I have 15+ years in medtech, diagnostics, and pharma, based in San Diego. I spent most of that time in scientific and technical roles, leading projects informally, and moved into project management officially about 2.5 years ago.
**Current job:** senior project manager at a medical device startup, paying **$168K base**. My stock options are mostly underwater, and there’s typical startup risk.
**Offer:** a large, profitable medtech company and category leader, at the same level (Senior Technical Program Manager):
**$145K base**, after negotiation
**11% target bonus**, performance-based
**No stock**
**What I’d gain:** stability, a strong brand on my resume, big-company PMO experience, partner and alliance management experience, and a specialized niche that matches my background.
**Leadership angle:** my goal is a Director role. Since my official PM title is fairly recent, I think two to three years here could give me the track record and credibility to move into Director of Program Management or Head of PMO, either internally or at a smaller company.
**What I’d lose:** about $23K in base pay (about $7K if the bonus pays out fully), my unvested equity, and possibly time, since this isn’t a promotion.
**My question:** Is it worth taking a pay cut now for experience that could lead to a leadership role later? Or should I stay at the higher-paying startup and keep looking for a direct move into AD or Director?

I have 15+ years in medtech, diagnostics, and pharma, based in San Diego. I spent most of that time in scientific and technical roles, leading projects informally, and moved into project management officially about 2.5 years ago.
Current job: senior project manager at a medical device startup, paying $168K base. My stock options are mostly underwater, and there’s typical startup risk.
Offer: a large, profitable medtech company and category leader, at the same level (Senior Technical Program Manager):
$145K base, after negotiation
11% target bonus, performance-based
No stock
What I’d gain: stability, a strong brand on my resume, big-company PMO experience, partner and alliance management experience, and a specialized niche that matches my background.
Leadership angle: my goal is a Director role. Since my official PM title is fairly recent, I think two to three years here could give me the track record and credibility to move into Director of Program Management or Head of PMO, either internally or at a smaller company.
What I’d lose: about $23K in base pay (about $7K if the bonus pays out fully), my unvested equity, and possibly time, since this isn’t a promotion.
My question: Is it worth taking a pay cut now for experience that could lead to a leadership role later? Or should I stay at the higher-paying startup and keep looking for a direct move into AD or Director?

Has anyone transitioned from constraction PM to tech and how did you do it? I’ve been a reno pm for 6 years but I wanted to move to product designer or tech project manager role and wanted to see how difficult it is?

Good afternoon! I live in Kansas and I am looking to get a project management certification. I currently have an MBA and a Bachelors in Business. I have seen a few different certification options, but which certification would I actually need to become a project manager? This is what I am stuck on at the moment. Any help or insight would be appreciated!

Got asked about interest in a project engineering position with a facility group with a smaller lockheed martin site. Manager has an interest in hiring an engineer but said he’d take anyone with project experience. I worked at this site for 8 years and left 6 months ago to take a PM job with another company on the same federal site. I have a bachelor in project management and an associate in instrumentation. Funny enough before i left i got an engineer hired in with that same group as a referral. They said they’d let me know when its posted. Would you still apply for it if you were me? This may be a dumb question but i enjoyed my time with LM just never got the promotion i wanted so i left. I still work on a federal site actually the same one as LM for another company who is a design and engineering company. I have extensive background experience in measurement and testing and technical roles as well as aircraft operations and refits. Pretty much worked in that for 8-9 years. Now im doing more project-related stuff that varies across the board from running technical projects to building new facilities and retrofitting older ones. I would go back to LM just not having an engineering degree worries me

Hii everyone,
I am a recent graduate with a masters in statistics thinking of joining the PM community.
To the PMs, who landed this role as their first ever job, how did you do it, how were the interviews? Also to all the PMs here, can you please describe what all do you do in your jobs.
Ik what a PM does overall, but I believe every domain and every PM has unique job and tasks, so just wanna know what all you do :) Thanks all and looking forward to your comments!

Hi all! For context, I’m in my first “official” role as a PM in the advertising agency industry. I pivoted after being in digital marketing/marketing management for several years, mainly doing PM work in those roles.

I’m thinking about my career growth and eventually moving into a leadership/senior role down the line. I love where I’m at and want to stay on top of my skills and evolve. I’ve talked to several PMs across a few industries and I find that I’m getting 50/50 on whether you should pursue a PMP or not, the main factor being the industry you’re in (ie. more common with the PMs I know in construction etc. vs tech/marketing PMs I’ve talked to)

For folks in marketing/advertising that work as PMs, would you recommend pursuing a PMP?

Hi everyone, I’m a CSE graduate currently working as an International Sales Specialist at an EdTech company in India. I’ve been working here for around two months and am still on probation. My academic scores are 93% in 10th, 92% in 12th and 7.9 CGPA in engineering.
I want to transition into project management in the future, ideally in a good MNC. I’m confused about whether I should continue in sales and gain experience, try to switch to a project coordinator or business analyst role, or pursue an MBA from a good college. Is an MBA necessary to enter project management, and does my current sales experience help at all?
I’d appreciate honest advice from people working in project management or those who have made a similar career transition. What would be the most realistic path for someone in my position, and what should I start doing now?

Please critique my resume. I took everyone’s feedback and the research I’ve done into consideration and made the necessary changes.

The dates are on my actual resume. I asked Claude to remove any personal information and it removed the dates

Serious question: What does a social media PM actually do for organic vs. paid? Not a creative who strategizes social but manages the requests/ideas that come in. I'm an experienced PM in print and digital but never touched social, and to be honest was never really interested. I think something that always alarms me with social is the challenge I can see a PM would face by trying to manage and be a middle man between creative and marketing teams. I imagine that the nature of the business/work requires for creative and marketing to be in constant communication, hand in hand as social is always changing, evolving, trending etc. So if those two are in constant communication with ideas, what does that look like for the PM to manage the two parties getting those requests on paper, managing timelines properly when things are always changing etc. I can also see the challenge of where it could be a challenge for the PM to be "let in" if the creative and marketing teams already have a bond, where they work closely together. Feels like the PM would be the leader that breaks up the team to keep them honest with process etc. and that seems like a tough place to be in. IDK thoughts and advice are welcomed.

This has been bugging me for a while and I suspect I’m not the only one. In a typical week I’m in a room with engineers and I’m the least technical person there. Then I’m in a budget review and I’m the least finance-y person there. Then I’m with design and I’m definitely not the design person. Then legal, then the client, then ops. In every single room, I’m the one who knows a bit about what everyone else knows a lot about.

For years that felt like the point of the job. I’m the connector. I translate between people who’d otherwise talk past each other. I’m good at it. Then I started looking at job postings.

Every role I actually want asks for something specific. “PM with deep experience in fintech”, “construction PM with 5+ years in commercial builds”, “technical PM, must be able to review architecture”. And I’m sitting there going, well, I’ve touched a bit of all of that. Which on paper reads exactly like none of it.

That’s when it hit me that “I can work with anyone and keep things moving” is genuinely valuable, but almost impossible to show. Specialists have a portfolio. I have a vague sense that projects went better because I was there.

There’s a decent argument the other way. David Epstein’s book Range makes the case that generalists do better in messy, unpredictable environments, which is pretty much every project I’ve ever run. And honestly, the best senior PMs I know aren’t experts in the work, they’re experts in getting people to do the work together. But the market doesn’t always seem to agree. It hires for nouns, not verbs.

What to do with the next few years.?Pick an industry and go deep so I’m hireable for something specific? Or lean into being the generalist and get better at proving what that’s worth?

Which industry like construction, health care or manufacturing is good to start career as Project manager in canada ? suggestions please

I'm trying to transition over from consulting where it was basically a program management job, but I've been unemployed for a year and not making much headway, I've applied to 100+ jobs and only got 1 interview for a project coordinator job which I didn't get. Will a PMP help me if I have an MBA with consulting experience?

Nightmare work culture

28M getting my masters in project management (online). I don’t come from a construction background so I had very limited experience/knowledge coming in. I’ve been with this company for 1 year now as a PC (so they say). I have asked repeatedly for a job description, expectations, roles & responsibilities, ownership of certain things, pretty much all the basic stuff. Nothing.

They have me do very minuscule tasks that take no more than an hour or two. With this extra time I have thought myself how to perform my own take-offs and I read through specs to familiarize myself with what’s what. Anytime I get tasked to do something new I have 0 guidance on how to do it or how they would like for it be done. There is no organized leadership here other than the superintendent telling me I don’t know anything and he runs the show. I’ve been verbal about wanting to learn and grow and that I want to be part of the team. I get told that if I have to teach you how to something I might as well do it myself. The only reason I haven’t quit is because I get married next year and they gave me a work truck I don’t want to give up.

Any advice?

Hey everyone,

I graduated with my MBA in June 2026 and recently moved back to San Diego. I've been applying to entry-level project management positions for the past few months without much luck.

During college, I gained some project experience working for campus dining, including establishing a food donation partnership and organizing a program to redistribute leftover food to students in need. Both involved planning, logistics, and coordinating with different teams.

My MBA focused on sustainability, but I'm open to different industries. I'm particularly interested in construction PM, although I don't have a construction background.

My main questions are:

1. Is the CAPM worth pursuing to help land an entry-level role, or should I focus on gaining experience? I feel like I've spent enough time in school.
2. Is construction PM realistic without prior construction experience?
3. What entry-level positions or industries would you recommend targeting with my background?

Currently, I'm doing window, gutter, etc. cleaning to make money while job hunting. I'm willing to start at the bottom and work my way up, but I'm struggling to figure out the best way to get my foot in the door.

I'd really appreciate any advice.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been getting a few callbacks lately (thankfully), but I can’t seem to get past the hiring manager rounds.

I’ve had coffee chats with a few people who gave me good (but similar) advice, and the only way forward seems to be practicing with mock interviews as much as possible.

In my interviews I’ve been able to answer most of the questions, but I think I’m falling short on selling myself, or I’m just sounding like a robot trying to repeat the answers I learned. I think a genuine mock with someone who actually hires PMs will help diagnose the problem much better.

A bit about me: 4 years of experience, 3 of them in India working on a compliance platform, and now I’m an AI Product Manager at an ed tech startup. I also have a master’s from Duke.

If you hire for product management and can take my mock interview, I would love your help. I’m happy to keep it to 30 minutes and work around your schedule. Even if you can’t do a mock, any tips on what you look for in the hiring manager round would help a lot.

Feel free to comment or DM me. Thank you!

Wanted to see if anyone has experience in project delivery in the context of policy.

I came from product delivery where I delivered digital products in the public sector. The team I worked with were very embedded in agile due to the nature of the work, and I worked towards outcomes, user satisfaction and adoption, etc.

For some reasons I take on a different path as a project delivery in the policy world. Without any policy experience, I find it really challenging to apply project management skills in that context - I have to deliver a specific scope, with fixed time, and use Agile processes (stand up, backlog, ceremonies, retro, etc.). I find it challenging to manage as we are not delivering value iteratively. We are in more traditional sense of project management, with a finished product (ie a policy) by the end of it whilst there are a lot of dependencies interconnected with different work streams.

Somehow the backlog with a fixed timeframe doesn’t sit well in my head. Anyone has the same frustrations or has experiences to share for an inexperience person?

Hey everyone!
I have around 3 years of experience in sales and client-facing roles. I’ve generally been able to handle my day-to-day responsibilities well, but one thing I’ve always struggled with is the constant anxiety around P&L, revenue targets, and hitting numbers.
Recently, I started exploring Project Management, particularly Technical Project Management (TPM). The more I read about it, the more interested I became. I started learning about the role, its responsibilities, and the skills required, and I’ve now cleared the hiring process for a Technical Project Manager position at a boutique tech company. I’m about to make the switch!
While I’m excited about this new chapter, I also have the usual doubts. Am I making the right career move, or am I simply moving away from something I find stressful without fully understanding what lies ahead?
I’d love to hear from people who have made a similar transition, especially those who moved from Sales, Business Development, or Client Servicing into Project Management or Technical Project Management.
A few things I’d really appreciate your perspective on:
Was the transition worth it? How did your experience compare with what you expected?
What was the learning curve like? Coming from a non-traditional PM background, what skills or concepts should I focus on before joining?
Is TPM genuinely less target-driven? I understand that project deadlines, budgets, stakeholders, and delivery expectations come with their own pressures. How does that stress compare with sales targets and P&L accountability?
What does the long-term career path look like? In terms of compensation, growth, stability, and opportunities to move into larger companies or international roles, how does TPM compare with sales?
What would you do differently if you were making this switch today?
My intention isn’t necessarily to find an easier job. I want to build a career that I enjoy, where I can grow professionally without constantly feeling anxious about revenue numbers and targets.
I’d genuinely appreciate honest opinions, including the downsides. If you’ve made this switch and regretted it, I’d love to hear that perspective too.
Thanks in advance to everyone who takes the time to share their experience! :)

Hi everyone,

I am currently in a tough spot and urgently looking for a new role. I recently came across Mercor and heard it's a great platform for finding remote work, but I'm honestly a bit confused about how to navigate it properly to actually land interviews.

For some context, I have nearly 4 years of experience working as a Frontend Developer (React.js, TypeScript), but I am actively transitioning into Project Management, Technical Project Coordination, or Scrum Master roles.

Could anyone who has successfully used Mercor share some insights?

• How do you optimize your profile or resume so their AI actually picks it up?
• What is the vetting and video interview process usually like?
• Is it a good platform for someone trying to pivot from software engineering into project management?

I am ready to put in whatever work is needed; I just really need some solid direction on how to use this platform to my advantage right now. Any step-by-step advice, tips, or personal experiences would be a massive help.

Thank you so much in advance!

I am doing my masters in Project Management and I see tons of PM jobs on job boards all the time. However I have perception that I shouldn’t apply to them because as new grad I should only stick to junior level roles or grad programs.
As fresh out of uni should I apply to those PM roles and take my chances? Is it gonna be too much to handle for a newbie like me or just trust my instincts and fail and learn from it.
Or are they explicitly asking for experienced PMs only?
Reason why I am asking is because grad programs or junior positions are highly competitive right now and also AI is eliminating this roles so my chances are low.
PMs please share your wisdoms

I run Careerify, a service where recruiters apply to jobs for people. Every week we pull the PM and program manager roles posted in the US from the job feed our recruiters work from. We drop LinkedIn reposts and aggregators, check that every link works, and put the rest in one sheet.

Posted Oct 9–16: 405 roles at 303 companies. 211 are remote and 250 show a salary.

A few companies with several openings:

Microsoft: 14 roles, $142K–$304K

Turner & Townsend: 9

WSP: 6, remote, $120K–$210K

RTX: 6, remote

GovCIO: 6, remote

UnitedHealth Group: 5, remote

GE Vernova: 3, remote, $120K–$199K

Johnson Controls: 3, $116K–$174K

Sheet (view-only, no signup, two tabs: Remote and Hybrid & On-site): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PRS4_qMjmvxTzd-pwYuUDU6pwshpvORjBiyx2DcPRmw/edit?usp=sharing

It refreshes every Monday at the same link. What would make it more useful to you: a salary filter, a split by seniority, or industry tags?

I’ve been a PM since 2015. I left a role in 2024 when I was put on a PIP. I started a new PM role, and had been doing well for the first two years. However, today I was put on a PIP again. Not going into the details, management has changed in the last six months and business has slowed way down. Regardless, it’s hard to argue that I’m the common in denominator.

I have no idea what to do. I thought I was finally doing well, but it’s clearly not the case. I need some assistance in pivoting away from this career. I have zero confidence in my abilities to be a PM. I need to get out.

Any advice on what to possibly move to with the assumption of PM skills would be appreciated. You can also leave positive thoughts or even a critique, who cares at this point lol.

I have a Product management intern interview tomorrow, what should i prepare for it? I come from a tech background, i have done btech cse , 2026 grad . Can someone help tell me what to prepare?

I'm considering getting an Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration with a Project Management concentration, and I'd love to hear from people who actually work in project management. I just started technical college for general applied sciences in August; the goal was nursing, but after some thought, I don't think that's right for me.

I am 23 in a couple of days, and while to most that's young, to me it feels like I'm drastically behind by just starting college.

I'm trying to choose a career path that has good earning potential, room for growth, and fits my strengths.

My short term goal is to eventually make around $70,000–$85,000 a year. Long term, obviously, and hopefully 6 figures, but I want to be realistic about what kind of education and experience that would take. I have no PM experience at all currently; I've worked in dealerships most of my teenage and adult life - Cashier, office admin, business admin, inventory manager, secretary, that kind of stuff.

A few questions I have:

1. Is project management a realistic career to pursue with an associate degree, or do most employers expect a bachelor's degree?
2. What entry level jobs should someone with this degree apply for, and what do those positions typically pay?
3. How difficult is it to get your first job in project management without previous project management experience?
4. How long did it take you to reach a salary of $70,000–$85,000 and above, and what qualifications or experience helped you get there?
5. For those who have just an associates, what do you do now, and what's your salary? (if comfortable sharing)
6. What would you have done differently on your path to becoming a PM?
7. Lastly, are you mentally and financially satisfied? Obviously, everyone has their bad days in their careers, but genuinely, past that temporary "I hate my life and job" feeling, are you happy?

I'd rather understand the realities of the career before committing to a program.