Have you joined PM groups yet?

Have you? If not, you are missing out on a lot of information.

Being part of groups help you find treasure bags, you didnt even know about. Join the project management community where ever possible and of course keep a track of them. Jot the links in a notepad or word document and once in a while go browse.

Here's what I found from the linkedin group today:

http://pmpstudynotes.blogspot.com/

Now, you know why you should join groups!

If you are not giving certifications yet and just trying to figure out what the PM stuff is all about, this is a good chance for you to try them out and see. You will get an idea at least.

Why wait? Browse the site and thank the author.

Are you feeling down today?

Have you heard the news once again or taken a cold shoulder from your best buddy? Your boss doesn’t like you anymore and you are at the receiving end of all wraths from your team members?

Stop. Breathe. Calm down.

We all have our downtime, whether we talk about it or not. Life in the world of project management or otherwise is not sans emotions infact it’s loaded with it.

Learn to tackle negativity-

• Let go- stop criticizing yourself because someone said you are not good enough
• Quit- not your job, but the forces that drag you behind
• Laugh- with your friends over pop corn and a funny movie
• Identify- the problem and see if you can tackle it better
• Evolve- to a positive person
• Read- happiness blogs
• Create- a positive environment
• Never- give up
• Awaken- to your life’s purpose and go ahead and do it
• Realize- downtime will come and how you handle is what your future will be

I'll be taking a break to smell the flowers and enjoy life and will be back with more to blog from June. Till then stay happy and happy project management everyone!

(Picture: google images)

Change

April has been a month of change for me.

Things are always crazy, however I decided to take it on- all challenges, my shortcomings, plans and the enthusiasm to do something more.

I decided to incorporate a lot of new things in my life. With so much in my plan platter, I decided to let everything stop for a day.

I think the hardest job is to prioritize and get things done one after the other. I enjoy doing them all but keeping a tab of the list is time consuming.

I’ll be focused on my venture for the next few days and be active in dumping my brain elsewhere and start afresh. As they say, to learn something new you have to unlearn first.

My schedule has to be something that I enjoy doing. So while I work around it, I’m trying to pick up on the vibes. I have given up on processed food and meat in the last month (includes bread). So, it takes time to get my meals ready, however am glad I did it. It’s something I have done for me!

I’m working on getting my 40 minutes of exercise (cardio, yoga, light weights) everyday, the treadmill looks dusty and I need to get back at it. I’m trying out the time and getting in at least 10 minutes of meditation into the regular schedule. I want to be more calm when I handle pressure and deadlines.

It’s hard to keep promises and maintain the level of energy in a stressed out ambience that we are so becoming used to. I have my flaws and fall off the wagon but I do get up and get on it easily.

A paper clipping in my purse from Les Brown says- "When life knocks you down, try to land up on your back. If you can look up, you can get up."

Instead of trying to check off my done chores and treat them as one, all I want is to enjoy what I am doing- be conscious of it. This is the life I wanted- to be super busy and now when I have it- I haven’t smelled a rose in the last one month. Everything has become a job, a to-do that needs to be get over with.

I want fresh flowers this summer, peace, happiness and gratefulness that I'm doing what I wanted to do.

(Picture: Google Images)

Interview with Jonathan Mead

RECLAIM YOUR DREAMS is a wonderful read, inspiring and thoughtful that will change your life.

Jonathan Mead ( follow him on twitter) draws from his life and brings a book that outlines why you should you be in touch with your dreams. He talks here about his inspiration in the book and how everyone can implement them. 

Hi Jonathan, thanks very much for the interview. Your book “reclaim your dreams” is a straight cut invitation to dream- what do you mean by it?

By dreams I mean the idea we have in our minds of the way our lives could be, before we stopped believing. We have a lot of unnecessary shoulds and musts that we place on ourselves that are really optional. We see them as requirements, but they're really agreements. To reclaim your dreams, you simply need to stop agreeing with a view of life that isn't what you want to create.

You talk about taking risk, taking the plunge- how applicable do you think it is in today’s economy? 
I think it's more applicable than ever. The downturn in the economy is just showing us that mediocrity cannot be tolerated. The downturn is basically distilling the market down to a level of excellence. Only the truly excellent, truly passionate and driven individuals will survive.

Now is a better time than ever to devote yourself to doing something you're really passionate about. When you focus that passion into something that fills a need or a gap in the market, that's when you create truly remarkable interactions. And remarkable, amazing value is what is always going to be safe, no matter how great the downturn.

Personally what keeps you going? I mean you talk about out of the template style living, how did it work for you? 

What keeps me going to is my drive to create a social revolution of people liberating themselves, through living on their own terms. It's so ridiculously exciting to me to do this stuff, sometimes its hard to contain.

As for the template life, it didn't really work. My cog has been malfunctioning for quite some time. I think it's now broken beyond repair.

Times are hard and sometimes it’s not so easy to take the risk, to do things out of the norm even when the person really wants it. What do you suggest- what should they do? Are they doing wrong by taking the much traveled path?
Taking risks is a big deal, especially when you have a family or people depending on you. In that case, don't kill your dreams. What you'll have to do is carve out some time every day that you'll use to work on your dreams. In the beginning in might be 20 minutes, then after a while you find a way to turn it into an hour. You have to ruthlessly remove all of the things from your schedule that aren't adding value, to make time to work on your dreams.

Then once you're making a decent amount of income doing it, your "dream time" starts to snowball. That's when you can really use the momentum to cut back on your day job hours and keep the snowball going.

I personally believe in what you are suggesting like “inspirational desktop” or “poster board” to keep quotation or pictures that inspire me. In fact, my purse has 3 quotations in them- do you think visualizing is in a big way an aid to get closer to your dreams?
I think it is a big aid. It's something to keep you inspired and reminded about why you're doing what you're doing. It helps you keep plugging away when it seems like the culmination of your dreams is far off in the distance. And it doesn't have to be visual. It could be an audio recording, or a "dream movie" with your favorite music. It sounds kind of cheesy, but I've found this incredibly powerful.

I’m big fan of your writings and this book is fascinating and a must read I think for everyone, so where can the readers get a copy for themselves?

They can head on over to my blog or go straight here to the book description page. 

Jonathan Mead is a revolutionary, raw foodist, dream coach, and prolific blogger. He is interested in unconventional paths to personal growth and advocates strange things like killing your goals. In his spare time he studies Jeet Kune Do and other ass-kicking strategies. His mission is to create a social revolution of people liberating themselves through living on their own terms.

Getting job in the new economy

Alec is one my favorite Project Managers whom I really enjoy talking to. The economy has made us all aware of our jobs more than ever. So, are there things that we can do to keep us prepared for the next move, the next job, the next strategy- I ask Alec.

Hi Alec, glad to have you back at Stepping into PM. Do you think that with the changing times job hunting has become a new game?

Hi Soma. It’s always great to speak with you. Your question reminds me of a comment a friend of mine made recently. He is a Broadway actor here in New York. For anyone not familiar first-hand with the acting profession, it is a world characterized by many people going to many auditions and chasing relatively few jobs. His comment was, “Now everyone is experiencing what it is like to be an actor.”

What are the three most important things to keep in mind while looking for a job ?

Professional career coaches have always de-emphasized job boards and want ads. This is even more important in today’s economy. I’d go so far as to say if a person looking for a job is spending more than 1 hour a day answering ads and perusing job boards, they are using their time much less efficiently than they could. Three suggestions:

1. Treat your search like a full-time job. If you’re a project manager, handle it as if you were just handed a major initiative for your client. Spend at least 7 hours a day on your project. If you can’t work at home, find someplace else to go. Here in the States, Starbucks is filled right now with people conducting job campaigns 9 am – 5pm.
2. Know what distinguishes you from everyone else out there. Are you crystal-clear on what Richard Koch http://is.gd/tcfh calls your 20% spike – those things that you can easily do better than most others? If not, spend some time figuring these out. This is not the time to apply for any job. There’s too much competition for each position. To have a chance, you must focus only on those positions which tightly correspond to your best skills.
3. You must reach out to others. Sending out resumes randomly won’t work. You must talk to people, message them, seek them out, befriend them, and seek to serve them without focusing on what they can do for you.

Does networking really come in handy while doing so?

Some people think of networking as trying to get someone else to do something for them. This is called “using”. It won’t work. A better type of networking is developing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. If you seek to serve, to help, to give to others, you are on the right track.

So, lets say I'm looking for my next step to move into project management, what should I be doing to get the job in today's economy?

While the long-term employment prospects for project managers continue to be good, it may be a little hard going at the moment. My belief is that a new project manager will be more likely to find a position in today’s economy through their existing contacts, that is, those people they’ve worked with before and can vouch for them. Go after the jobs which haven’t yet been advertised. Prepare a portfolio of documents, plans, anything you have which can show you know what you’re doing.

Where do you think "social media" is coming in these days in the job search scenario? There are so many recruiters in Twitter, hundreds of candidates who would like to network- what is the right thing to do?

Twitter has now become, "The next big thing". All the media outlets, marketers and others are getting on board. Some recruiters on twitter will be of extreme help to job seekers. Other recruiters are making big promises with little evidence to back them up. The best advice is just to get out there and start using social media. If you have questions, ask the people you meet online. There are many, many generous and helpful people around.

Thanks Alec

So you have decided to become a project manager

Hurray! So you have decided to become a project manager and looking for a job to get your foot in?

You have tried calling up recruiters, sending resumes and browsing through the job sites 4 hours a day and yet nothing? No calls, no emails for job interview and just when you are feeling all down and want to hide yourself in the gloom of the television screen- I have some news for you.

Yes and its good. The traditional job finding days are gone. Today, knowing the right person is all you need. Social media has made it pretty easy for all of us and thats great news.

So, stop goofing around the job sites and start meeting people. Online and offline .

Here’s what you can do-

· Plan – You should know what you want. List out your goals and stick it up right in your mind, soul and your board/wall in front of your desk. Seeing it often will help you remind yourself of your goal. Don’t trash your dreams in some over stuffed “new year resolutions” kit. Remember your plan this time is here to stay.

· Find you- Google search yourself; see what it comes up with. Now you know what people will see when they do it; you will be much better prepared to face the questions/interviews and better make sure the right content shows up.

· Where are you- Are you in the right place? Are you on the social networks? If you would like to be a project manager, are you following the ones in the profession in Twitter, PPMNG, Linkedin or their blogs/sites? Following allows you to understand the profession better, get real situation knowledge that can only help you grow.

· Brand building- Why should someone hire you? What do you bring to the table that no one else has?

Once you have answered these, you know your value. It’s not enough knowing them; it is equally important to let people know about it. Once you have chalked it out try doing something about it. Define yourself through your e-book, blog, social media profiles, and status messages and don’t sound mechanical while doing it. Be genuine, be nice, help others learn. Meet Dan Schawbel and learn from his self branding methods

· Blog- Haven’t we talked about this before? If you’re still thinking about starting a blog, please do so. When I started it; little did I know how much I will learn through this experience and meet so many wonderful people? Just commit to the cause of blogging and hold on to it. Write at least once a week and read other blogs on the same topic. You will not only learn faster, you get to know so much more from people in the industry that you can’t find in books.

If you have noticed, you can see I started reviewing project management software recently. Someone with 5 years of experience can do it better than me but I’m learning through it. Downloading free versions doesn’t cost me anything, but I can learn by trying them out, may be one new software a month. See what Alec (Satin) is doing with his blog.

· Be Bold- Doing videos (coming soon) was a bold decision. Don't hold back on some ideas that you have been eyeing for a long time. I’ve not done videos before and yes, I’m nervous of how things will turn out. I still wanted to do it because 1) I want to and 2) it will help me evolve better in trying to communicate to people. Remember, project management is about working with people and getting your ideas/scope transmitted.

My podcasts will help me be more focused on the clarity since they will be 5-7 mints videos. It will also help me critic myself and see what interviewers will see me as and get feedback from my readers, mentors and well wishers and improve. See what Jamie did to get interviewed by CNN

· Have fun – Enjoy what you do. We all have our problems and think no one has ever faced a situation like me. Wrong!

Grab this moment and start something new, something positive that you will enjoy and learn at the same time. New challenges are good for you, it speeds up your learning process, increases your focus and gets you a job or better contacts.

If you would like to know how social media can get you a job, read some of my favorite post here:

• Using social media to get your job 1
• Using social media to get your job 2
• Using social media to get your job 3

You can also let me know how you got your current job- was it through someone you knew or was it through job portals? Leave comments or better message me at twitter

Times are changing so should you; get your social media account today!

Ada Lovelace Day

Today’s Ada Lovelace day and what a feeling to be part of it.

As a woman who works in technology herself; I have had lots of influences, some of whom are men and some women.

Talking of my favorite woman whom I admire in Technology there are a few, however my Mom has to top the list. Anjana Bhattacharya, PhD in Chemistry (synthesis and structural identification of mixed chelate nickel complexes) and currently the Deputy Director and divisional head of a government (federal) research institute, she has handled herself most elegantly.

Her job among a room full of men hasn’t always been very easy - publications, research and conservation of energy (long before it was a fad) has always remained her true passion. Born in West Bengal, India in a family with exceptional vision and endurance she was taught early by my grand parents that nothing was impossible. She has always been an exceptional student, a scholar and has seen the tough times and fought against it.

Numerous papers and years spent on mentoring and helping others, I have seen her ethics as a child, most of it unknowingly seeping within me. Her dedication to her job, her compassion and love of science has always struck me.

One of most memorable influences that I have had is in an executive meeting, while visiting her. I happened to be in vicinity and saw most it unfolding before my eyes. The only woman in the meeting, she shocked me- with her knowledge, her expertise and the fact that she was talking about chemical components and alternatives as fluently as chopping veggies. Mind blowing I thought - it changed me completely, the way I perceived her.

Now, we often discuss about work together, the problems that we come across and how we are solving them everyday as “women”. We have three women in our family now- me, mom and my sister- all in Technology and enjoying every bit of it.

So, I ask her for the interview for today for the special occasion.

Has it been hard for you being in an era in Technology when there were more men than women?

No, not really. I think much of it depends on your mentality. Being in a research oriented job women can actually contribute same or more in most cases as men. Unfortunately, sometimes there has been one or two situations where being women came as a disadvantage and I along with other women in the profession and situation raised our voice against it till actions were taken. We didn’t want to sit and watch.

I also think mental structure is very important. You should be able to respect your peers and subordinates. It doesn’t matter whether they are male or female.

How does it feel managing projects? What do you like about it?

It’s great to work with people who want to work and enjoy doing it but difficult to work with a team who are more politically inclined or doesn’t really care much about their work.

What has been the most positive factor in your professional career?

The fact that my boss years ago gave me the freedom and the support to research and work on subjects that really interested me. That brought in a lot of recognition with international paper publications and invitations which came naturally because I enjoyed what I did.

What would you advise for today’s generation of women in technology?

Work for your dreams and try to achieve them. There will be times when perhaps you feel you haven’t been able to achieve it but the secret is to not give up. Women will always face situations where your work-life balance has to be maintained. It will be a lot of hard work, sometimes really hard but if you can put in the extra effort and get through it, rest should be ok.

Thank you.

If you would like to read more on Ada Lovelace day, click here

(Picture: Mom during her PHD days)

Steps to become a project manager

I'm listening to the PM Podcast and found the perfect one to write about here- How can I become a Project Manager?

The interview is with Thomas Cutting and gives junior project managers and the ones that wants to get into the profession amazing guidelines. You will want to listen to the podcast really, lots of information that you can implement and take a step forward in your career and find the right role. 

The podcast talks about how important it is to be involved in a project in just about any role to know what you are getting into. Joining in junior positions might be a good way to get your foot in the door. I started out as a management intern, then moved to become a project co-ordinator, a business analyst and gained experience in quality assurance and the core communication team. 

So, now that you are ready, how do you get you first project management role? 

• Get certified- essential. I'm working for mine.
• Network- lots of social websites these days; from linkedin to the latest social networking site for project managers like http://www.ppmng.com/(connect with me here)
• Plan, position and perform- I think its very hard to take the first step in the dark and you have to. It is as important to not loose the focus while you are trapped in the job and this is one of the points discussed in the podcast.
• Communication- this what a project management role is about, so keep practising.
• Integrity- your character plays a role. So if you have a strong presence in the social media, please make sure that you are strongly aware of what you are publishing.

Learn more, develop your skills and ask your seniors. 

Does twittering help you focus?

Just when you thought, what am I doing and where is my life going, I read this wonderfully inspirational article about the Twitter CEO. 

I am a great fan of Twitter, so much so that my newly brushed up resume has it as my contact along with the email. Most of my friends, bloggers and relevant people in my life are on Twitter and I think it keeps you really updated with the latest happenings. 

I'm always moved by stories because somewhere down the line it makes me feel that my dream of "I have  so much more to do" can come true. Honestly, reading this article has made a lot of difference. The journey from a farm in Nebraska to running Twitter must have been exciting and what an amazing journey.

I 'm always curious to know how people push for their next move, how they beleive in themselves, how they can do so much- what inspires them? I've been through my highs and lows and there have been times when I have sat down and wrote in a piece of paper as many times as possible that " I want to do xyz" or whatever the thought was. It does help, more you think about it and write it down and see yourself writing it; it helps you to move forward psychologically. The rest is easy. From the extremely introverted shy girl who wouldn't go into a store when there were people around to the individual who got acknowledged in school for being a leader, team player and outspoken- it honestly was a long way. 

The story goes on, may be the rest of it for another time in this blog. 

So, if you thought, your dream is too big or really not for you- think again, how hard have you tried? Or how much do you really want it to happen? 

(Picture: Google Images)

How to get a mentor?

I happened to read this article 5 minutes ago and Tweeting about it wasn't satisfying enough, because this is something I really wanted to save for myself and share it with you.

Mentors have always been an important part of my life, some have helped me see my potential or help me look within, others have helped me manage my problems better. 

Anyways, back to my original point, if you want to have a mentor and a really famous, influential, successful and popular mentor, here is how you should pitch.

Point taken.

(Picture: Google Images)

Treasure Bag for February

Here's the treasure bag for February and yes I am posting it a day late, sorry about that.

Keeping in mind the job market these days, I thought these articles can bring out the best in each one of us. Inspiring and essential, this is what the experts are saying.

• Antidotes to gloom by Alec Satin
• Ways to train mental flexibility by Baas De Baar
• Put a face to your brand by Chris Brogan
  
• Three ways to give a good interview by Penelope Trunk
• Soft skills for employees by Raven Young

Enjoy your Sunday!

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Here's the special offer, still valid- you can actually get a £50.00 off training on any Prince 2 courses that you take up at the-PSO.

Here's what you have to do, so pay some attention now. Email to julia.carton @the-pso.com with the subject line as "Voucher Id- PSO 1189/03- stepping into project management". Please mention your full name, email address and contact number. Only 1 winner  gets the discount. So, if you are interested for you or your loved ones please email within March 15. The lucky winner will be announced here. The voucher is valid till 12 June, 2009.

Creative- are you?

Have you thought over how creative people perform, their motivations and their unique psycholgy behind their actions?

If you are creative or handle a team of creative people, this is the best collection of chapters I have read. It wonderfully engulfs you in the fascinating world of creatives, is filled with facts, research and thought provoking content. 

I enjoyed reading it so much over the weekend, that I downloaded the rest of the free e-books. 

While I try to re-write my plans for the day, now that I have more to finish and do- I found this site by Mark McGuinness very useful and inspirational. You can also learn about the daily routines of the famous and see which one works for you. 

With all the inspiration at work, I'm hoping to get through my PM certifications, learn Spanish, exercise regularly and of course create better posts for the blog along with my full time job. 

So, enjoy the free e-books while I try to find my rightly packed daily schedule.

(Picture: Google Images)

My Work Space

Any work space whether in office or home in most cases is the reflection of your image. Your work style can easily be  evaluated by simply visiting your cubicle or desk. 

Here is my list of desk accessories at work:  

• A calendar
• A pen holder that says- share a smile
• A quotation by Patt Summit pinned on my board, says “You can choose to settle down for mediocrity, never venturing forth much effort or feeling very much or you can commit. If you commit, I guarantee you that, for every pain, you will experience an equal or surpassing pleasure.”
• A white board with projects names and the to-do list for the day/week.
• Artificial plant in a glass tumbler filled with multicolored beads
• A coaster (with an orange and steel color theme)
• My blackberry
• PM process chart
  
• Couple of coffee and subway menu/s in a see through folder 

(Picture: google images)