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For Project Managers Becoming Entrepreneurs - 5 Tips From Experience
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.

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5 Things I Wish I Knew As A Young Project Manager
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.

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When Your Boss Criticizes You in Front of Others, Do These 5 Things
Project Manager Soft Skills

When Your Boss Criticizes You in Front of Others, Do These 5 Things

Bad bosses are the bane of many employee’s existences. No matter what industry you work in, how old you are or even what your position is, the vast majority of us have dealt with a bad boss at some point in our careers. There’s plenty of ways a boss can be “bad”: poor understanding of the company’s needs, terrible at planning ahead, being clueless on what’s happening day-to-day, and so on. Situations like those are surely annoying to deal with, but few boss behaviors are more insidious than bullying. One common way bosses bully employees is through humiliating them in front of others. These reasons bosses behave this way are varied and complex, but one thing is for sure – we all want to put an end to it. If you’re wondering what you should do when your boss criticizes you in front of others, don’t miss the five tactics we discuss below.

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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!

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How Project Managers Waste Their Time - Avoid Doing These 13 Things
Project Management

How Project Managers Waste Their Time: Avoid Doing These 13 Things!

Time is money, they say, but it’s not entirely true. While I understand the intent behind this expression, there is a gaping hole in the theory. Time is worth MUCH more than money for the majority of us. Time is the only resource we can’t buy any more of. We all get the same amount of hours in each day, but none of us can ever get time back. The positive response to all of this? Make the best use of your time as you possibly can! This goes for work and personal life alike. As far as work is concerned, let’s talk about how Project Managers waste their time. If you’re looking to make the most of your time at work, avoid doing these 13 things!

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Managing Jerks As A Project Manager - What To Act On & What To Accept
Project Management

Managing Jerks As A Project Manager: What To Act On & What To Accept

As Project Managers, we get the ‘pleasure’ of working with people of every variety. Not only are we expected to work alongside everyone else involved with the project, but we’re also expected to help them, answer questions and provide direction. Simple enough, right? Well, on paper it is. Management gets difficult when personalities begin to clash. Maybe a teammate thinks you’re stupid and doesn’t want to listen to you. Perhaps they think you’re too smart and are threatened by you. Even more vague – they might just not like you for their own reasons. While this seems like a big deal when it’s happening to us, it’s statistically inevitable – no one can please everyone. Manage enough people over time and you’ll run into difficulty with some. Today, we’re taking about managing jerks as a Project Manager, along with which behavior we should act on vs. let slide. Let’s get into it!

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Is Dating A Coworker A Bad Idea? My Honest Opinion
Workplace Experiences

Is Dating A Coworker A Bad Idea? My Honest Opinion

Ah, dating in the workplace. The stuff sitcoms, dramas and movies are made of. We live in a society that idealizes the concept of finding ‘the one’ for you at work. But maybe that’s not what we’re after at all – perhaps we just want a casual fling with a coworker. Whatever the case may be for you, we’re going to go deep on answering this burning question: Is dating a coworker a bad idea? I will also give my honest opinion. Let’s begin.

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Are You Experiencing Anxiety About Going To Work Everyday? Read This!
Workplace Experiences

Are You Experiencing Anxiety About Going To Work Everyday? Read This!

If you wake up with a pit in your stomach every workday, you aren’t alone. According to ADAA, nearly one in five adults suffer from anxiety. That’s 20% of the adult population in America! With so many people experiencing anxiety every day, it’s no wonder it manifests itself in our work lives. How could it not? While anxiety as a whole must be treated and tended to, there are a few things you should keep in mind when it comes to workplace stress. If you’re experiencing anxiety about going to work everyday, check out our list of thoughts to consider – you may find that your anxiety at work deflates easier than you thought! Let’s dive in.

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7 Simple, Effective Ways To Get Ahead As A Project Manager
Project Management

7 Simple, Effective Ways To Get Ahead As A Project Manager

We talk a lot on this website about whether Project Managers are born or made, and we always arrive at the same answer – there’s elements of both in the best P.Ms out there. That being said, the most polar opposites of ‘born’ Project Managers out there can still boost their skill levels tremendously through learning and experiences. Said another way – there’s a strong possibility of success for even the most unnatural P.Ms. In this article, we’ll be exploring 7 simple, effective ways to get ahead as a Project Manager! Let’s dive in.

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How Long Should I Stay At My Entry Level Job?
Career Planning

How Long Should I Stay At My Entry Level Job? A Few Things To Ponder

We all start somewhere. Our entry level jobs are often our gateway into our respective industries. They’re an experience that will forever mark your humble beginnings; memories that will last your whole career. That’s if we’re lucky. Entry level jobs can also be a crap experience! Whether it be the pay, potential or environment, we find ourselves questioning our career choices. Regardless of which situation resonates with you, it’s a question nearly all new employees ask themselves: “How long should I stay at my entry level job?”. In this article, we’re going to try and help you answer that question!

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