“I really had to find a way to turn that military experience into something that was relatable to the civilian sector - changing jargon, changing acronyms, and changing the military-isms.”
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Why listen:
Here are the top two reasons to listen to today’s episode:
1.Project, Program, and Portfolio Management - at BTU we often hear questions about these three career paths, and Ian goes into great detail about what these fields are, how they relate to one’s military background, and how to succeed in these career paths.
2.Certifications - Ian has great advice about education, certifications, and how to make one’s self appealing to a hiring manager.
Beyond the Uniform has over 350 podcast episodes and 20 videos with America’s top veterans, including Jocko Willink, the former CEO of Pepsi, NFL players and more. They are all for free at BeyondTheUniform.org. If you benefit from Beyond the Uniform and would like to help get this in front of more members of the military community, please consider donating at BeyondTheUniform.org/donate. You can also text SUPPORTBTU to 33777 and we will send you additional information. Our cost of production is $300 per month, we are an all-volunteer team, and we could use your financial support. That is at BeyondTheUniform.org/donate or by texting SUPPORTBTU to 33777.
About Ian:
Charles “Ian” Fisher is Director of Operations at PM-ProLearn. He served for over 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and since then has worked as both an IT consultant as well as the Assistant Director of Professional Services at TimeClock Plus, a data management company.
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Partners:
Have you ever wondered how you could become a more effective and balanced leader? Or how to find a team with a high degree of trust that performs at a level you’re accustomed to? Check out The Leadership Podcast where they study what makes the best leaders tick - including many who have moved "beyond the uniform" to reach new levels of success and fulfillment.
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Related Episode: BTU #223 - Start With Why (Peter Docker)
Simon Sinek's team offers an interactive online ‘Why Discovery Course’ that lasts between 7-10 hours. Normally, it costs $150, but its offered to active duty U.S. military and U.S. veterans for $25! For more info, check out Start With Why Salute to Service.
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Transcript & Time Stamps:
3:45
Joining me today from Yoakum, Texas is Ian Fisher. Your official first name is Charles but you go by Ian. What’s the deal there?
When I was young and dumb I went by Charles. There’s a lot of things there that I’d like to leave in the past. So I ended up rebranding myself as Ian. My family still calls me Charles but everyone that’s met me in the last 15-18 years calls me Ian.
5:25
What was your transition out of the Marine Corps like?
For me, it was scarier than direct combat. You spend years learning how to be a good Marine. But when you leave, you really don’t get any training on how to be a civilian. The hardest part for me was figuring out who I was and what I wanted to do. I even had to think about where I wanted to live.
I told my wife that after I got out of the Marine Corps, we would move closer to family. I should have looked more into the local job market, though. I really wasn’t aware of what jobs were available. I had a friend that encouraged me to look into project management. I realized that I had done a lot of project management in the Marine Corps without knowing it. And that it was a highly transferable skill into the civilian sector.
9:45
How would you describe project management?
When you leave the military, you need to stay humble. You may have accomplished great things in the military but nobody in the civilian sector really knows what that experience is. When I was interviewing for positions, I had to reframe my military experience to make it something that hiring managers would understand and connect with.
For example, I ran an exercise in South Korea that included both American and South Korean military forces. There was a 14-month planning period that led up to the exercise. As I was going through the civilian job application process, I learned how to describe that exercise in terms that civilians would understand.
13:30
How would you describe PM Pro Learn?
I was working as a project manager at my last company. I really enjoyed the team but wasn’t enjoying where I was doing it at. I was working 60-70 hour weeks and I was salaried so there was no overtime. I decided that it was time to move on and realized that if I got a project management certification, it would make me more competitive in the marketplace.
I took a free project management certification course through IVMF. The course was an online learning platform. I struggled with that learning style so I started looking for additional resources. That was how I found PM Pro Learn. I enrolled in a project management certification training program they were offering. As a veteran, it was free for me. After the course, I took the exam and I passed. At that point, I was offered a job with PM Pro Learn as a teacher and trainer.
19:50
What is life like as an instructor?
Last year, I was on the road for 22 weeks out of the year. I taught courses all over the US, Germany, and Japan. But as tough as being on the road can be sometimes, it’s rewarding helping military members learn about project management and eventually earn their certification.
21:20
What is the difference between project management, program management, and portfolio management?
They’re all interrelated. Project management is a unique effort. Program management oversees several similar projects. Portfolio is everything that an organization links together for a strategic outcome.
23:10
What about agile and waterfall?
Waterfall is what most people are familiar with. It’s when an organization takes an understanding of what it needs for a particular project and acquires all of that at the beginning of the project.
In the agile approach, resources are gathered throughout the project as they are needed. It’s more short bursts of resource acquisitions.
26:25
How applicable is military experience in the project management world?
It’s not fair to say that you are automatically qualified to be a project manager. But you are certainly primed for it. The military experience gives you the foundation and then if you’re interested in project management, you just need to make the effort to learn the specific terms and methodology.
29:10
How important is it to get the PMP certification?
You don’t necessarily need the certification itself. Some people are just naturally very good at project management. I will tell you though that the certification is a great way to prove your skills to civilian hiring managers. Even if you tell hiring managers that you have project management experience in the military, you might have a difficult time convincing them without the certification.
Project Management Institute also just released a study that showed that higher salaries are able to be commanded by people with the PMP certification. Many GS jobs require that you have the certification.
If you’re interested in this type of work, I encourage you to take the course while you’re still in. There are many free project management courses offered to military members so you should definitely take advantage of that.
36:50
Can you talk more about how to fund training?
All military branches financially support members that want to pursue project management training. Many units will use training dollars to pay for your certification fee. At PM Pro Learn, we offer a large discount to military members and their families.
One of the things PM Pro Learn prides itself on is that it really cares about the people who are enrolled in its courses. We really want to see people succeed in the field of project management. We get so excited when our students pass the certification exam or take what we’ve taught them into the field.
42:50
What additional resources do you recommend?
I love this podcast. It’s a great way to learn about different career fields.
I recommend the books Strengths Finder 2.0 and Start With Why to learn more about the right career path for you.
As far as project management, some great podcasts are Five Minute PM, the PM Podcast, and the People and Projects Podcast.
I also encourage you to connect with me on LinkedIn if you’re interested in project management.
46:40
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
The most important thing to remember is that as fun as project management is, it’s not for everyone. When you leave the military, don’t chase a salary. Money is one component but you should go after a job that you will truly be fulfilled by.