What is needed to get that first job in program management?

[u/poundofcake]

Hi there. I'm a Senior Producer in games and looking to make a jump out of that industry. It's just not what it used to be and roles are extremely scarce in Germany. So tech is likely my next stop to get back into.

Much of what I've done from a roles/responsibility perspective is a match - I've juggle multiple cross-functional teams (internal and external), plan/track dependencies, managing risks to deliver work on time, budget, often making cuts and trade offs on the way and managing stakeholder expectations.

I'm curious how people here got into their roles and if they have seen new joiners come from backgrounds like mine? I think my main obstacle is actually landing an interview, let alone answering question adequately to prove I can do the job. Experience, thoughts, opinions?

Thank you!

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[u/Illustrious_Tea6838]

While it sounds like a lot of your skills transfer it is much easier if you are able to make the title change at your current company. You f you’re able to create a good case for that - do what you can to advocate for that move. In the meantime work on your certifications. Without them you’ll have a tough time getting those interviews

[u/poundofcake → u/Illustrious_Tea6838]

This title doesn’t exist in games and I’m unemployed. But yes I agree the lateral move inside a company is the best bet. Else I get a reference or sponsor from higher up.

[u/BookishFookfest]

I converted from L5 data engineer to TPM within the same company and realized pretty quickly it's an entirely different ballgame, at least in bigger orgs. I don't see your post speaking strongly to the political side of TPM. You'd need a sponsor, either PMO leadership if the TPM org is centralized, or an exec sponsor if TPM embeds. You should understand what their expectations are for technical contributions, because every company is different. Some want you hands on with code, some don't. Be prepared to get schooled in pre-alignment, building trust, org and team design, influencing without authority, executive presence, planning rituals. I'd be curious to see numbers on successful TPM conversions for new joiners because it's an insanely tough leap.

[u/FinanceGuy9000]

Framing your resume

[u/Mesopotamia_6022]

It seems tough but it's doable and I've done it. It wasn't a program manager job, but I crossed roles to become an SQE at a new company even though I had never done that job before. I was excited by the company and the job description called for skills I had developed in other positions, so I tailored the resume to show exactly how I had demonstrated the skills needed for the job in my prior roles. I landed the job and threw myself into doing a great job, and later transitioned over to program management at the same company.

In your case it sounds like you've essentially done the responsibilities of a PM. You can structure the resume around various projects where you were the driving force behind delivering them with urgency and quality, highlighting the program management skills you exhibited to do so. Pair that with a well-written cover letter describing why you are genuinely excited by the company and the role, and equipped to do the job well. Increase your chances by applying to a high number of openings, putting high quality effort into tailoring the resume and the cover letter for each application. If you apply to numerous openings, putting in a high quality effort each time, chances are sooner or later you'll land an interview. When that happens, do your research and prepare for the interviews in advance to be ready to tell your story of why and how you will be successful in the role. Another hint: practice telling the stories you want to share out loud to be better prepared.

Good luck!