For numerous young learners, project management has emerged as an aspirational career path. This role offers significant authority in decision-making and ample opportunities for creative expression. It's sought after in a wide array of fields and platforms, encompassing IT, finance, law, healthcare, among others. At the same time, this job offers the flexibility to work both from the office and anywhere in the world. And it’s quite promising, too - according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, PMs get an average pay of $95,370, and this job grows at 6%, which is faster than average.
Becoming a PM can let you work with plenty of exciting projects, make a fulfilling contribution to your niche, and build a fruitful and thriving career. But how do you land a job like this fresh out of college and being a woman? Read on, and we’ll give you the tips for success!
Pick the Right Specialization
As we mentioned earlier, PMs are in demand in many different industries, which gives you plenty of opportunities to pursue your dreams and goals. So, the first thing you should do to prepare for your future career is choose the perfect specialization that aligns with your interests. The best way to make up your mind might be to try classes in a variety of different subject areas. We know that it might sound like too much work for a busy student. Fortunately, if you're overwhelmed with online discussions, you can find services to help write your discussion post, freeing up more time to focus on your specialization and career preparation. Luckily, you can enlist the help of a professional service that offers dissertation help to delegate your time-consuming tasks and get more free time to explore your passions. So, be sure to use this trick to define your specialization early on. Then, adjust your curriculum to your interests and goals to acquire the needed knowledge.
Get a Certification
Hunting for a job straight out of college is always a challenge due to a lack of professional experience. However, if you become a certified specialist while still in college, this can help distinguish you from the competition. Take your time to explore the available certifications and pick an option that works for you. There really are plenty of certificates that you can get for yourself, including the Project Management Professional (PMP), the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), etc.
Identify the Core Skills and Hone Them
Just like any other job out there, a PM position will require you to have a solid set of both soft and hard skills. So, if you want to land a good job after college, you want to hone the key skills early on to show potential employers your worth. Let’s quickly review the top skills that you should be working on.
Soft:
Communication;
Conflict resolution;
Critical thinking;
Time management;
Prioritization;
Teamwork;
Hard:
Scheduling;
Project scope management;
Budgeting;
Strategic decision-making;
Common project management methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, etc.);
Understanding of how to brand a product/project (this skill isn’t typically listed in job openings, yet it is pivotal for a PM role as it will help you justify the company’s investments as you work on your future projects).
How do you acquire all these skills? First of all, analyze the skills you currently have and their levels. Then, determine which skills still need to be enhanced and focus on them.
Gain Experience
Typically, entry-level PM positions have very minimal requirements for candidates. Yet, this doesn’t make it a piece of cake to land a job like this as a fresh graduate. Most likely, you will have to compete with plenty of other job seekers, and your experience will be the primary thing that can set you apart from the pack.
At this stage, you must have a silent question - “How do I get the necessary experience when 100% of my time is busy in college?” Although this question is justified, there are quite a few ways to solve the problem. Here are a few options for gaining a PM experience while in college:
Work in students’ clubs and organizations;
Side hustles or freelance jobs;
Volunteering in “project-like” initiatives;
Internships.
Pick an option that works for you and start collecting professional experience that will give you a competitive advantage in the future.
Make the Most Out of Networking
The value of networking doesn’t need to be emphasized. It helps discover exciting opportunities and even land jobs. So, it’s better to start building your network and making the most out of it early on. Use social networks and LinkedIn, in particular, to connect with the industry’s experts, attend PM conferences and summits, and join professional associations - all these activities can help you build a solid network of valuable contacts in your field. Also, consider attending project management training - this way, you will both find the same-minded people for your network and, at the same time, will gain new knowledge and skills.
Bonus tip: If you want to take your networking to the next level and get the most outcomes, consider finding a project management mentor for yourself. A professional with vast experience in the field can teach you many important lessons about the job. If you get lucky, your mentor might even let you visit project meetings to “get a taste” of your future job in person.
Conclusion
Project management offers a rewarding, prosperous, and stable career path. It brings numerous advantages, yet securing such a position directly after college can pose significant hurdles. Although entry requirements may seem minimal, the field is notably competitive. As a result, aspiring professionals must exert considerable effort to stand out. It's important to acknowledge that women may face additional challenges due to persistent biases within the industry.
However, there's a positive aspect to consider. You have the power to navigate these challenges successfully! By following the advice in this guide, you will arm yourself with a set of effective strategies designed to prepare you thoroughly for a career in project management by the time you graduate. The key step is to optimize your time now by focusing on your goals. This approach will set you on a path toward achieving success in your post-graduation endeavors.
Images source: www.freepik.com