Spent my first several years as a PM grinding to be the person driving huge, visible impact. Ran the hardest programs, took the messy high stakes projects nobody wanted, tied my whole identity to whether the thing succeeded. I was stressed out of my mind and, looking back, underpaid for the pressure I was absorbing.

Then I moved to a bigger, slower company in a role that, honestly, asks a lot less of me. The bar is lower, the pace is humane, I actually project manage instead of white knuckling a company defining bet. And I got a real pay bump doing it. Got promoted since, still not stressed.

I'm writing this because this sub is full of people convinced their career only counts if they're a rockstar PM at a hot company carrying the business on their back. And I get the appeal, I chased it too. But you can quietly opt out of that race and be completely fine. Steady, well-paid, unstressed, home by six is a legitimate career, not a consolation prize.

Go get paid, don't hate your life, keep leveling up your skills because you want to and not because you're terrified of falling behind. You don't have to be the most impactful PM in the room to have a good career.

Anyone else make peace with this or take the opposite path and not regret it?

I’ve been a tech and transformation PM for 10 years, after 10 years in account management. I enjoyed the first 5 years and progressed from junior to senior PM, but lately I feel like I’ve hit a wall. I’ve been laid off twice in 18 months. After the most recent one I applied for around 60 roles but was only getting interviews for jobs I’d already done before.

I’m now 3 months into a new role and bored out of my mind. I’m basically doing the same job I was doing 4 years ago, albeit for a bit more money.

I have a hobby I love and the more time I spend on it, the more aware I become of how little I enjoy my job. It’s possible to monetise my hobby but it will take time and effort. I’ve tried applying for part-time PM roles to create space for it, but got nowhere.

What I like about PMing - I have some independence, solving the puzzle of how to get something done, planning/problem-solving and being able to not work with the same people all the time.
What I dislike - being given “leadership” responsibility without actual authority, pestering adults to do their jobs, being expected to be both hands-on and strategic work (often with no time for the latter), and progression feels like doing a larger/more political version of the same job.

I don’t know where to go from here. I think BA work would also bore me, I’ve got no interest in product management and having worked in a startup, Chief of Staff type roles look like a whole load of hassle.

Has anyone been able to find a different path that still used your PM experience?

What field is the easiest to start in? I’m a military vet of 20 years who worked on the admin side. I have my PMP. I’ve been looking at jobs and I see a lot of construction and IT PM jobs. I’ve noticed most jobs value experience over the PMP. My question is what field can I start without experience.

Hi! I have an interview for a PM role for a technical organisation that wants to go from the design and initial stages to market and expansion. Right now there’s around 20 employees, and the interview is with the C-suite, as well as the senior project manager.

I‘m trying to move from a much larger organisation, with a mid level of experience, and fully embracing the challenge of being more hands on and having significantly more ownership. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m an electrical engineering student doing some research into how people find and work with information inside their companies.

I’m specifically interested in situations where you knew the information existed somewhere, but finding it, figuring out which version was correct, understanding it, or piecing together what happened was more difficult than it should have been.

For example, maybe the information was buried in a shared drive, SharePoint, old emails, meeting notes, Slack/Teams, project folders, or you eventually gave up and asked the one person who somehow knows everything.

I’m not selling anything. I’m trying to understand what the actual problems are before making assumptions about solutions.

My main question:

If you have an example, I’d also love to know:

• Where did you eventually find the information, and roughly how long did it take?
• What made it difficult: poor search, too many systems, outdated versions, bad organization, undocumented knowledge, permissions, something else?
• Is this something that happens regularly, or was it a one-off?

Industry/role would also be helpful if you’re comfortable sharing it. No company names or confidential information needed.

Even mundane examples are useful. I’m specifically trying to understand what actually frustrates people in their day-to-day work rather than what sounds like a problem on paper.

Hi, I got my PMP last year just before my military retirement. Over the last few months I've applied for jobs in construction, aerospace and logistics. I've gotten a few rejections but no hits for interviews, so I wanted to post my resume for feedback. Any insight would be helpful.

Background: I'm a retired 22 year Air Force vet with a background in aircraft maintenance. I've had experience as an operational test manager, with my last position being a depot liaison(oversight of major level aircraft teardown and repair)

I've been a project manager for about 5 years now but I feel really behind skill-wise. I haven't even done any budgeting work for a project in my 5 years.

I don't have a mentor at work either since I'm the only PM there (aside from the PM head). I have been able to establish project management processes and documentations in my current job (project approval sheets, standardized project plan template, etc.) which I take pride in since they didn't have any of those before I got there BUT...

I want to be more. I want to know more. I want to make a gap analysis between my current skills and the skills that a PM should have.

So, I wanna ask seasoned PMs -- what are the important skills to have? Do you have any recommended resources? Any advice?

I really wanna grow! (and hopefully be paid more. XD)

I’ve been meaning to make a career shift and have been looking into PC roles, and from what I have gathered from the internet, it seems like something I might be able to do. However, I’m also wary of the fact that people do tend to paint a positive picture for reasons that benefit them, for example, to sell their course or to get views on their content.

But I want to know if it is at all possible, practical, and feasible.

Hey everyone,
I am a fresher and I just got enrolled in a project management course. My background is in software dev so this whole PM world is pretty new to me. Wanted to ask a few things :

1) What tools do IT companies actually use for PM stuff, like is it mostly Jira or MS Project or something else?

2) Other than CAPM/PMP, is there any other cert worth getting that would actually help someone coming from IT?

3) What would you say is the ideal career path from here, like what should I be focusing on or aiming for as someone just starting out?

Also curious if there's any other sector besides IT that pays well and is friendly to people transitioning into PM.
Would really appreciate any advice, thanks in advance.

I'm trying to decide which project management certification to pursue and would really appreciate some advice.

My background:

• Degree in Marketing
• 4 years working in legal marketing, mostly at a law firm
• Recently moved into a Project Manager role at an agency for legal marketing

I'm looking to build a long-term career in project management, potentially internationally.

Given my background and current role, what certification or learning path would you recommend? It is the first time I see PM as a serious thing to pursue so I am a bit lost right now.

Do you recommend Coursera courses? Should I just go into official certs?

I know I can ask AI, and I did, but nothing better than to hear from actual people and their experiences!

Thanks!

I don’t want to use AI so I am here asking the experts. So please no AI in your answers.

I have an interview for project lead coming up at a company I have been at for 10 years. I know the entire team of 6 people. 3 of them “work” under me under 3 different committees I run. 5 of them join in on non mandatory employee engagement events I run. So they know me.

Last year I interviewed for a project lead position here and didn’t get it. Feedback was that I wasn’t confident enough and didn’t talk about my projects enough.

I think my mistakes were twofold: assuming I could be casual because I “know” these people and they know what I do because they are involved.
2- I honestly expected technical knowledge questions instead of behavioral interview questions because it would be my first time in this role officially.

So what questions do you ask potential project leads?
How much jargon should I spit vs “this is clearly buzzwords”?
How much should I know immediately vs what can I expect to be taught?

Thanks in advance. Hope this was correct flair.

I’ve got a second round interview coming up at a startup with the CTO for a technical pm role. It’s client facing, and the requirements heavily favor client management and technical aptitude experience along with familiarity with scrum/agile. Per the invite it’s a skills based interview.

What would you guys do to prepare, and what kind of questions should I expect? I’ve been generally brushing up on scrum and agile and using ai to develop practice interview questions based on the job posting and the LinkedIn profile of the cto. But what does a skills based interview look like? The first round was mostly “tell me about a time when, tell me about your experience with” questions, is it likely to be similar? My profile is more technical than the requirements and my client experience is a perfect fit, but I don’t have any pm certifications and I’m wondering how much I should focus on being able to answer specific questions about methodologies or if that’s likely to even come up in a skills based interview? Where are common stumbling blocks at this stage of the interview process that i need to be aware of? Any thoughts or insights are welcome.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently an undergraduate/diploma student in Sri Lanka and I recently started my first Project Management internship at an enterprise software firm. My mentors suggested that I look into getting certified (specifically looking at the CAPM or a Scrum cert like CSPO or PSM I) while I gather my work experience.

Since I'm an intern paying in LKR, the standard USD fees for these exams are pretty intimidating. I want to make sure I am taking the absolute cheapest, most efficient route. I currently have a LinkedIn Learning account for a few more months, but otherwise, I am starting from scratch.

I’d love some guidance from local PMs who have navigated this:

1. The CAPM Student Hack: I heard about the PMI Student Membership dropping the CAPM exam cost. Has anyone in SL done this recently? How much did it cost you in total (LKR), and is it worth joining the PMI Colombo Chapter as a student?

2. Study Resources: Do I need to pay a local institute for classes to get the 23 contact hours for CAPM, or can I just use cheap Udemy courses/LinkedIn Learning? What instructors do you recommend?

3. Scrum Certifications: For Agile/Scrum, I know CSPO is expensive. Is PSM I (Scrum.org) a better/cheaper alternative for the Sri Lankan job market?

4. General Advice: Looking back at your junior days, what is the best ROI certification I can do right now while I’m still an intern?

Any links, cost breakdowns, or advice on how to stretch my budget would be massively appreciated. Thanks in advance!

This might sound weird. I have about 7ish years of project coordination and 3 years of project management experience. However, I've never really had to deal with external clients. I've had to deal with internal "clients" from Product, Marketing, R&D and I worked with external vendors and freelancers. I've mostly worked in the localisation and tech/software industry, and now that I'm out of a job and looking for a new position I realise that most companies looking for PMs need them to have experience with external clients. I'm looking in Germany.

I don't know how to navigate this. For this skill I can't really take a course or get a certification, like the PMP I got earlier this year. In an interview I've had recently they asked specifically about this skill and I said something along the lines of "I don't have experience with external clients as such but I would imagine some stakeholder issues are comparable with those of internal clients, such as dealing with vague requirements".

In any case, I feel like this is a core skill I'm missing as a project manager (or maybe there are other forces at play that are the reason I haven't landed a job yet).

Any advice on how to gain PM experience with external clients (when out of a job)?

Hey everyone,

​I'm working on introducing a structured "Lessons Learned" mechanism for our project engineering and management team.

​Before building out a full system, I want to create a lightweight Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to test engagement and see what actually works for the team.

My goal is to capture actionable takeaways from completed projects without adding unnecessary administrative burden.

​For those who have implemented something similar:

1. What does a minimal, effective first iteration of a lessons-learned process look like?

2. ​How do you encourage busy engineers/PMs to consistently contribute and actually reference past lessons?

3. ​What simple tools or formats (e.g., lightweight templates, brief retrospectives) have yielded the best results for you starting out?

​Appreciate any insights or past experiences!

I’m currently choosing electives for my master’s degree and I’m planning to take Project Management.

For my other elective, I’m stuck between Strategic Leadership and Advanced Corporate Finance. The third elective I'm taking is Negotiation and Conflict Management.

I’m particularly interested in building a career in project/program management and eventually moving into senior management.

My dilemma is that project managers obviously need financial skills, budgeting, cost control, forecasting, etc. So I’m wondering whether Advanced Corporate Finance would give me a valuable edge alongside Project Management.

On the other hand, Strategic Leadership seems to complement Project Management well by developing leadership, decision-making, organizational strategy, stakeholder management, etc.

For those who work in project management, program management, PMO, operations, or senior management:

Which combination would you choose and why?

Project Management + Strategic Leadership

or

Project Management + Advanced Corporate Finance

I’m looking for perspectives based on actual career experience, particularly regarding job opportunities, long-term career progression, salary potential, and usefulness of the skills in real PM roles.

Thanks!

Hey! I’m currently in high school and trying to figure out what I want to major in and eventually do for a career. I’ve been looking into a few different fields, but I’d really like to hear from people who actually work in them instead of just reading job descriptions online.

The careers I’m currently looking at are:

* Project Management

* Management Information Systems (MIS) / Information Systems

* Finance / Financial Management

* Human Resources / HR Management

If you work in one of these areas, I’d really appreciate it if you could answer some of these questions!

About your career:

* What is your current job title?

* What degree/major did you get?

* What was your first job after college?

* How did you get from your first job to your current position?

* How old were you when you started working in this field?

Money & lifestyle:

* What was your starting salary? (If you're comfortable sharing)

* What do you make now, or what salary range are you currently in? (Also optional)

* Do you feel financially comfortable with your career?

* Do you think your career gives you a realistic opportunity to become financially independent or retire early?

What the job is actually like:

* What does a normal workday look like for you?

* How much of your job involves working with other people?

* How much can you work independently?

* What do you actually enjoy about your job?

* What do you dislike about it?

* Is the job stressful or overwhelming?

Looking back:

* How difficult was it to get your first job?

* If you could go back to being 18 and choose again, would you still pick this career?

* Is there anything you wish you had known before choosing your major?

* What would you recommend a high-school student do now if they were considering your career?

I’m not expecting everyone to answer everything. Even just answering a few questions would help me a lot. I’m basically trying to figure out what these careers are REALLY like from people who actually do them.

Thanks!!

Been in need of some resume advice after hundreds of failed job applications. I just recently graduated university with a B.S. in Information Systems and currently work part-time at a local church as an associate PM (typo on the resume oops).
I’ve had absolutely no luck so far, with both junior/assistant PM and standard PM positions. I recognize my resume is underwhelming because my experiences don’t specify what I achieved or the moments that defined my career. This is something I plan to resolve.
Anyways, I am very open to any suggestions or ideas (or referrals 👀 happy to send my LinkedIn to anyone who wants to connect)! Eager to hear y’all’s feedback 😁

Currently working at a small, failing engineering consulting firm in the utility/energy efficiency industry. Raises have been paused for about 2 years and I believe I am underpaid already. I'm looking to take on a larger role at a large organization but have had no luck in the job market so far.

I'm in the final semester of my second BS because I wish to continue moving forward as a PM/Analyst in engineering. For my last two roles I was able to get a job after submitting only 3-4 applications but now I've applied to at least 40 with no luck.

I'm looking for any advice on how to present my experience and education on my resume.

How did you find your current PM job? Linkedin, indeed, referral etc?

I’ve recently moved into a Project Manager role and I'm a lost - seeking any advice or guidance from the good people of reddit.

I work in a relatively small org but it’s surprisingly complex - lots of stakeholders, competing priorities, and work happening across different areas. The org is also fairly immature from a projects perspective - there isn’t an established PMO, consistent processes or a clear “this is how we do projects” approach.

I know the business well and have the people skills, which is probably why I was given the opportunity, but I don’t have a traditional PM background. AND as one of two PMs in the org, I’m finding it difficult to know what I should be focusing on, what good PM practice actually looks like, and what I might be missing because I simply don’t know what I don’t know?

I’ve started reading the HBR Guide to Project Management today and am considering finding an experience PM as a mentor.

For anyone who’s been in a similar position - what helped you get up to speed quickly?

• Any books, frameworks, habits or advice you’d recommend?
• I want to avoid doing any

certifications*

• yet, as it wouldn't be super relevant to bring back to the context of my own org.

Would really appreciate any advice!

I’m currently in school for Construction Managament, I intend to pursue the project management route although I don’t know if I see myself doing that my entire career. My question is has anyone with experience in project management in the construction industry used that experience to navigate to other industries more tame than construction?

As the title implies, I want to hear your stories. What qualifications (PM degree, PMP or agile certification or both) do you have and where did you search for the job?

All my life I've dreamed of working on a video game project, but I live in Guatemala and there's no industry here and I don't have any other nationality to work legally in another country. I've worked 6 years in technical projects as Product Owner, mainly in banking and website/app development but I want to switch and start building a carrer as a Producer in video game. It doesn't matter if I start as an assistant.

All recommendations are welcome :)

Are interviewers actually expecting a strict/dominant personality? My last interview feedback was that I seemed too easygoing and “soft” because I spoke in a normal conversational tone, said I try to play on peoples strengths and keep it positive for the most part, and mentioned that I’m friendly with people.

Now a recruiter told me that for my upcoming interview, I should come across as a dominant personality who takes no crap.

Should I turn on a more dominant, cold, professional tone for all future interviews?