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School and Career Surprises: Tips From People on the Job

Career: "Although my career is working with computers, servers, and other related technology, it is extremely important to have very good communication skills. You still have to work with a business owner or end user of the equipment and need to be able to relate with them, and a team you might work with on different projects."

Career: "What surprised me the most about my profession is that it is never boring and no two days or two projects are ever the same. I am constantly learning new things and thinking of new ways to apply what I learn."

Career: "Since the time I have graduated, the evolution of technology has drastically changed things throughout the course of my career. The internet was in its infancy and email was not even started yet where I first worked. I would suggest to students nowadays to have multiple skill sets and be able to respond quickly to advancing technology."

Career: "I was surprised to learn as a project manager that you would be required to constantly be changing with the needs of your clients. Ironically even though your client wanted and is paying for your service you still often encounter resistance to change and implementation. Sometimes I feel like I have to sell this service all over again and that can be frustrating. You really have to have a lot of patience to deal with clients and understand their concerns even when projects are underway."

Career: "I am amazed at how project management is very much like running your own little business. You are responsible for maintaining a budget, training and developing employees, ensuring that vendors are paid, ensuring that you are capturing all of your costs, you need to maintain positive cash flows, etc. It is a dynamic career, where you interact with a broad spectrum of people and are exposed to many unique opportunities. At the end of the day, you realize how much trust the company puts in you to ensure the project is successful."

Best & Worst Things About This Career

"The best part of my job is its flexibility. I get to work from home, which is great for me since I have two young children. I also get to work with people from all over the world, which is something I enjoy. The worst part of the job is the high pressure deadlines. We often have clients who expect it faster, for less money. You cannot always predict when or what size projects will come, and while sometimes things are slow, they can just as quickly become very busy."

"Preparing the Portfolio Health Report accounts for a very small portion of my work - only a few hours a month - but it is my favorite part of my job. I enjoy preparing it because it's so specific. The information is black and white. It requires attention to detail, but no subjective analysis. The worst part of my job is working with the financial documentation because there are many different perspectives, and it's not clear how to address all the various situations. In addition, reviewing projects can get boring day after day. I see so many of the same issues. It can be discouraging."

Tips for Succeeding in This Career

"Study and speak a second a language. It's an invaluable tool to understand the translation business and gain insight into the structure of another language. Live abroad as much as possible. It gives you perspective on another culture and the ability to get along with people whose backgrounds are much different than your own. Get experience using a translation tool, such as Trados, as it's commonplace in the industry and most translators need to know how to use it."

"The most important qualification for my job is attention to detail. I'm not sure this can be learned. I think you either have it or you don't. If you don't have it, you wouldn't like my job. Beyond that, I would recommend you take advantage of opportunities to learn how to share information that may be hard to hear. Even though results of reviews may not be favorable, I always want the project manager to feel respected. You would also benefit from being familiar with project management methodology."