Changing career from IT to Project Management

[Myqns]

Hello all,

I was wondering whether it is possible to switch over from IT to Project Management. I am basically an IT professional wanting to switch over to Project Management. Though I have managed couple of IT projects, they are very small. I was looking in the PMI site and as I understand, taking the exam requires hours of PM experience. How do I get the required PM experience? Any one has any suggestions? Your postings would take me further. Thanks

 

[johnherman]

It certainly will not hurt to take and pass the exam, then use that as leverage to get jobs as Asst PM or Project Leader on smaller projects.

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The trouble with doing something right the first time is that noboby appreciates how difficult it was.
- Steven Wright

 

[PDQBach]

I think you'll find that the PMI site does not ask for hours of PM experience. It asks for hours of Project experience. If you have the experience, you'll understand the difference. If you don't understand the difference then you probably don't have the hours.

 

[jfrost10]

I'm in IT, and am currently taking a PM certificate course at a local community college (taught by PMPs and using PMI curriculum).

I'm not a project manager at my work, but I do oversee aspects of various projects, and I find that the courses really help to pull the whole PM world together. Although I havn't looked at the PMI test kits/resources, I'm fairly confident that I'm in a better spot now taking a few courses than if I had just studied the text cold turkey.

hth

D'Arcy