How to project manage your way to a new career

Finding a new career can feel overwhelming, but project management skills you’ve learned in the Military can help you achieve your goal. Your CO hasn’t told you this, but you’re already a project manager, writes project management expert Purnima Gore, founder of Project GPS.

Every time you checked a vehicle before a mission, you were managing risk. When you led a team with different roles toward a single objective, that’s scope and resource management. Even booking a family holiday uses milestone planning.

So treat your career change like a project and follow these five steps:
* First, define what you want. What are you passionate about? This is your opportunity to pursue something you love.
* Next, work out if it will pay the bills. How much money do you need to cover your housing, utilities and other costs? If the salary for your dream job isn’t enough, could you set it up as a business?
* Thirdly, break the project into stages. What do you need to find out? What do you need to do first? Work backwards from your starting date and set goals for each stage.
* Now, get the right credentials. Civilian employers won’t understand your Military record. Qualifications prove you can do what you say, and project management skills are needed in every role.
* Finally, review and adjust as you go along. If something isn’t working, adapt. You’ve done it in high-pressure situations, so you can do it in a job search.

Your project management skills could win you your next job.

Find out how you can get qualified and ready for a civilian career at: projectgps.com