Common Project Management Experiences

Project Management

Is Project Management Competitive? The Answer Is Complicated

Many students and young professionals aspire to become a Project Manager at some point in their careers. Some of us desire the title and decision-making authority that being a P.M. provides, while others long to overcome challenges and deliver projects successfully. Of course, many of us want the higher salary and other financial perks that Project Managers often enjoy. Whatever your reason for wanting to become a P.M., it’s likely that other people out there also want to become a Project Manager for similar reasons. How many others are looking to become P.M.s? Is project management competitive? If you’re thinking about becoming a Project Manager and are looking for some stats, then read on!

Pat Finnegan April 9, 2021

Career Planning

For Project Managers Becoming Entrepreneurs: 5 Tips From Experience

As we all know, project management is an exciting and dynamic field. There are plenty of ways we can challenge ourselves and continue to grow year after year. These are the aspects of project management that most of us love. As we gain experience, we learn a wide variety of skills in leadership, budgeting, scheduling, organization and more. If we can manage a decent-sized project, how much harder can it be to work for ourselves? After working as a Project Manager for awhile, you may begin to crave a challenge beyond what your typical position or company may offer. Perhaps you want to create a business from the ground up. Maybe you crave the ability to make your own schedule, or no longer answer to a boss. For many different reasons, there’s a growing percentage of working professionals who decide not to pursue their current career path anymore, and instead pursue the road less traveled…the path of the entrepreneur. Cue the dramatic music. There’s plenty of reasons why being ‘your own boss’ is great, but there are plenty of reasons one shouldn’t just dive in without preparation, either. I know because I’ve done it! At least to a certain extent. While I was prepared in some ways, there are several things I wish I understood much earlier – that’s what this article is about. For the project managers becoming entrepreneurs out there, let’s go over 5 tips based on my own experience, plus a little detail as to why I became an entrepreneur after thirteen years in construction management.

Pat Finnegan April 2, 2021

Project Management

5 Things I Wish I Knew As A Young Project Manager

In the world of project management, some things can only be learned through experience. Despite my best efforts in my early years, I made plenty of mistakes managing projects. There’ve been times when I’ve felt confident in my strategy, only to walk right into an issue thereafter. “What was I thinking?”, I say to myself. “How did I not see that coming?”. I can also think back to times where I didn’t necessarily make a mistake, but would approach certain situations in a completely different way nowadays. It happens to all of us: every project manager makes mistakes, learns through experience and evolves over time. With that in mind, this article is meant to convey a few overarching lessons I’ve learned over time so young project managers out there can learn what I’ve learned the hard way. Here are five things I wish I knew as a young project manager.

Pat Finnegan March 12, 2021

Project Management

Working Remotely As A Project Manager: How To Manage A Remote Team

Working remotely, whether it be from home or a hotel room, has become more common with each passing year. It makes sense. Business owners can save money by having less office space and employees spend less time getting to and from work. Technology makes working remotely easier than ever. When this is combined with the “new normal” we’re experiencing thanks to the Coronavirus (aka COVID-19), working remotely has become mandatory in many cases. What about working remotely as a Project Manager? Is it possible? In this article, we’ll talk about the intricacies of managing a remote team as a Project Manager.

admin July 8, 2020

Underpaid Project Manager - How To Get A Raise Or Promotion

Career Planning

Underpaid Project Manager? Here’s How I Got A 43% Raise In 24 Months

Let’s be honest. Even if we love project management, we still want to get paid. Not only that, but we want to be paid what we’re worth. While many of us manage projects – even difficult, challenging ones – our salary does not always line up with our skill level. Some of us grind away at our job for years on end while feeling like we should be getting more. Despite growing immensely in skill and experience, we simply don’t ever seem to get that big raise or jump up the ladder like we think we deserve. It can be frustrating to work at an organization for while, having far surpassed the skill-level we had when hired, only to find out a new-hire for a similar position is making a heck of a lot more money right off the bat. What gives? If you’re an underpaid Project Manager looking to get a raise, then stick around. In this article, I’ll be talking about how I got a 43% increase in pay over a 24 month period and what I did to get there!

Pat Finnegan June 25, 2020

Project Management

Working For Difficult Clients As A Project Manager: Avoid These 5 Things

The Clients you work for as a Project Manager are like chocolates in a box – some of them suck. Such is life! We don’t always get to work for Clients that are nice, reasonable or even people we like on an individual basis. This is made ten times worse when we consider that Clients control most of the cards on the table – including payment! On projects like these, we need to work even harder as Project Managers to manage not only the work, but the Client too. In this article, we’re talking about working for difficult Clients as a Project Manager, along with 5 things to avoid at all costs.

Pat Finnegan November 27, 2019

Career Planning

Working At A Large Company Vs. Small Company: The Pros & Cons

Companies come in all shapes and sizes. Plenty of businesses click on year after year with just a couple of employees, maybe only one! Meanwhile, giant corporations can employ hundreds of thousands of people – that’s like employing a couple hundred small towns. As you can imagine, the employees working at small businesses have a vastly different experience than ones working at a huge corporation. In this article, we’ll be discussing the pros & cons of working at a large company vs. a small company. Let’s get into it!

Pat Finnegan November 20, 2019

Construction Management

What Is An Assistant Project Manager? A Brief Overview Of The Position

Project Managers are in charge of the whole show – as far as the specific project is concerned, the buck stops with them (or their boss). Regardless, Project Managers are expected to make the big decisions on the job. By the time they’re even promoted to P.M., they already have several years of experience in the field. So what exactly are P.M.s doing before they become Project Managers. In this article, we’re discussing the question of “what is an Assistant Project Manager?”, including what A.P.M.s do and the type of experience they have.

Pat Finnegan November 18, 2019

Construction Management

Putting A Project On Hold: When Project Managers Should Hit Pause

In the field of project management, we rarely hear of the words ‘slowing down’. In fact, those words often echo in infamy. Clients want their project completed as quickly as it can be. They’re more likely to request additional resources, more hours and accelerated timelines – slowing down or stopping isn’t something clients want to hear. Unfortunately, slowing down or hitting pause is the right thing to do for the Project Manager, despite what the client and even our own management may say. In this article, we’re discussing putting a project on hold and when P.M.s should hit that pause button!

Pat Finnegan November 13, 2019

Project Management

Inexperienced Project Manager? The Do’s & Don’ts For Young P.M.s

Ah, the early stages of a Project Manager’s career – everything’s so new and the possibilities are endless. Cherish these stages, because soon you’ll be an experienced, jaded Project Manager with a steel gaze! Half kidding. When a P.M. gets assigned their first project, they’ll likely feel many emotions at once – excitement, nerves, pride, anxiety, intimidation, disorientation and more. Like most promotions, becoming a Project Manager is a big deal, which requires a boost in performance and responsibilities. Is an inexperienced Project Manager truly ready? By following the list below, young Project Managers can maximize their experience on their new project while protecting themselves from the downsides! Let’s jump in.

Pat Finnegan November 12, 2019

CATEGORY | Project Management Experiences

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Is Project Management Competitive? The Answer Is Complicated

For Project Managers Becoming Entrepreneurs: 5 Tips From Experience

5 Things I Wish I Knew As A Young Project Manager

Working Remotely As A Project Manager: How To Manage A Remote Team

Underpaid Project Manager? Here’s How I Got A 43% Raise In 24 Months

Working For Difficult Clients As A Project Manager: Avoid These 5 Things

Working At A Large Company Vs. Small Company: The Pros & Cons

What Is An Assistant Project Manager? A Brief Overview Of The Position

Putting A Project On Hold: When Project Managers Should Hit Pause

Inexperienced Project Manager? The Do’s & Don’ts For Young P.M.s

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

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CATEGORY | Project Management Experiences

About This Topic

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

WORK LIFE

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STAY IN TOUCH!