In this session of The Engineering Career Coach (TECC) Podcast, Chris Knutson interviews Bruce Harpham and discusses career planning, increasing your ability to generate more income, and lifelong learning and certifications.
Bruce is the founder of Project Management Hacks, a career development resource for project managers. Bruce’s project experience includes leading projects at banks and universities. Bruce earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Toronto. Bruce’s writing on project management, careers and technology has appeared at ProjectManagement.com, CIO.com, Lifehack.org and many other leading websites.
Listen to this session and learn how to earn your way to a six-figure income as a project manager. Here are some valuable tips from Bruce:
- Take it upon yourself to learn new skills and further develop your current skills
- Be active in professional associations, especially if you want to establish yourself as an expert in your field or you are interested in becoming a thought leader
- Earn a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification – earning a PMP certification shows that you can make a contribution that goes beyond your technical expertise and understand different ways to engage stakeholders
- Know how to invest in your own skills and your own network
- Be very specific in your goal setting (SMART process)
- Create the habit of proposing a solution rather than asking for opinions
- Establish a morning ritual
- Take someone to lunch or coffee once a month
Four key main predictors that tend to lead to the six-figure income for project managers:
- Choice of industry – highest salaries can be found in following industries: oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, engineering, and consulting
- Work Experience – people that have reached 10-15 years are much more likely to reach the 6-figure salary
- Education – project managers with the PMP certification tend to report a 10-15% higher income and also people with graduate degrees like masters or MBA
- Project Complexity – individuals that are managing $10 million projects or higher have higher salaries
What is your first step towards earning a six-figure income after listening to this episode?
Anthony Fasano, PE, author of Engineer Your Own Success, found success as an engineer at a very early age and now writes and podcasts to help other engineers do the same. Visit Anthony’s website at EngineeringCareerCoach.com to access all of the free engineering career resources he has created to help engineers succeed.