I finally got my PMP certification because I’m determined to pivot out of the lab and into project management. But now every role I apply for wants “2+ years of PM experience,” and it feels like a catch-22. I’ve been working as a Senior Research Associate for 5 years, managing timelines and cross-functional coordination on the science side, but apparently none of that counts. Kind of hard to get project management experience when you’re still pipetting full-time. Has anyone here actually made the jump from bench to PM—and how did you convince hiring managers to take the leap with you?

I’m UK-based and pivoting into PM from a creative background, BA Music. I’m applying for JuniorPM roles and want to strengthen my CV at screening stage. I already did Prince2 and I’m considering either a 6-month executive programme (Oxford/LSE) or further certifications (PMP/APM). From a hiring perspective, which option would help more in landing my first role? Would a short exec course + PMP/APM be a better combination? Anyone did a similar change? A recruiter’s perspective would be great also

Recently started the Google PM Certification course and should be finished with it by Mid Dec. I'm currently a TL with a TPA and LOVE the company, but Im already doing PM work without the pay and I don't think they have any intention of giving me that opp. Not because I COULDN'T, but because they are already short staffed as it is. I'm hoping to get into a starting position in Project Management. I specialize in Self Funded Employer Plans, Carve Outs, etc. Where would a good place to start be?

I’ve just registered for PMP Essentials at The College of DuPage. A bit of background: I’ve been an executive assistant for years as well as a meeting planner,  I was laid off because most of my department was eliminated a few months ago. I am not having any success finding a new executive assistant position, and I thought this would be an opportunity for me to go into a new direction. Has anybody done something similar? Any advice, suggestions, and/or war stories are greatly appreciated! 

Product vets - has the standard of PMs seriously declined? I lead product and design, started my career as a PM 16 years ago. I'm not in SV, or the US, though I've worked in both. I'm finding it harder to find curious, analytical PMs now than ever. Has the market become saturated and the gems are just that much harder to find? In my whole team, we're seeing people improve with good coaching but the base level of the team I inherited and some new hires is shocking

I am a pediatric nurse practitioner with certification through the PNCB as PMHS. I have worked in mental health since 2012 and only full-time pediatric/adolescent medication provider for Luminis Health organization (medical director is board certified adult and pediatric psychiatrist). I am not "PMHNP" but have more experience clinically than most PMHNP providers. I am also an associate clinical instructor for several universities, to include Johns Hopkins University.

I’m a developer that wants to utilize my project manager more for help but I want to avoid making them feel like a secretary/admin assistant. I’ve asked if they could do some tasks like schedule calls, escalate why a customer wasn’t joining our calls, give a report to execs, etc. They got offended and said I can do it. So how do I draw this line where I effectively use my PM? Because at this point I’m wearing both dev and PM hat.

I’m a front end developer, and I was just laid off from JPM. I was contemplating doing a career pivot and was thinking about PM. Any advice for me? I’m not 100% if it’s for me, but I wanted to try something new. Any courses/certifications that would help me? A bit too late to transition to a role within my firm currently. I’d imagine having technical experience is a plus? Any pros/cons of this role? Any/all advice would be appreciated

I’m a front end developer, and I was just laid off from JPM. I was contemplating doing a career pivot and was thinking about PM. Any advice for me? I’m not 100% if it’s for me, but I wanted to try something new. Any courses/certifications that would help me? A bit too late to transition to a role within my firm currently. I’d imagine having technical experience is a plus? Any pros/cons of this role? Any/all advice would be appreciated

Is the PMP certification still highly valued in 2025? My role is heavy on change management, Agile transformation, and participating in a Salesforce implementation. Since I’m working in an agile environment, is the PMP still valued? I know the PMP focuses more on (Agile + traditional) initiatives, and is more PMI-style project management applicable across various industries…?