Career Path Of A Senior Project Manager At An eCommerce Supplement Company

My career path is a little different. I went through the first three years of college, then my now husband and I started a long-distance relationship. After six months, I decided to move to be with him, which required me to gain residency.

This move was from the East Coast to the West Coast. While I was getting my California residency, I withdrew from my university on the East Coast. I continued working part-time in banking as a teller, a job I held while in college.

I then started full-time in banking and was quickly promoted through the management program. In my early twenties, I realized I liked making money more than I liked going to school. I was in banking for about six or seven years.

During that time, I continued taking classes part-time at a community college at night. I wanted to keep my options open and stay engaged with higher education, knowing I might return later.

At one point, my banking career offered me a promotion to Vice President. I realized this wasn't the path I wanted and decided to pivot completely. I wanted to go back and finish my degree, and I only had a year left.

Having gained residency, I went to San Diego State and finished my degree in English Literature. This is very different from my current role in project management. My dream at the time was to be a children's book publisher.

As I was finishing my bachelor's program, I started working at an on-site publishing company for San Diego State. I helped students publish their theses and dissertations. This coordination and organization work introduced me to project management.

After getting my degree, I worked at that publishing company for another year or two. Then, I was hired at Elsevier, a well-known academic publisher, as a Journal Manager. I later moved up to Editorial Project Manager, really honing my project management skills.

I realized project management was my niche. I am very organized and enjoy seeing projects through to completion. Even in college, I was always the leader in group projects.

I worked at Elsevier for about five years. Then, my husband pursued his doctorate, so we moved back to Buffalo, New York. There, I got involved in healthcare, first as an Executive Assistant, and then as a Project Manager for the marketing team at a healthcare organization. This role taught me a lot about marketing.

Once my husband finished his doctorate, we moved back to California. This required me to leave my position, and I started in travel and tourism. I worked as a Senior Project Manager for Visit San Luis Obispo County for about two and a half years.

My career has spanned various industries. From travel and tourism, I moved to my current role as a Senior Project Manager in the e-commerce supplement space at Stingray Direct, where I've been for about a year.

While I was at Visit San Luis Obispo, I also earned my PMP credential, the Project Management Professional certification. This indicates, internationally, that I have expertise in project management.

There is a general lack of understanding about project management, outside of software or construction industries. The PMP credential elevates your experience and signifies you are more than just someone who manages tasks day-to-day. Project management also involves procurement, human resources, and strategic planning to ensure projects are completed on time, within budget, and within scope.

I obtained my PMP and then moved to Stingray Direct. That concludes my career in a nutshell.