A few questions for project managers

[sickoffootball]

I was made redundant recently (been in the same industry for 15 years) currently having interviews so hopefully will be back in work soon... The time off has given me the opportunity to give some thought to my long term career and where I see myself in a few years. I am very interested in being a project manager (within the industry I have 15 years experience in) .. There seem to be a lot of well paid vacancies.

From what I have seen prince2 practitioner seems to be the first step, however I have also seen a Msc I. Project management along with other courses...

For those of you who are project managers can I please ask you the following?.

1. What qualifications do you have?

1. What is your salary and your industry?

1. What hours do you work?. Is it a role that allows flexibility? Work from home perhaps?

Thank you very much for your responses

[SpoonBlender]

1. Prince2 and ITIL and Agile methodology, but mostly experience.
   
2. ~£80k, healthcare/IT field.
   
3. 37.5, full hours/time-in-lieu flexibility and wfh etc negotiable with manager and always granted.
   

Project management positions range from pure PM which is boring as hell and just consists of running GANTT charts, risk registers and chasing people in order to tick boxes (eg building construction), all the way through to end-to-end client solution definition which to me is much more fun - meeting with them discovering their business and working out their needs, defining the scope, assembling the team, running the project, delivering the goods, getting them using it, eventually handing over to the ongoing support team. I've done that a lot in software.

[Timeforabiscuit]

1. I have no formal project management qualifications, 15 year experience in sector

1. ~30k local council

1. 25 hrs per week, plus full flexibility (only need to get the job done and hours are mine to arrange)

What i do is project management, but i'm based in commissioning - i work the full commissioning cycle from developing strategy, designing contracts, formal commisioning, embedding new providers, kpi design, oversee system transition of sensitive client information, board reporting and stakeholder management through to contract managed end.

I consider myself underpaid!

[Timeforabiscuit]

*30k is pro rata, bring home is circa 20k

[apintofharpandapacketofdates]

Association of Project management does qualifications that are linked to entire project cycle as opposed to Prince (more of a methodology)

40k programme manager.

[Yarnswift]

No formal pm qualifications but lots of experience (science/clinical/drug development based field, I have a PhD and postdoc as well as a few degrees.) the qualifications are OK but not necessarily the way in without experience.

70k but pro rata as I’m now 80% for a bit while kids young.

Work from home. Fairly flexible, but works both ways - ie I’m expected to be in attendance at a 3am meeting with a different time zone but no one minds if I leave early as long as the client isn’t meeting me. I work 31 ( in reality nearer35) hours a week as 80% on average. When I was full time it was a lot more.

[Greyhound22]

1. no project management qualifications. 15 years admin/operational experience.
   
2. 40K
   
3. very flexible. Work from home as and when want to.

[sickoffootball]

Wow... Thank you all for the replies!... Definitely reinforced my views on it being a good move for me.

Can anyone advise weather prince2 is best to do online if classroom based? Obviously half the price to do online but is it worth paying extra for classroom training?

Thanks again

[Poisongirl81]

Pm. Me

[Poisongirl81]

Not sure how to pm you but I can help

[Poisongirl81]

Pmd you now

[SilverViking]

Project managet in telecoms / IT. Previous experience in industry most important. Have Prince 2 and ITIL, but current company have their own "version" of project management.
Fairly flexible, but there are out of hours calls, and support on some weekends. You wouldnt get the job done in contracted hours, but work ebs and flows so you csn manage your own time (a previous co-worker started at 5.30am, then was out from 7.45 to 9.15 am ish to feed the horses and get dc to school ... then had another break around 3 to 4.30 to pick up dc and do homework. Then she would do an hour or so and/or log back in after dc bedtime to get things finished).
Pay depends on experience and responsibility, but would be £35k to £50k ish.
It is enjoyable work in the main, and projects can last from a few months to a couple of years, generally. It is nothing like The Apprentice (thankfully) as the most successful teams support and push each other to succeed together. Although like all workplaces, i have come across empire builders and those that will trample over everyone to promote themselves.
Plenty of work, but some is being offshored, and my current company are undergoing huge reduction in "middle management and technical grades.