How did I get here? A project manager profile of Alex E. Parker, CAPM

Alex E. Parker

Here’s the next installment of my project manager profile series, “How did I get here?” I met Alex at the local Denver PMI meeting and he agreed to be the subject of this post. Thank you, Alex!

When did you first decide to become a project manager?

In 2013.

What was your academic and/or corporate background before you became a project manager?

I have a BA in Political Science from Colorado State University.  I also have an MBA and MS in Information Systems from the University of Colorado at Denver.

Currently, I am a data analyst.  Previously positions I’ve had were software developer, business analyst, data quality analyst, software tester, audit and security specialist,  and requirements analyst.  I worked on mainframes, website development (during the dot com boom), databases, and data warehousing.

Industries I worked in were telecommunications, high tech manufacturing, and a dot com company.  Currently, I work in the banking industry.

If you made a transition, did your company support your transition to project manager?

No, I did it on my own.  I used my paid time off time to take a boot camp course which I paid for.

Which credential do you have?

I have the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) because I don’t lead coworkers on projects.  The exam and training I took are the same as the PMP, but since I don’t lead projects I went for the CAPM.  One benefit of the CAPM, is that I don’t have to keep track of PDUs, but I do anyway.

How has having your credential helped (or hurt?) your career?

Earning the CAPM is part of my personal program to stay current and marketable in my career. I’ve always worked on projects as an individual contributor, so my project management came from watching how others lead projects and seeing what happened on projects.

My CAPM taught me the correct way to lead a project.  Also, the local PMI chapter meetings have been a valuable way for me to learn about project management techniques and challenges  in other companies and industries.

What advice would you give an aspiring project manager?

If you don’t have experience leading others, you can still get the PMI benefits with the CAPM certification which is a good place to start.

Any final advice?

You must attend the chapter meetings to build on  your PMI certification.  They are a great place  for networking and for learning about real world project management experiences from individuals who work for different industries and different employers.

Alex Parker is a data analyst, philatelist, practices yoga, and likes working on his house.  Contact him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-parker-01465a93.

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