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    anitha95's Avatar
    anitha95 Posts: 18, Reputation: 2
    New Member
     
    #1

    Apr 26, 2012, 12:42 PM
    How to switch to Project Manager job ?
    I am a QA a Analyst , I want to switch to career as a Project Manager. Would CAPM work.?
    Curlyben's Avatar
    Curlyben Posts: 18,514, Reputation: 1860
    BossMan
     
    #2

    Apr 26, 2012, 12:43 PM
    Depends on what CAPM actually is.
    rpray2007's Avatar
    rpray2007 Posts: 319, Reputation: 23
    Full Member
     
    #3

    Apr 26, 2012, 01:13 PM
    While CAPM - certified associate in project management - is a good start I would recommend you try for the PMP (Project Management Professional, also offered by the PMI) instead. It has a lot more credibility and it is fairly straightforward to get. It does require some real PM experience but you can submit your QA work as part of the work requirement.

    Good luck.
    anitha95's Avatar
    anitha95 Posts: 18, Reputation: 2
    New Member
     
    #4

    May 7, 2012, 09:23 AM
    Thanks for the reply.
    I have only two years of experience so I think CAPM will be a good option for me over PMP.
    Question.
    Though I am in QA I am not doing a lotta QA stuffs ( technical) . My work nature is to reach out business often , reach out to other departments to get the work done. Some times I end up doing requirement gathering and presenting things.
    1. Does my work nature aline with PM job at least to some extent ?
    2. How far is the job opportunity / Job security ?
    3.Will I need an MBA ?

    Please advise..
    rpray2007's Avatar
    rpray2007 Posts: 319, Reputation: 23
    Full Member
     
    #5

    May 7, 2012, 02:47 PM
    Anitha:
    Two years of experience should be fine and requirements gathering and business process development is very much part of project management so you are fine there. If you can get involved in your company's quality management processes (and work on developing them) you have a better understanding of some of the project management approaches and will more easily count towards PM work experience.

    Project management is a middle-management field but in the right position you can be indispensable to the organization. Having said that, if you are just a PM without much rapport with the leadership you can become deadweight when times are tough. So while PM's have a lot of opportunities, you really have to put in the effort to make yourself a key player. It should not be a role you cruise in unless you are working for a multi-national where cruising is the norm and mobility is not required to stick around. The progression from PM is generally into the executive/senior management roles OR Project Management Office - this depends on whether your company is matrixed or line-based.

    Going into the project management field can be very rewarding (sort of being a mini-CEO) and you end up learning a lot about a lot of things. And, if done well, it can be a 24x7 type job because you end up taking responsibility for the entire project (hence the CEO analogy). While many PM's don't take this approach, I personally prefer those that have that type of take-charge approach (see above about cruising).

    MBA is a great way to leap-frog into senior management but make sure you get it from a good school. Otherwise, work experience is more important. Each company is different so I can't say what works for yours but in general getting an MBA is a recruiting move and possibly a recruiting requirement. It's not, in my opinion, necessary for improving your ability to do your job.

    Hope this helps.
    anitha95's Avatar
    anitha95 Posts: 18, Reputation: 2
    New Member
     
    #6

    May 8, 2012, 07:15 AM
    Awesome, thanks for your reply ! I will work towards it .

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