Master Class: How to Become a Project Manager in Defense, Government, IT or Business

For many transitioning military personnel and their spouses, project management is the name of the game. These jobs require people who can organize a group, establish deliverables, and complete tasks on time and on budget. Does that sound like you? 

Good. You have so many opportunities, including Defense, Government, IT, and Corporate. In our new 60-minute master class, you will discover:

1. What kind of military experience attracts employers seeking a project manager?

Few military members outside cyber and acquisitions have the formal title of “project manager” in their job description. Yet so many military personnel (especially E-7 and above) have extensive knowledge and process work in the PM area. 

 In our masterclass, we identify jobs in the field, at the Pentagon, at headquarters, in the shipyard, in construction, and in healthcare areas where you can identify your PM experience.

2. Does getting your PMP make you a project manager?

Getting your PMP certification does not guarantee an instant offer as a project manager. But it does three things for you that will help you do the analysis you need to get the PM job. Find out more in the master class.

3. How can you get your PMP Project Management Professional certification?

For civilians, PMP training costs range from $300 to $3,000, and exam fees are $405 or $575, depending on PMI membership. For veterans, spouses, and transitioning military, it is free through the Onward to Opportunity program at Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). Find out how here: https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/. 

Listen for our tips on passing the PMP certification exam the first time.

4. What other paths can an organized person take in business?

In this class, our defense industry guest Fatina Brave, the Director of Talent Acquisition at Ingalls Shipbuilding, a Division of HII, tells how she left the Air Force as an E-5 and worked her way up to the director level. She identifies several job titles to look for at different career levels.

5. Resume tips.

A resume is your first shot at getting in the door for a project management job in Defense, Government, IT, Construction, or Health Care. Find out more about how to build your resume in our upcoming Resume Lab master class or in our past master classes, Checklist Resume and Federal Resume. 

Look to add all of your PM keywords such as Milestone | Stakeholder | Workplan| Project life cycle| Change management | Agile | Risk mitigation | Contingency plan | Critical path method | Deliverable | Feasibility study | Statement of Work | Status Reports | SWOT analysis| Time Management | Waterfall model | Initiation | Analysis | Design | Build | Test | Maintenance.