Recently, the employment of Project Management professionals has seen a dramatic surge within the job market — making it the most popular and in-demand career in the current economy.
In the United States alone, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects employment of project management specialists to grow 6 percent between 2024 and 2034, faster than the average for all other occupations.
This high demand has caused professionals to make career pivots into Project Management, in the hopes of finding job security and higher salaries in an unstable job market.
In 2023, I made the career shift into Project Management and it has landed me in positions with top employers and salary increases and benefits that I would never have received in my previous career path.
If I had to give any advice for a professional looking to pivot into Project Management, I’d give these 5 tips —
1. Research the Job
Find out if Project Management is really a career that you would want to switch into.
Research the job responsibilities, qualifications and day-to-day duties that a typical PM would carry out. Then, make the decision to fully pursue a career in the field.
2. Find a Niche
Project Management is a career path that can span across a variety of industries. There are Construction Project Managers, IT Project Managers, Design, Government, Entertainment, and on and on…
Since there are so many industries, it would be best to narrow down which niche you would like to pursue before you start on your job search.
Small tip: the easiest way to pivot into Project Management is to look for PM roles within your current industry.
My first PM role was in entertainment since I was already an asset manager within that industry.
Then, after a couple of years as an Entertainment PM, I decided to take my skills and expertise that learned into a Tech role to increase my salary and make myself more competitive in the market for the future.
3. Use Transferrable Skills
A lot of the core functions of a Project Manager role are done in other roles; Cross-functional collaboration, timeline management, stakeholder communication.
Highlight “PM tasks” in your past experiences on your resume to make yourself appear more experienced for the PM roles that you are applying for.
4. Apply to Contract Roles
Contract roles are the best “low stakes” job opportunities that can propel your career forward.
Contract roles are offered for a limited amount of time but they often pay more, are more flexible with remote work, and they provide high impact, project-based work that will enrich your career experience and resume.
5. Get a Certification
Project Management roles are similar to technical careers in which certifications hold weight to a PM’s resume and they can set you apart from the other candidates when being considered for a role.
A certification can also signify dedication to your profession and career path by showing employers that you are willing to advance your career outside of a 9-5 commitment.
Want to know which Project Management certification to get? Look here.
If you do these 5 things, pivoting into Project Management will be a lot easier of a journey for you.
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