Transcription
So this is not my usual setup, so just consider this video a car chat. But what I'm noticing is that I'm seeing a lot of people who are becoming more and more interested in project management, which is great. That's not a bad thing at all. I mean, that's the exact reason as to why I make these videos on this platform, is because I do want to educate people on the career field so that they can get into project management.
But as I begin to meet more and more people and I have these conversations, I'm starting to realize that I don't think that people really understand what they're getting themselves into. For example, if I'm talking to someone and they're telling me that they want to get into project management or they really want to have a role where they can lead meetings and, you know, lead projects and things like that, like it sounds great to them. That's great. But as I'm talking to you and I'm starting to pick up on little things about either your personality or maybe it's just little things that maybe you're telling me that may not be a good fit for you, it makes me wonder and question if project management is actually a good fit for you. So like, I can usually tell by your personality or some of the desires that you tell me about whether or not project management is a good fit for you. And my honest truth about project management is that it's not for everyone. So if you're not sure whether or not project management is a good fit for you, just know that there are signs. So that's what I'm going to go over in this video. Sorry if you can hear the cars in the back.
If you're not sure as to whether or not project management is a good fit for you, just know that there are signs as to whether or not project management might be the right career choice for you. As a project manager, you're going to be mainly responsible for managing timelines, resources, and any other details related to projects. As a project manager, you are the glue that's supposed to hold the team together. So if working with people day in and day out doesn't sound good, then you may want to reconsider project management.
Okay, and then also, let's just talk about the stress that comes with the job. So project management can be a high-pressure job, especially when things don't go as planned. And just know that this can happen often. You can almost bet on the fact that you're going to have something happen in your project that didn't go as planned. And sometimes when things don't go as planned, just know that it's not always going to be your fault. Sometimes things don't go as planned and it's not your fault, but as the project manager, you may have to take the heat for that. So whether it's tight deadlines or budget constraints or any unexpected obstacles, just know it's all part of the game. So if you're not good with managing stress or managing your own stress, this type of job may be more overwhelming for you than it will be rewarding for you.
And then let's just talk about the day-to-day of the job. So if you're somebody who prefers routines, right? Like knowing exactly what's to come every single day, you like things going the same way every day, then you may want to listen up to this. I'm just going to come out and just say that project management is not for anyone who prefers daily routines of the same routine every single day. Just know as a project manager, each project that you're going to be assigned will be different in some way or fashion, even if it's the same type of project. So let's say that you pretty much oversee software implementations, just know that each project will still be different because it will either involve different teams, different clients, there may be different obstacles that may pop up that didn't pop up with the previous projects that you worked on. So just know that there's going to always be some level of variability between projects. And so as the project manager, you have to have the ability to switch gears and just be able to pivot anytime something new pops up or a new challenge pops up.
If the thought of knowing that you have to lead meetings and it, it just makes you nervous or it just sounds like something that you just don't even want to do, because I understand that there are certain people that don't really want to be in the spotlight, right? Like they don't want all eyes on them or having a large number of people just listening to them talk. I can understand how that can make people nervous. And if that's you, or if that's something that you just honestly want to stay away from, then that's another sign because as a project manager, you are going to be the one leading the meetings. Everyone's going to be looking at you for answers and things like that. So as a project manager, just know that's what you're going to be getting yourself into.
Also, you have to be comfortable giving your honest feedback and also resolving conflicts, because those do arise, whether it's within your team or just with the project itself, there's going to be conflicts that come up. And if any of this just sounds horrible or just sounds like something you want to stay away from, then you probably won't enjoy being in this type of role. And just know when you're in a career that's heavily people-focused, you're going to have to deal with a lot of different personalities. And so with the challenge of dealing with personalities, you're going to also have to face the challenge that you're going to have to try to get all of these different personalities on the same page. And as a project manager, that's a big part of the job.
Last but not least, let's just talk about having to take accountability or responsibility when it comes to the things that pop up with your projects. When it comes down to it, project managers are ultimately responsible for the success of their own projects. So like I mentioned before, sometimes things, and actually it's common, I won't even say sometimes, it is common for things to pop up or external factors that pop up that affect your project that you ultimately had no control over. And so anytime things start to go south or your project is now behind, you're going to be the one that has to report out and explain why or what happened with the project, even if it was due to something that you couldn't control personally. So I know that things like that can definitely make people feel uncomfortable or, you know, that just doesn't sound good at all, right? Like you want to be able to be in a job where your performance is measured on things that you can control, not necessarily things that you can't control. And I can understand for some people, that doesn't sound like something that they want to get themselves into. But just know that's also part of the game or this career field, right? As being a project manager, if the project isn't delivered successfully, then just know that you're going to have to be the one to report out and explain why or why not that project was not delivered successfully.
Some people prefer stability, you know, they want that predictable day-to-day routine, and that's okay. But just know that if you're considering project management, but you're that person that wants stability, then just know that project management may not be the right fit for you. And the reason why I say this is because one day you may be planning, the next day you may be problem-solving, or you could have one day where you're in a meeting for hours or several meetings back to back, and then you could just have downtime because maybe you have downtime until a new project pops up, right? Every single day is going to be different. And so that may sound great to some people, but for some people, that may just sound completely horrible.
All right, so if you made it to the end of this video and you haven't been completely scared off by the things that we've talked about, then yes, project management may be a good fit for you. However, if any of these points maybe have resonated with you, then maybe you should reconsider and take time to think about a career that you would want to actually get yourself into. It's better to know upfront whether or not this is something that you want to do so that you don't spend a lot of time and effort working towards something that ultimately is not going to be the best choice for you. But if you are up to the challenge, then I do think that this can be a rewarding career path.
All right, so let me know in the comments if this is something that you may be reconsidering or if you do think that this is actually a good fit for you. But either way, that's all for this video, and I will see you in the next one.