This week Lisa Grant explores the supply and demand of project managers. Find out how you can make yourself stand out in the field when looking for new employment opportunities.

Enjoy!

 

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I recently spoke at a professional association meeting in Atlanta, GA (not PMI).  At the end of the meeting, the President of the association invited the audience to stand up and share employment opportunities, or their personal qualifications if they are seeking new employment. A few attendees rose and described technical roles for which they are currently recruiting.  I remember C sharp and .net being requirements as well as experience with Scrum.  Then it was time for the job seekers to stand.  There were at least twice as many who stood and they were mostly project managers and a couple of business analysts.  What does this mean?

I know this is only one data point and certainly not a quanitfiable, statistical study, however, me thinks there are way more project managers on the market than there are project manager jobs.  At the PMI meetings I run into many people who aspire to become project managers.  Of course I believe that project management is essential to positive business results, but I don’t believe everyone can be a successful project manager OR a project manager who can drive progressive business results.

Another data point I have to support my project manager supply and demand theory is that rates and salaries have been flat for the past several years.  Anyone who has taken basic economics knows that when supply outweighs demand, prices drop. The irony is that it seems most people desiring to break into the profession do so because they see it as an advancement and opportunity for higher earning potential.  If the numbers keep rising that will not be the case.  Now of course, I am speaking from my limited experience.  The scenario may be quite different in the international markets.  Are the US project managers willing to market themselves internationally?

I want to urge all existing PMs and all wannabe PMs to do your research.  Are you in the right profession?  If you are experiencing any of the following it may be time to seek advice from a career counselor.

• difficulty staying employed
• stagnant or declining earnings
• general employment frustration

Many people are seeking assistance from resume writers or recruiters.  It may be time to move onto something else.  Every profession requires project management prowess.  Use it as a strength to fulfill a labor shortage instead of a sole profession. I know a new career may require some skill re-tooling, but there’s no time like the present.  You can be five years older with a marketable profession or you can be five years older still fighting the employment battle.

Just think about it.  Maybe it’s time to make a change.  If  you’re not ready to jump to a new career altogether, then consider specializing as a project manager.  The people who say I am good at communication and organizing things aren’t really bringing much to the table.  That’s what project management is. Do you have PMO experience in the government sector?  Are you an SAP project manager?  Have you managed worldwide credit card software projects for the last 10 years.  Specialty will you get you noticed.

 In summary, genuinely take stock of your personal situation and comtemplate a change or refinement. In today’s economy things may get worse before they get better.

This week’s Insightful Project Manager podcast is about how cultural differences make it difficult to manage teams in other countries, namely India. The original post was written by Andrew Gurbaxani.

Enjoy!

 

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 By Andrew Gurbaxani

The local art museum in Atlanta sponsored an Indian Film Festival recently, and one of the films screened was the little-known independent picture “Outsourced”. In this film, a maker of American novelty items outsources its call center to India, with all the concomitant problems and hilarity. The American executive was sent to India to train his replacement, and the rest of the call center staff realizes that managing in India requires a different set of skills and sensitivities than managing in America. Instead of trying to impose American values and management techniques on the Indian team (as he initially does,) the executive finally wises up and learns what works in the local culture. Of course, this is all accompanied by many laughable and unfortunate misunderstandings, and even a romance to boot! I would recommend the movie if for no other reason than it serves as a case study on how to (and how not to) manage across cultures.
 
Even within India, there are social forces underway that are making it difficult for managers (project managers included) to successfully manage teams. For instance, female managers, once an extreme rarity in India, now are relatively commonplace. Workplace assumptions that were disregarded by American workers long ago (lifetime employment, company loyalty, tenure-based promotions, etc…) are now starting to lose sway in India and in other emerging markets as well. This has all had a profound impact on the aspirations of workers around the world, who are increasingly participating in their society’s newfound prosperity, and dealing with the consequences (e.g., overnight working hours for the Indian call center supporting the American consumer.) Add to this the emergence of global virtual teams and rapid technology change, and you have a bewildering mix of trends that are no less than revolutionizing the way project teams are formed, managed, and rewarded. Remember the “good old days” of collocated project teams, stable corporate and technological infrastructures (IBM SNA, anyone?)