What Type Of Person Thrives In The Project Management Industry, According To A Project Manager At Vaelynn Studios
Andreas, a Project Manager at Vaelynn Studios, emphasizes that most project managers "fell into that role," highlighting the importance of readily available resources like Coursera's affordable project management course. The interviewee also stresses the value of versatile tools like Google Sheets and draw.io for visual project planning, advising aspiring project managers to "never neglect a tool" and explore their functionalities before dismissing them.
Project Management, Career Development, Technology, Data Analysis, Problem-Solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Andreas Lopez
Project Manager
Vaelynn Studios
Western Governor's University (WGU)
WGU Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Engineering, IT, Math & Data
Gaming
Cyber Security and IT
Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Many project managers find their way into the role unexpectedly, often starting with related tasks and gradually taking on more project management responsibilities.
2. A project management course on Coursera is recommended for its affordability and hands-on experience covering key concepts like project charters and stakeholder management.
3. Utilizing readily available tools like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel for project planning and visualization is highly valuable and often overlooked; free flowchart software such as draw.io is also a valuable resource for visually mapping project tasks and dependencies
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
That's a good point. No project manager I've ever met set out with the goal of becoming one. We all seem to have fallen into the role, myself included.
As I mentioned earlier, I started as an IT administrative assistant. Later, I realized that many of the tasks I was assigned were actually project management duties, like crafting plans and other related activities.
If you're interested in project management and what I've shared so far, I recommend exploring the Coursera course. It's affordable and provides so much valuable terminology and hands-on experience. It would have been very helpful for me.
The course covers concepts from creating a project charter to stakeholder management. Understanding the terminology can significantly help you down the road.
You can also learn to use tools like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel beyond just basic calculations. They can function as data manipulation tools or help you create visual timeline charts.
These tools can be used for more than just statistical graphs or profit analysis; they can help you map out your project plan. You don't necessarily need specialized software like Jira, monday.com, or Microsoft Project for simpler projects.
Google Spreadsheets can be perfectly adequate for managing simpler plans and projects. I highly recommend the Google Project Management course on Coursera for aspiring and current project managers.
On another note, never dismiss a tool until you've tried it. A great example is draw.io, a free charting software for creating flowcharts and process improvements. I've used it dozens of times over the years.
While some companies have Visio within their Microsoft Office plans, which is a bit fancier, it's surprising how little people discuss flowcharting software. However, as a project manager, you're constantly outlining business sequences.
This includes tasks that must be done in order, or tasks that can be done in parallel. Flowchart software helps visualize these sequences, which is crucial for many project managers, myself included, who are very visual.
That's why I have two whiteboards in my office. Making flowcharts and similar visuals helps foster understanding.