Why Veterans Should Consider Project Management

A relatively new career field, project management isn't something kids say they want to be when they grow up. But it's a career field that fits many people. Project managers get to use both their creative and quantitative sides, explains Marie Spark, program director for the Project Management department at GGU's Ageno School of Business.

Spark said that she considers herself an accidental project manager. She discovered it when pursuing her MBA and wasn't sure what to do next. She heard about the field and then realized it was perfect for her.

"All through my life, I was the person who enjoyed getting things done. I was looking for opportunities to do things and getting them done. And, and that's what drives me," she said.

What is Project Management?

Project managers are responsible for planning, directing, and organizing projects. They have limitations of time, personnel, and budget. Project managers use their professional experience, knowledge, and other tools and techniques to complete the project. Some of examples of projects they work on include relief efforts after a natural disaster, building new construction, or expanding a company into a new geographic market.

A Good Fit for Veterans

Many veterans find the transition period to be overwhelming. They're making a significant change and aren't sure what to do next. Spark thinks that project management may be a good fit for veterans for a few reasons.

Veterans have worked on teams. They have done some amazing stuff that has prepared them for this field, Spark said. They've led project teams, and they are natural project managers.

"One of the things a project manager does is bring structure and order to chaos," Spark said. "And, if you're in the military, this is something that you've done because you're constantly put into very difficult dynamic situations, and you follow a process. You also know when you need to work around that process, but you don't just go into a panic. You figure out how to bring logic to the situation."

All of these are things a project manager does. It's a combination of technical skills and people skills -- figuring out how it all comes together. And this is something veterans have experience doing.

Another reason project management is a good fit for veterans is the government jobs in this field. Government contractors require PMP certified project managers for contract positions, which increases the need for skilled project managers.

Why Project Management at GGU? 

Recently, GGU changed one part of the project management master's degree. Students can now combine it with almost any of the other business electives. So a student that has a focus on marketing or is interested in leadership or finance could decide to pair both of that with project management, Spark said.

Project management is really a set of tools, which is why GGU decided to make it more compatible with other fields. So that someone with an interest in marketing can use and develop the tools learned in project management in the marketing field.

Learn more about how practical degrees and flexible scheduling make GGU the perfect fit for military-connected students.