Looking for a fresh start? Consider Project Management.
In the post-pandemic world, many self-employed long-timers have lost their businesses and are faced with entering the job market. This could be a daunting prospect for someone who has been in control of their life and business for a very long time and is suddenly faced with evaluating their skills and experience, and wondering what to do next.
Our very own swiss army knife and Communications Director Lauren Land has this to share about her journey which she hopes can help some of you find your new now.
A few years ago, after over 10 years of freelancing as a web and graphic designer, I realised that my life was rather lonely. I spent all of my time at home working with my dog for company. This suited me for a very long time, and over the years I have learned a lot and amassed a major suite of skills and experience. When I was considering looking for a job with people around me, I applied and interviewed for a variety of jobs from Developer to Server Manager to Graphic Designer to Digital Marketer. My dilemma was this – I could do about 10 different jobs and had to choose one to commit to for the foreseeable future. I left it to fate, thinking one of these interviews I will walk into and know that’s the job for me.
It didn’t go quite like that, but fate did come through for me in the end. During one of the phone interviews (this one for a PPC Executive) the person at the other end of the line called me “Jack of all trades, master of none” which I did not take as a compliment at the time. I remember thinking “Cheeky Joe, how dare you, I am a virtuoso!”. Needless to say, I did not get that job offer but after I had a few days to calm down and really think about what he told me without taking it personally I realised he gave me something else, that I could not hear at the time as it came straight after “master of none”:
“You will be bored here.
You should be a Project Manager.”
I Googled it. Suddenly a major career ladder became apparent, the salaries for experienced project managers were insane, certainly way above what I was considering as my earning potential. Having had run my own business for over 10 years, the key skills required to be a Project Manager were all in my arsenal:
- Communication skills
- Technical experience in numerous aspects of my industry
- Decision making skills
- Time management
- Scope management
- Cost management
- Quality management
- People/resource management
If you are one of many looking for a fresh start after losing your long-term business, consider what you can offer in your industry as a Project Manager. It may just be the silver lining you are looking for.
Sussex Business school offer two entry-level Project Management online home-study courses that will not break the bank and could help you to land your first Project Management job:
https://sussexbusinessschool.com/management-courses/project-management/
Complete a Career Assessment form on our website to start the conversation here and let us help you find your Fresh Start!
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