Hi, my name is DeJa Smith and I’m a Project Manager.
Breaking into Project Management was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and honestly, I still don’t know why.
After college, I started my professional career in the Entertainment industry doing Digital Asset Management. Essentially, managing video and audio files to make sure that TV Shows and Movies launched on their respective streaming platforms in a timely manner. You know — scheduling, speaking with vendors, juggling deliverables, yada yada.
Then, in 2023 the Entertainment industry took a massive hit when Writers and Actors Strikes slowed TV and movie productions. My company went through several rounds of layoffs, where I watched everyone around me lose their jobs and ultimately I felt like the Grim Reaper was knocking on my door.
So I decided to pivot.
I needed to break into a career path where I could use my preexisting skills as an asset manager that could also allow me growth in any field that I chose. Then, in the middle of the night, I had a nearly cartoonish lightbulb moment — “Project Management!”
“I could just switch to being a project manager! Project management is broad across nearly every industry and I already have the skills! You know — scheduling, speaking with vendors, juggling deliverables, yada yada. I’ll find a new job in no time :)”
I’ve never been more wrong in my life.
Project Management felt like the hardest career path to get into, even though I had years of tangible experience. It felt like a secret society where I had to have this certification, that title, and be in some particular industry to have the right to call myself a project manager. And truth be told — it shouldn’t be that difficult.
That’s why I started this job site and my substack. I want to build a community of aspiring and existing Project Managers to come together and share resources, stories and strategies in navigating this challenging industry. I want to make it easier for anyone that wants to break into this field just like I did, but with less of the hassle!
I’ll be providing a monthly newsletters and blogs of my stories and strategies of Breaking into PM with hopes of building a broader community of those that will do the same.