I have an interview tomorrow with a company for a project management position. Any one out there have any advice for me. I've been a Cnc machinist for a couple years since graduating and love my job but want somewhere where I can move up.
Any project managers out there?
- Thread starter 04owmach
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I am sure the field will change the outlook of this position a lot, but I work as a project manager for a mechanical contractor. I find the best way to go about it is tackle all issues immediately, organization is key. I often go home and think about "projects" all night long and different possible solutions its often a game of strategy and luck sometimes. The positive for me is I am always in the field doing the above which affords the opportunity to take care of things during the daytime when everyone else is at work. As far as my profession/trade it is defiantly a step upward from the rest of the positions the trade offers.
project management in what industry?
They do carbon fiber work for civilian and military aircraft. If you are starting a completely new project how do you plan what needs done first? Say it has 10 parts that are all needed for the finished piece. How do you guys figure out what needs done first if one part is not anymore important than another?
^^ Just lay out a basic schedule with durations and which pieces can be worked on concurrently. As long as you know what's going on and its done in an efficient manner everything should be great.
thanks! thats kind of what i assumed but just wanted to see what actually works out in the field. The place i currently work at has absolutely terrible logistics so i know what not to do. If you guys were to hire a project manager what is the ONE thing you would look for??
Any of you work in software development? We don't currently have a manager and would love some thoughts on agile and such.
x 1,000
Getting all the different players/groups on the same page and schedule AND playing nice is the challenge (and often the amusement).
The specific industry dictates the extent you have to deal with this.
I am organized and multitasking is basically my current job. Get the cnc machine set up and running and then go on to machining on the manual machines while keeping the cnc running as much as possible. So i think im ok there. I am fine when getting people to do things that are the same age as me (23), but never really had to do that kind of thing with anyone older. I worked at an oreillys when i was in high school and college and was basically a night manager as i dealt with customer problems and getting all the paperwork done after 5. I'm just a little nervous about dealing with older people who dont want to listen to me because i am young. Any advice there?
I do, although as a product manager. I currently work in a sort of "agilefall" type methodology but we do have daily scrum. My last company was pure agile, though.
You can always ask the elders input to help ease that bridge between ages as well as to give you some insight into their train of thought.
Oh and good luck.
If you are a good project manager, prepare to clean up other peoples' messes. A lot. Other than that is key to be organized, punctual and respectful to all people you deal with amongst your projects.
Thanks a lot guys i appreciate it. Reading up on some different methodologies now
PM here as well, I oversee an entire division of the company I work for (cabinetry) that creates an entirely different product line (casework) for a particular account. We are like an OE manufacturer for them.
Ill ensure POs are entered, product materials are purchased, the job is scheduled for production accordingly and any hiccups ill figure our options and present then to my customer. I also personally QC some if the larger projects before they are cleared for shipment. Oh and I cost out the product as well figuring labor hours necessary, cost of materials, etc.
Most the time its about making sure all the depts are working towards the same goal on every project.
Ill ensure POs are entered, product materials are purchased, the job is scheduled for production accordingly and any hiccups ill figure our options and present then to my customer. I also personally QC some if the larger projects before they are cleared for shipment. Oh and I cost out the product as well figuring labor hours necessary, cost of materials, etc.
Most the time its about making sure all the depts are working towards the same goal on every project.
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thanks thomas. That pretty much sums up everything i expected it to be.
I do work for a company that has terrible project managing. They've been through a few. It's a tough gig, because if you're unfamiliar with the length of time it should take for something to be finished, it's impossible to work out a schedule. My best advice would be to listen and execute. Take what the labor tells you seriously, cause at the end of the day, they're doing all the work.
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