r/PMCareers

Hi everyone! I just started a new job as a senior PM in the manufacturing industry. I just left my last job I held for 3 years in manufacturing as a senior PM. I do not like manufacturing and would love to get into a different industry like tech or marketing. I am so afraid of getting stuck in the manufacturing industry and being unhappy in my career.

I’m looking for advice from experienced people on this channel - is it possible for me to get stuck in this industry? Anything you can offer helps - this has my mind running.

Hi everyone,
I’m currently working at a boutique project management consulting firm in Germany. Our clients are large corporations, and we support all kinds of IT projects.

I joined the company after completing my bachelor’s degree in International Business and then spending two years in Business Development & Procurement at a large daycare provider, where I led several projects. So, compared to many others in consulting, I didn’t come from the “typical” background.

The main reason I got the opportunity was because I joined as a dual student, meaning I’ve been doing a master’s program (including an MBA) alongside working full-time for one of our clients as a Junior Project Manager for the past two years.
I took a significant pay cut when switching jobs because I was hoping it would create better long-term opportunities. I’m still okay with that decision.
However, there’s now a possibility for me to quit the master’s program and focus entirely on working full-time instead. I would use the time I currently spend on university for professional certifications such as the CAPM and similar qualifications.

My question is: do you think I would regret not finishing the master’s degree later on? Could it limit future job opportunities or prevent me from getting certain projects, even if I gain experience on large corporate projects and continue building certifications?

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have been in similar situations.

I’m 21(f) and I would like to get into pm but I’m not sure how I should start. I have 4 years of experience coordinating and that’s it. Would it be easier for me to go back to school and get a business admin degree or climb up the corporate ladder?

Curious if anyone here transitioned out of Project/Program Management into another field where your skills still transferred well.

I currently work in program/project management in the federal space (past several years) and make very good money, but I’m realizing I don’t think I enjoy the constant stakeholder management, meetings, follow-ups, and herding cats aspect of the job anymore, like at all.

I’m trying to figure out:

-what other careers former PMs successfully pivot into?

-what roles still leverage PM experience without the nonstop coordination fatigue?

Most of my experience has been in business transformation, mainly within the healthcare space so some positions are enterprise wide across the nation at different entities. Feel like sometimes I’m just surviving my day to day. I’m good at what I do, but sometimes I don’t feel it’s worth the massive headache.

BLUF: 11 years in Mil/Contractor Intel with a Business Admin degree (PM concentration). Want to leave defense contracting for civilian stability and location freedom. Planning on CAPM then PMP, mainly because I’m terrified of a PMI audit where I can’t produce classified documents to prove my project history. Stuck because upcoming contract raises will put me at $80k, while entry-level civilian PM roles pay less and are flooded with candidates. Looking for advice on how to transition without starting at the very bottom.

Background about me:

I’ve been in the intelligence field for over a decade, 8 years active duty Army and about 3.5 years as a defense contractor. I also have my Bachelors in Business Administration with a concentration in Project Management. Right now, I'm looking at getting my CAPM, then moving to the PMP. The only reason I am not going straight for the PMP is that I don't know how to turn my intel work into unclassified civilian terms. More importantly, I’m worried about getting hit with a PMI audit; if they ask for proof, I literally cannot provide any documentation on the actual stuff I did because it's classified.

The issue:

I want to break away from the military side of things. I’ve done my time, and I really don't like the instability of contracting or being tied down to only a couple of locations across the country just to keep a job.

My skillset has always been analytical work. Regardless of where I was stationed or what contract I've been on, I have always naturally become the "go-to guy" for making things easier for the analysts and leadership. I’m talking about making processes simpler, developing tracking templates, and optimizing workflows. Because of that, my initial thought was to go the project management route. However, looking at the market, there appears to be an abundance of higher-level candidates taking up the starting roles, especially with AI and process optimization making their previous roles obsolete.

The pay dilemma:

I’ve been blessed enough to have a stable job (even in contracting), so I’ve been pretty selective over the openings I apply for. But here is my fear: our contract is getting re-bid right now. I’m not worried about losing my current job (it's 99.9% not going to happen), but when the new contract hits, we are all likely getting raises. Right now I make about $73k, but it is probably going to jump to around $80k here in a couple of months.

The issue is that almost all the entry-level openings I see pay below what I currently make. I feel like once that pay increase hits at my current position, it’s going to be even more difficult to convince myself to take a pay cut and switch.

Any advice on how to navigate this or alternative career paths would be greatly appreciated.

After our last reorg I hit this point where I was sitting in my fourth meeting of the day thinking, “I cannot do this for another 10 years.”

Not even because the work was hard. I just felt weirdly drained all the time. Like my entire job had become chasing updates from people who ignored Slack until the second leadership asked for a status report.

I’d spend hours preparing pre-reads nobody read, then sit through meetings where we repeated the same conversation from last week while pretending it was progress.

I started telling myself I hated PM. Opened LinkedIn every night, looked at random jobs, fantasized about disappearing into some role where nobody invited me to meetings ever again.

But then one day an engineer messaged me saying the spec I wrote finally cleared up a months-long misunderstanding on their side, and I realized.. damn, I still like THAT part. I still like taking a messy situation and turning it into something people can actually move on. I still like talking to customers when it’s a real conversation and not some fake “relationship building” performance.

So I started paying attention to what specifically was making me miserable instead of throwing the whole career away in my head.

I quietly killed a bunch of meetings. Nobody died. I made people write down what we were deprioritizing before adding new “urgent” work and suddenly half the requests vanished. Funny how that works.

Around the same time I dumped possible next roles into a spreadsheet because my brain was all over the place. I even reread notes from this old coached career assessment I took, and one part stuck with me because it basically called me out for liking problem-solving but burning out when too much of my day turns into managing everyone else’s emotions and chaos. That felt uncomfortably accurate.

I think the biggest realization was that I don’t actually want out of product. I just don’t want to spend my life doing calendar diplomacy and begging adults to answer questions they already saw three days ago.

So now I’m looking at TPM/product ops/BA-ish roles and trying to figure out where the line is between “healthy collaboration” and “full-time babysitting.”

Hi- I'm scheduled for an interview tomorrow afternoon (5/21) for a 2 month gig with an EdTech company. Had applied for a Print Manager-Project Manager role 2 months ago and had reached out to connect with the hiring manager on LinkedIn. Didn't get that role, but got a quick reply yesterday asking if I was interested in a similar role - short term. I'm currently in a pivot - transition from marketing/sales into project management, so I am eager to get more traditional pm roles on my resume and this looks like a good opportunity. Now- what is a legit hourly rate? I come from publishing - where everyone is incredibly underpaid- so when I used Chat GPT for ballpark hourly rates for a role like this, I was shocked. I have taken a 10 week course for PM, and I'm studying for the CAPM currently. Ive done pm work for years, but it was never framed as pm work, so I'm still new to the actual pm role. Can people who have done work like this - I'm adding the job description below- what should I expect to hear and where should I hold the line on compensation? Much appreciated, internet hive mind! Job description, of the role I applied for in March (I'm thinking the role they want me for is slightly different for a short term sprint like this):

• Manage print projects from kickoff through final file delivery for English and Spanish products
• Utilize project management software to track and report on all project statuses
• Transmit project files (including PDFs and InDesign files) to all user groups
• Collaborate with managers and stakeholders, including contractors, to ensure projects are completed on time and to specifications
• Schedule, organize, and lead weekly Print Production status meetings to align stakeholders, track progress, and surface risks early
• Facilitate regularly-scheduled status calls with multiple external vendors and internal stakeholders
• Support query management and query resolution for production issues
• Assist in organizing work based on team member expertise, experience, and workload
• Partner with the Contract Management team to hire and onboard independent contractors (ICs) as needed to support production timelines
• Support file management initiatives and file management best practices especially focused on using AI and introducing automation
• Provide project updates on a consistent basis to various stakeholders regarding strategy, adjustments, and progress
• Continuously monitor progress and make adjustments as needed
• Troubleshoot and problem solve when situations do not align with usual processes
• Other assigned tasks as needed to meet project deadlines and deliverables

Hi All! I have been in Project Coordination/Management/Operations for several years now in Higher Ed. In my current role I have been dealing with some hurdles like; personalities, buy-in with technologies, standing up for myself and having it stick.

I have been looking into a mentor to help me grow, learn, and become more confident in how to approach things at work. My current team is small and there are many inefficiencies and big personalities that don't always mesh well. I was hired to improve communications, create project management systems and work flows, and track deliverables. Which I have done- but I have had a lot of push back and vacillating support from my manager.

I unfortunately, have not had a great manager in my past 3 roles whom I could learn from and help me grow in my career. If any one is interested I am on the east coast and could hop on anytime after 5 Monday-Wednesday or Thursday and Friday 9-7pm EDT.

I appreciate any help anyone is able to offer!

Hello !! I have done project management post graduation and want to start my career in the management field.. I have prior knowledge into construction design but want to switch into IT management or energy management field.. but due to this transition I need to start all over again learning new software’s and skill so I’m a bit skeptical about it due to the current market situation over due you have any suggestions? Or am I just over thinking? What cert I would have to do more? I just have a post graduation and no experience in management field

Hi, so I applied to the Masters of Project Management program in Madrid, and I wanted some advice before I commit. A few questions specifically:

1. ⁠Is a Masters of Project Management worth it? Keeping in mind I haven’t been able to gain job experience in the field naturally, because I only have comms experience and most companies want some sort of experience or training. I also want to move to Spain, and the student visa is one of the easiest ways so it seems like a good option right now.

2. ⁠Is EAE business school in Madrid good? I tried looking into different programs but I don’t want to live in Barcelona which removes options. I also don’t know much about schools in Europe or Spain so can’t gauge whether it’s good / reputable or not.

3. ⁠Does anyone know if the degree transfers properly over to Canada, or I’d need to do some sort of course to be certified here? Keeping in mind the masters includes the PMP certification from PMI.

Hi yes you don’t need a degree or certificate but I do because I’m coming from a different background and I do need to learn, so please just give me advice on which of these I should go into because I can’t just “ learn on the job” like these good folks in the 90s anymore 😭
My background administration for 13 years, paralegal for 2 years.
I want: to get into project management, but unsure which pathway I should go into.
I like: anything which flexible
I’m considering: general, healthcare, pharmaceutical, consulting, construction etc
My school consideration:

1. ECornell- PM certification, 2.5 months online
2. BU- PM certification, 8 months online ( then master if needed)
3. BU- PM masters PM 16-18 months online
4. BU- masters AI in business 18 months online

What questions should I ask myself? What should i consider? What would you do if you were me? My company is paying for my school. I currently work in defense.

Fellow Project Managers!

I’m currently a Project Manager in DFW for a family owned business, i’ve been with them for about a year (4 years experience though) and i’m currently feeling down with the amount of money i’m getting paid compared to other PM roles i’ve seen on linkedin, indeed, etc.

I’m managing 12+ projects worth MILLIONS of dollars and i’m making well under six figures.

I’ve applied, i’ve completed CERTs (currently studying for PMP) and even just reached out to GCs who i’ve become close with by working on their projects.

When I say I’ve applied. I mean I’ve send in HUNDREDS of applications and i’ve heard back from 2, and then got ghosted after the initial interview. I LOVE interviews and know exactly how to handle them so I don’t believe they have gone bad at all.

Any advice on how to acquire a better job somewhere, where I can increase my salary?

Hi, Im 17 and going into my senior year of high school, after I graduate I am looking to start investing into real estate and eventually become finically free through real estate. Once I turn 18 I am going to house hack and for my job I thought that if I became a general contractor that could help me with my investments and get into bigger investments. I was looking to slowly build but with my property the job and my investments could go hand in hand and help me on my path to financial freedom. I didn't know what you guys thought of that job and if it'd be worth it. Just an fyi I love real estate and love a lot of different from residential, short term rentals, light industrial, commercial, seeing the project come to life really interests me. I was also wondering if maybe getting some type of internship or job working for a general contractor could help me build experience and relationships in the industry. I am still very clueless with a lot of things so any advice, videos, is very appreciated I am just looking for any actionable actions I can do now and well as for the future because I am motivated to do things to affect my future I just don't know for example what I can do as a 17 year old. Any advice is much appreciated.

Hello! So i have been considering going into project coordinating bc I believe that I have transferable experience from being a key lead in retail. My experience consisted of delegating tasks, ensuring things are done on time, providing customer service, doing the store opening and closing procedures, overseeing the inflow and outflow of inventory, enforcing policies to employees, communicating with the management team and my higher up managers. The reason why I considered project coordinating is because I’ve seen some roles that match perfectly to my resume. The only issue I have is not knowing which specific industry I want to go in. I thought about manufacturing bc I do have some experience in it, but I want to know your thoughts and advice! ALSO I am a college graduate as well!

I’m mostly venting, but I’d really appreciate advice from folks in PM, Operations, Talent Ops, etc.

February 2025, I joined a U.S.-based company as a Recruitment Assistant while living in LATAM. My salary was under $1,000/month. Even though my role was recruitment-focused, I often ended up taking on operational tasks whenever I noticed bottlenecks or process issues and tried to fix them.

For months, I expressed interest in growing within the company. My previous manager kept mentioning raises and opportunities, but she has the communication skills of a teenager -- if not a pre teen. In December, I received a $200 raise. Then, in March, I was offered a role in a new team as a Talent Coordinator.

The problem is that I’ve been in this role for only two months, and I’m already doing a lot of project/operations-related work again, but even more. I’m creating dashboards based on stakeholder needs, supporting internal assessment initiatives, improving processes, organizing information, and generally doing work that feels closer to project coordination or operations than a standard Talent Coordinator role.

I enjoy my new team. They’re much better than my previous manager, and they do give me opportunities to explore, contribute, and grow. But at the same time, it feels convenient for the company because they’re getting Junior PM/Ops-type work from me while still paying me the same salary I got back in December.

My previous manager had said I might be considered for a raise in June, but I don’t have that in writing. Now we received a company-wide email saying the next salary revision cycle will only happen in October.

So I’m stuck between:

1. I like my new team and the growth opportunities, and working closely with TSMs, PMs, POs etc (which made me want to get into this).
2. I feel underpaid and like my role has expanded way beyond my title and compensation.

This doesn’t feel like just a Talent Coordinator role anymore. While it includes Talent Coordination, it also includes project support, operations, reporting, dashboards, stakeholder management, and process improvement.

My main question is: How would you handle this?

Should I speak with my new managers about role scope and compensation alignment? Should I start applying elsewhere? Is it too soon to bring this up after only two months in the new role, even though the responsibilities have already expanded?

I don’t want to come across as ungrateful, but I also don’t want to keep accepting more responsibility without any title or salary adjustment.

Thank you many much 😄

I'm really interested in working fully remote, especially since I have a child. As a hybrid working TPM, I find that going into the office really helps with networking and I'm constantly encouraged to meet people face-to-face. How do you stay on top of all of the project details and office politics while working only at home?