Michelle Muckenthaler ⋅ Castle Rock, CO National CineMedia ⋅ 9 years experience

John,
In my experience, the best Project Managers I've worked with didn't start out as PM's. It is true a PMP can get you in the door when you are moving from a PM job to PM job, but it is far easier to get hired as a Business Analyst without experience, then transition into Project Management. Some companies prefer to combine roles or companies using LEAN (or similar methodology) encourage people to learn and act in multiple roles, thus giving you experience and credibility down the road.
If you desire to work in IT in a Project Management capacity, an undergrad degree would still be sufficient to start. The key is, start at a company where IT is not their primary industry. For example, a retail company uses technology to do what they do, but it isn't their primary product. In this scenario, the expectation of technical knowledge is less than if you started at Intel or Oracle.
Good luck!

Anna Reifman ⋅ Arlington Heights, IL Allstate Insurance Company ⋅ 13 years experience

John, search for the jobs that you want and see what they're asking for. It's definite that the jobs will be asking for experience running those types of projects and possibly PMP. It's about the only certificate that seems to have any worth these days. While some companies can overlook it, the larger companies will just blindly put it as a requirement and you'll never get past the recruiter, if you don't have it....

Maria Davila ⋅ Cleveland, OH U.S. Small Business Administration ⋅ 18 years experience

Hello John,
Thank you for your service. I definitely agree with some of the previous comments, however it really depends on what interests you. For example if you are considering Information Technology, I would go for an undergraduate then a certificate. Personally speaking, I have studied project management principles, but do not have a certificate as my experience in managing projects is evident. As you are coming home and joining the workforce, there is a very small market of businesses that will take your military project management into consideration.
I wish you all the best of luck in your endeavors.

Sam Chamberlin ⋅ Cincinnati, OH formerly of G4S Technology LLC ⋅ 20 years experience

Mr. Baker, it really depends on the field you are pursuing in my experience. PMP is a certification that is widely marketed and so has come to appeal to many employers. I worked in the design-build area of the construction industry (specifically telecom and security systems) and formal PM training was not something that has been required or heavily sought after. What was desired was actual experience leading projects to successful completion. In the time I worked closer with IT fields, it seemed the IT industry valued formal PM training much more. I would also say that the large contractors in the general construction industry would want a PMP certification also, but smaller contractors in the same industry will be more impressed by relevant experience. Good luck!

Joe Paschall ⋅ Madison, AL nLogic, LLC ⋅ 26 years experience

The issue is not the degree you have, but the experience. Even with a Masters in PM and a PMP, if you do not have IT/Engineering/Construction experience you cannot manage an IT/Engineering/Construction project. Determine what experience you have that would qualify you to manage in that field- "project management" is not really a "field" and more than "Sergeant First Class" is a field. Once you have charted a field, then look for the requirements for PMs in that field. As Scott says, experience and undergrad degree are the basic requirements. The PMP should be the next step. Masters degree is not only not required, but not likely to be useful at the PM level unless it is a masters degree in the specific field (IT, Engineering, etc).

Seth Lynch ⋅ Plano, TX Hewlett Packard ⋅ 15 years experience

John,

If your goal is to get a PM job right out of the military, a PMP credential is going to get your resume more noticed in most industries. Certificate programs that help you sit for the test may be your best route for your short term goals.

Scott Kroeker ⋅ Omaha, NE Lindsay Corporation ⋅ 25 years experience

Hi John, I have managed many projects internationally for 20 years and think an undergraduate degree and experience is all you need. If you have specific project management in the military highlight that as much as possible.