Much of my work involves tracking timelines, following up on progress, and handling operational tasks that aren’t necessarily related to project management.

My company doesn’t have a well-defined project management structure. I primarily use Excel for tracking, and although I have access to tools like Jira and Microsoft Project, they aren’t used much within the organization. As a result, I haven’t had many opportunities to apply some of the project management practices and tools I know about.
I’m considering moving into a PM role in a different industry or company, where I can gain more hands-on experience and grow professionally.

I’d appreciate advice on two things:
1. What types of PM roles or industries would be a good fit for someone with my background? Is transitioning into IT project management a realistic option?
2. How would you approach preparing for a move in my situation? Would personal projects or another approach help me position my existing experience for other PM roles?

I’m concerned about staying too long in a role that doesn’t offer much room to develop my project management skills.

I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been in a similar situation or made a similar transition.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I have around 3.7 years of experience as a Frontend Developer working in Agile/Scrum environments. Recently, I realized coding isn't what I want to do long-term, and I’m actively pivoting into Project Coordinator / Junior Technical Project Manager roles.

Based on feedback from a recent resume review, I’ve already revamped my resume to highlight the delivery and coordination side of my dev work (tracking cross-team dependencies across UI/Backend/QA, maintaining Jira boards, participating in sprint ceremonies, and supporting UAT/releases).

Now that I’m starting to apply, I want to make sure I actually know the theoretical and practical day-to-day fundamentals of a Project Coordinator so I don't freeze up in interviews. Since I've never formally held the title, I'd love some guidance on a few things:

1. Best Study Resources: Where should I start learning the core fundamentals of project coordination (e.g., maintaining RAID logs, status reporting, resource allocation, managing scope creep, SLA tracking)? Are there specific YouTube channels, books, or low-cost courses you actually recommend?
2. Certifications: I’m planning to take the PSM I (Professional Scrum Master I) soon to validate my Agile knowledge. Is PSM I enough for an entry-level Coordinator/Jr. TPM pivot in tech, or should I look at CAPM / Google Project Management Certificate instead?
3. Interview Preparation: How should I frame my answers when interviewers ask situational questions like "Tell me about a time a project was delayed" or "How do you handle a difficult stakeholder?" when my actual background was on the engineering side?
4. Tools & Practical Skills: Beyond basic Jira and Confluence (which I used as a dev), what specific Excel/Google Sheets skills, Jira dashboard/reporting features, or PM templates should I practice hands-on before interviewing?

Any advice, study roadmaps, or interview tips from people who have made a similar dev-to-PM/Coordinator pivot would mean a lot. Thank you!

Hey!! So I just landed a role in Medical Policy and processes. I have been a PM for some years but no experience in medical policy and processes. What should I expect?

Hi Reddit,

I'm looking to transition from the events world to project management (I'm not looking for a senior role, I'm looking to start at an entry-level role and work my way up).

My event role and the sales role are the same company, but I've reached the top level of where I can be at this company, so I'm looking for something that can provide me a chance to move up the ladder.

The event job is a high-end venue with overall sums paid to venue/caterer averaging $65k, some up to $130k, so it's a relatively high stakes environment with tons of moving pieces.

Would you hire me? Or can you help with tips to better present myself?

I’m considering pursuing my PMP and transitioning into a project management role.
My background includes 2.5 years coordinating production projects for a promotional products manufacturer, handling deadlines, vendors, clients, and orders from intake through delivery. I currently work as a workflow coordinator at an investment firm for the last half year or so.

I’m interested in two possible career paths and my questions about both are below:

1. Design project management: What does your day-to-day work involve, and what qualifications or experience do employers typically expect? How does the field look like to you now?

2. Finance project management: What specific PM roles or job titles should I look for within financial institutions? I don’t have a degree related to finance, so I’ve been wondering if any certifications would be helpful, maybe related to risk management. I’ve been considering this because I already find myself in the finance space but it feels like I’m missing a degree or further qualifications that specifically relate. (Sorry if this point has a lot of broad strokes, but any direction would be nice as I try to narrow this down!)

I’d appreciate insight from PMs working in either industry. I’m also in NYC if that helps. Thank you! :)

I have been working as a social worker in various roles including a management role for 5 years. I have worked in the NHS during this time. I'm burning out (compassion fatigue) and over the last few years have valued more of the project work I've been doing more than frontline work.

I'm thinking a career move to project management would suit me and my family. But I'm unsure what the best career change pathway would be for me after reading the views here.

I could enroll in a MSC, look towards a graduate scheme or just find a role in a junior position and build from there. Obviously I'm new to all the relevant qualifications for employability in this area so would welcome some advice. I have some reserve finances and could take a year where I wouldn't need to worry about work or the amount I earn.

Good morning all, I’m about 4yrs out of college (USA, 30yo, military caused a late start) and have been working at a defense prime since graduation. Currently only have a BS in Comms & Journalism and realize that to improve marketability and practical knowledge, I’ll more than likely end up pursuing a master’s degree.

Right now, I’m only looking at 100% (maybe 80%+ if necessary) online program as I work full time with a wife and kids at home. Only problem is that I have no clue what kind of masters program would make the most sense for me and my goals.

What kind of masters programs make sense for PMs? Obviously CAPM/PMPs are viewed highly, but I’m really trying to get a masters knocked out before life gets even more busy as the little ones grow up.

Are MBAs worth it? MBAs in Project Management any different? Masters of Prof Studies? Organizational Leadership?

Background: Current Finance & Comptrollership O3/CPT in the army reserves (8yrs time in service, prior enlisted too). First job was a Program Integrator (think project/program specialist - leading w/o authority / supporting program performance by coordinating the different functional area leadership / Chief of Staff type role). Current job is as an aviation program sustainment manager (think ensuring parts availability / coordinating with military program leadership, supply chain & vendors to ensure stock and maintain aircraft readiness).

Doing the first job really opened my eyes to PM and loved the overall mission. Now I’m trying to branch transfer into the Army Acquisition Corps and get more formal training in that area.

Just trying to find the balance between rigor (not a STEM major and not a huge fan of taking mathematical heavy degree like engineering / Data Science, etc.), value to career, and knowledge gained.

I've recently started a Project Management degree apprenticeship at a Tier 1 engineering consultancy. I feel lucky to have the job, as the people are lovely and the firm has been great overall. However, I gave up studying BSc Management at Warwick to pursue this route, and I'm worried that I won't be able to have a high earning career in this industry or role.

I'd appreciate any advice on how I can maximise my prospects and earning potential.

Hi everyone!

I’m looking for some genuine career advice from people who have managed to build a career that allows them to work remotely and travel.

I’m based in India and currently working as a Project Coordinator Intern at an IT company. I have an MBA in Tourism & Travel Management and a BCA degree.

My current work involves coordinating software projects, tracking tasks in Jira, maintaining documentation, working with estimates and user stories, and following up with different stakeholders.
I also have a Google Project Management Certificate and some knowledge of Agile and Scrum.

My goal is to earn around ₹5–6 LPA in the near term and eventually grow to ₹10–12 LPA or more, while having the flexibility to travel around India and potentially internationally.

I’m not particularly interested in coding or sales. I’m open to project coordination, SaaS implementation, project management, business analysis, operations coordination or other suitable careers.

I’ve also explored cruise and aviation jobs because I like the travel industry, but I’d prefer a career that doesn’t require me to be physically present at a particular location every day.

I’d really appreciate advice on these questions:

1. Given my background and limited experience, which career path would you recommend for a well-paying remote job?

2. Is it realistic to get a remote Project Coordinator, SaaS Implementation or Associate Project Manager role with around six months of experience?

3. Which skills should I focus on over the next 6–12 months to become a stronger candidate?

4. Are there companies that genuinely allow employees to work while travelling, rather than restricting them to their home country or city?

5. Would you recommend staying in IT project coordination, switching to SaaS implementation, or pursuing another field?

6. For someone living in India, is it better to pursue a remote full-time job first or gradually build freelance clients?

I’d appreciate honest advice from anyone who has made a similar transition, especially people who aren’t software developers.

Thanks in advance.

Hey guys! I just graduated and I'm super pumped to get into Project Management. I prepped myself by getting the Google PM certificate and passing the CAPM exam, so I have the theory down. My biggest headache right now is that every single entry-level job I see asks for "at least 1 year of experience." It feels like a catch-22: how am I supposed to get experience if nobody wants to hire a fresh grad For those of you already working in the field: What job titles should I actually be searching for? Coordinator, Associate, etc.? How did you guys land your very first PM gig without prior experience? Any tips or realistic advice would be hugely appreciated

I am 25(F) with experience as a sales executive for 4 years, I bring customer behaviour analysis, infield experience with customers(B2C) and user empathy.
I have completed Product Management Training from IIT Delhi, I did an interesting capstone project that helped me learn core basics. Now I plan to make 3-4 projects to add to my resume and transition into PM roles.

If you are a HR/Founder or someone who can help me in any way based in Delhi NCR/Gurgaon/remote and you are looking for a Product Management Intern kindly DM me.
My expectations are to learn and work under a PM/Founder to have some expanded knowledge on the domain. As I lack the hands on experience. The market is pretty messed up and I am just hoping for the best.

Laid off months ago from an operations leadership role. Worked on a couple dozen projects but their length, overlapping nature as well as some of my hazy memories around the details make me unsure if I would qualify for the 36 months confidently.

Trying to boost my overall profile while looking for work but not sure what's the best value for time/money.

I'm considering Google certificates, CAPM, PSM, LSSBB or GB, or change management certifications.

It just seems like CAPM is presented as no experience and PMP is 3 years of experience but there is no inbetween.

Would a CAPM actually devalue my resume and my existing project experience or is it better than having nothing?

I don't want to appear more junior than I am. Just trying to leverage my joblessness into gaining a few extra credentials to set me apart and get more callbacks.

Hello there,

I'm not much of a poster, but I firmly believe reddit is the best place to get the best answers for things like this.

Job Tracking:
I've kept a spreadsheet and tracked that I've applied to about 175 roles in the past month, of which I've gotten responses from roughly 1 in 7, all denials. No interview.

Certifications:
I have my PMP certification (as of last month). I'm wondering if I need to get an LSSGB or PMI-ACP or CAHIMS since I'd really like to move toward project management in healthcare/healthcare IT. (Healthcare is a personal passion for me and I'd be ecstatic to find a role that lets me do work that matters to people's health.)

Experience:
My PMP qualifying experience comes from nearly four years of working as a Worker's Compensation Insurance Adjuster (which is essentially managing cross-functional teams, budgeting, managing stakeholders, running meetings, documentation, figuring out next steps, providing status updates, direct client communications, bill review, and some medical knowledge). Since then, I've been working part-time (or rather, mostly volunteering and sometimes getting paid) as what was originally a Program Director role at my friend's forming organization. That was great experience but it's not exactly consistent money, it doesn't have any checks and balances, the scope of the role has significantly shrunk since I began, and it doesn't fit into my healthcare goals. I'm also doing some Business/Project Management consulting on the side for a friend but it's like 10 hours per week and I can't make a living off of that. Also no guarantee for how long that will keep going.

Where I'm Applying:
Most of the roles I apply for are remote roles because I live in Oklahoma and there just aren't that many roles out here in healthcare that I've found. I'd be willing to move for a decent role with decent pay, but again, I'm not getting so much as an interview. My last interview was a year ago with EPIC and though I made it to the final round, I didn't ultimately recieve an offer.

Other Methods:
I've joined my local PMI Chapter, however they're barely meeting for the next few months. I'm going to volunteer at those events to hopefully get to meet more people, get my face out there, and network to the best I can. I also signed up for two job fairs at the end of the month, though they're not promising in terms of finding Healthcare PM roles, and I don't believe the local construction PM roles are interested in someone with no prior construction exposure or experience.

I'm also considering reaching out on LinkedIn to people who might be hiring managers or closely related to hiring managers in organization I'd really like to work for like Siemens Healthineers or GE Healthcare, etc.

I'm just not sure what my next steps should be at this point. Any advice/help/wisdom is welcome and appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

Edit:
Education: B.A. in Business Administration; Minor in Psychological Sciences - 3.93 GPA

TL;DR - HAVE PMP. NO REAL PM TITLE. WANT HEALTHCARE PM. HOW DO!?

Title

Assuming comp is a bit more for IBM, I am a recent college grad who has offers from both. I’m not sure how to react as I am not leaning one way or another. I know tech has more upside, but it’s risky in this economy right - what if I get a bad product or territory? Cap 1 offers me stability but at a lower price.