Abe Noboa ⋅ Berkeley Heights, NJ AIG ⋅ 18 years experience

Hello,
First off, thank you for your service. I agree with the advice to seek out and interact with the local PMI chapter. Networking is your strongest ally. You have solid credentials so be confident in your abilities, know that it may take a little time to find the right position for you. Consider contract work as a Project Manager until that opportunity comes along as this will also build your on-the-job experience.

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

Both the Medical Field and IT fields run in projectized environments, and merging the two with Medical IT would be a great avenue. You have made great progress with the certs but not having the degree in the Medical and/or IT fields is a killer because those PMs all have degrees, and many have advanced degrees. First of all, shape your expectations that the PM position will not come to you until you have the degree AND a strong local network in place at your new Duty Station - that will take time. In the interim, I would advise a few things that will help you make progress:

1. Join the local PMI Chapter in Wichita, or wherever your target market is going to be. Join their LI Group NOW...join the real group when you get there....and activ ely engage with members to find the best companies.

2. Pursue a few other certs too. Something in IT Service Management (ITIL) would be helpful, something in Agile. There is one Agile cert currently free (www.scrumstudy.com).

3. NETWORK-NETWORK-NETWORK thru PMI, church, the gym, your husband's new command, and everywhere you meet people.

Good luck,

Joe

Cedric Cook ⋅ Richmond, TX IBM ⋅ 19 years experience

Hello Sheretta,

Thank you for your service! Based on your description, your credentials sound very strong. Not having a degree and being able to qualify for PMP is NO SMALL TASK! Now, taking that to the next-level should be your aim..

From an employment perspective, you could take your industry expertise -Medical and spring-load into a PM role by a). Contracting, b). Starting with data-entry or support e.g. Associate PM role, or c). Sub-contract your skills. In either case, you will just need to PERSIST as Joe Paschall stated... I personally think that obtaining a degree (through time) will give you confidence and some additional skill-set that you can utilize in your career-journey.

Congratulations and good luck networking!

Regards,

Cedric

Ric Osuna ⋅ Norcross, GA Macy's ⋅ 19 years experience

I disagree with the answer that advanced degrees are needed to enter the field. What's required is a moderate level of PM knowledge (PMP Certification will do) along with relevant experience. The medical industry is like a club. Once you are in then you are in. I would suggest hiring a resumé writer to tailor your resume to a specific job type you want. Then, make sure you don't just post resumes online. That never gets the job. Before submitting a resume make sure you find an internal recruiter to connect with via LinkedIn. Email them your interest and ask them to review your resume. It's a lot easier than you think.

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

One last comment - you are not doing anything wrong. You aspire to transition into an area where everyone has degrees and you do not yet have one. You are also trying to transition into the civilian world in a geographic area where you have no network - this is a double-whammy. Do not get discouraged but just be realistic in planning. You will not likely get the job you want right away because you need to complete the degree AND grow the local network first. If you need a job immediately, look for something you can do without a degree in the field (pharmaceutical sales?) and meanwhile keep plugging away at the degree and the nework. Most of us have to transition to an interim step before getting where we want to be anyway. It took me 4 companies, 4 years and 8 certs to get to where I felt like my experience was being maximized. Patience is a virtue and success comes to those who just keep plugging away.

Douglas Lavelle ⋅ Chatham, NJ Financial Services ⋅ 24 years experience

Shereeta,
Many thanks for your service and congratulations on your accomplishments. Bravo. I found this site and I thought would be of particular interest.
Best-
Doug

-Top 25 Project Management Blogs-
https://www.upwork.com/blog/2009/05/top-25-project-management-blogs/

John Green ⋅ Cary, NC Information Technology ⋅ 40 years experience

Hi Shereeta -

Ft. Riley KS is a great assignment. Just next door is K-State U. ( GO CATS! ). Several top generals came out of K-State. General Emory Adams, Gen. Donald Campbell, Gen Glen Edgerton, Gen Ronald Keys, and Chairman Joint Chiefs Richard Myers are just a few.

Congratulations on PMP certification, that is a HUGE plus !

Your best bet is to locate half way between Junction City (Ft. Riley) and Wichita so you can distribute the commute between you and your spouse. Wichita is where the PMP jobs are, Junction City is not known for IT work, and K-State / Manhattan is mainly all about the college kids. So I encourage you to look to Wichita for your IT work. Aetna has a big medical IT operation in Wichita. Hill-Rom also.

Have you developed your personal brand image ? Do you have a website that highlights your professional achievements ? (A website and domain name that promotes only you vs. only placing your info on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook or Monster.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_branding
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_identity_management

Building your personal brand is as important as your certifications and education.

Hope this helps.
JG

Olya Schaefer ⋅ Saint Petersburg, FL ⋅ 9 years experience

I would make sure that your resume is 2 pages, max and readable - 11 size font, spacing, margins, etc. I think a massive and dense resume can turn off people reading. And have a look at flexjobs.com. It's a paid site but it's really good. I got my first IT PM job there and a couple since. Write a compelling cover letter. And apply a lot - apply to everything. And get connected to people and recruiter son LinkedIn.

Cully Cavness ⋅ Denver, CO ⋅ 8 years experience

Check out this program called Vets2PM (www.vets2pm.com), for vets hoping to get into project management - should be perfect for you. Also, there is a company called The Project Group (TPG), which was founded in part by a Navy Veteran - they are a wonderful company and might take an interest in your resume, perhaps after you complete some PMP certification work: http://www.theprojectgroup.com/en/home.html

Best wishes!

Charles (Chuck) Postma ⋅ Muskegon, MI Alcoa ⋅ 42 years experience

Hi Shereeta,
I agree with Ken on the potential of obtaining direct employment through an initial contract or temporary assignment. My current position with a Fortune 500 company started as a contract position. Hospitals are in need of people like you although they may not realize it just yet. Check out healthgrades.com. At some point the fact that preventable deaths in hospitals are the 4th leading cause of early death in this country (National Institutes of Health stat) will need to be addressed. The website above can help you target a pitch to a hospital with a high preventable death rate. Good luck!

Chris Moore ⋅ Sacramento, CA Precipio LLC ⋅ 18 years experience

Sheretta, I assume you know MS-Project, 85% of the market uses that and interviewers will expect you to be at the advanced level. Chris 916.402.2756

Ken Wilke ⋅ Basking Ridge, NJ BioStrategy Solutions, LLC ⋅ 25 years experience

Hi Shereeta,

If you have not done so already, you may also want to consider working as a contract employee, as there are often contract PM positions available that can turn into a permanent opportunity. I am not familiar with the market in the Kansas area, but you may want to explore staffing firms that are active in your area in filling PM contract jobs.

good luck,

Ken

Chris Moore ⋅ Sacramento, CA Precipio LLC ⋅ 18 years experience

I'm a PMP and former job team facilitator. Congratulations on the PMP and medical IT experience is a plus as hospitals are hiring PMs--medical background preferred and IT experience mandatory--to implement their electronic medical records (EMR) systems. Most positions I've filled or seen either require or have bachelors as desirable, that will be a factor. If you have experience using or working on EMR programs, put that up front in both your resume and cover letter and apply even if they ask for a degree, you might get an interview. Be sure to join the local PMI Chapter and see if they have a job team or medical forum as well. Best of luck..

Wesley Calhoun ⋅ New York, NY The Bachrach Group ⋅ 5 years experience

Having your PMP is 90%, the other 10% is the resume. Must be industry-tailored and rely on common employment naming conventions and relevant titles. I find a simple, streamlined finance resume works best for the banks, in my personal experience.

Joshuah Chrisman ⋅ New York, NY NYC Department of Parks and Recreation ⋅ 1 years experience

Hi Shereeta,

The University of Syracuse offers Veterans a free PMP online class and certification course that you can sign up for at vets.syr.edu. This may help you get the certification that you need to get your foot in the door.

Best, Josh

Kasie Dugan ⋅ Charleston, SC Boeing ⋅ 4 years experience

Hi Shereeta,

It sounds like you are sharp woman and can adapt and learn quickly. I am guessing that you are having a difficult time securing a position without a degree. Many companies use that as a filter for potential candidates when using an online hiring system. I have also been on hiring panels (I work in IT at Boeing) and I see a trend where people highlight all of their formal education and certifications. While that's great, experience speaks the loudest and shows the most career development. I would highlight your PM experience.

Another successful strategy could be doing volunteer work and making connections that way. It also gave me PM experience.That worked very well for me here in Charleston. I was able to secure a position after building a face-to-face network. The great news is that I am now able to give money back to those same non-profits through my company and pay it forward.

Best of luck,

Kasie

Jeff Shoemaker ⋅ Lake In The Hills, IL Colorado Technical University ⋅ 20 years experience

Shereeta,
1st wasn't sure from reading your note if you have anyPM eperrience. I'm guessing not but you still have options such as 1. Take the test and get certified. 2. Make sure you have knowlede/exp with the tool such as MS Project 3. If you had specific application ep. (because you are pursuing IT) leverage that experience for an implementation or support ep., look at government contractors with contracts related with your exp. 4. Start as a Project Coordinator
Jeff

Mike Anderson ⋅ Wheaton, IL Infospectrum ⋅ 30 years experience

Hi Shereeta.

Thanks for your service.

If you have any familiarity with Epic Systems, there are a number of Business Partners in Kansas that would be interested in speaking with you based on your background. Feel free to contact me directly if your research does not yield any results.

Mike

James Bishop ⋅ Columbus, OH Morgan Stanley ⋅ 8 years experience

If you are applying online for positions, you will fail when you do not check the BS degree box. The screening system will never consider you no matter what experience you have. This is why you need to network, you need to explain to people you were trained by the military in PM, you need your resume to use job title they understand and not the military position you held.

Message me if you need more help. Best of luck.

Jim Bishop

David Gilbertson ⋅ San Antonio, TX Hewlett Packard ⋅ 26 years experience

There are several IT companies that support military medicine and many are looking for project managers or at least SMEs. So you may want to look for a job that takes advantage of your military experience, maybe getting hired by one of the companies that recently one the large (very large) military EHR contract (DHMSM). Leidos is the prime, but they have several small businesses on the team that may be looking for someone with your background in pharmacy and military healthcare. Another alternative is to look for a GS position at Fort Riley MEDDAC. Maybe starting in a clinical role, but working toward a project management role. If you are looking for a job not related to the military, I agree you will probably need to get to your new station and start building your local network. I am sure there are plenty of opportunities in the civilian healthcare field, but you have to be connected.

Louis Schwarz ⋅ Somerville, NJ AIG ⋅ 43 years experience

Hi Shereeta. This will be a transition for you. Go to a job that you are comfortable at, to start your transition. Hospitals, Hospital supply and medical supply companies, Health Insurance companies(Medical Claims processing), Pharmaceutical companies(Marketing rep), Hospital IT systems companies are all places you should look into. Also look at companies that hire former military.
Sergeant Young, don't leave your experience and can-due self starter attitude on the base when you leave, take it with you, you earned it.. Confidence is on your sleeve.

Deborah Meyer ⋅ Columbus, OH Anthem, Inc. ⋅ 35 years experience

Hello Shereeta: I agree with Joe, unfortunately the larger the company - more likely require the Bachelor's degree - it can become an obstacle. However, your PMP certification will really increase your leverage - especially within IT area which does tend to be more flexible. Look not only at Hospitals, but health insurance companies and other health related industries. Increasingly positions (especially for Project managers) with technology are more flexible to postings of "US". Include on your resume the # of projects you have worked with at any given time, and any metrics which are not deemed confidential. Good Luck! Deborah Meyer, Anthem, Inc.

Shereeta Young ⋅ Ludowici, GA U.S. Army, Staff Sergeant ⋅ 20 years served

I want to thank each of you for your very solid advice. Lately I've been struggling with my confidence in knowing whether or not I'm on the right track and just needed a nudge in the right direction.
Joe Paschall, thank you for your recommendation. Along with my current school work I've recently enrolled in a ITIL bootcamp and will be taking that cert exam in the near future. I also took the scrum fundamental cert last November (I didn't even think to mention that...) and am considering taking the scrum master cert later down the line.
John Green, thank you for pointing out potential employers and giving me place to start looking. I've only been to ft Riley once on a quick layover so not knowing the lay of the land adds a little to the degree of difficulty.
Douglas Lavelle, Thank you for the blog link. Not only have I started reading a few but I've already passed them along to some of my peers!
Ric Osuna, Being that I am so new at the virtual type of networking and using linkedin to actually connect with people (and not to just collect connections) I find your advice super helpful to kind of get me out of my "shell" and (hopefully) gets me employed..maybe not at the job of my dreams but at least someplace to start. It's like you said "simple" but again it gets overlooked Thank you.
Cedrick Cook and Abe Noboa, I will definitely look into contracting. It appears that it may be a good bet to get my foot in the door and get that on the job experience to build on what I've already got. thank you both

-Shereeta Young