TOPIC: New to Project Management

Hello,

I am currently studying for my PMP exam and I am new to project management. Given that project management is a field that crosses many industries, I am unsure where I should focus given my varied professional background. I have worked in different fields such as education, community mental health, politics, and non-profit lending.

My question is; what industry or position is the best place to start for someone who does not have an engineering or IT background? Many of the project management positions I see available in my region (I am in a major city on the east coast in the U.S.) are predominately in construction, IT, or engineering which does not directly correspond with my work experience. I was reading some forums and it seems like project management is "industry-specific," given that certain industries tend to use certain types of methodologies. I would like to learn if there are other project management industries that would better suit my professional experience.

Thank your for your help!

I find the same thing to be pretty much true. In my business, I would seek someone who has industry specific experience first, then someone who does not. The fact that someone has a PMP speaks volumes to myself and other owners who need a good PM. Many times, lower level PM work may not require serious experience and someone with just PM experience would do well as long as someone with experience and willingness to teach are there.
Take a serious look at your experience and see which skills are specific and which are general and exploit the general ones in looking for jobs in other industries. Considering that PM is 90% communication, if you sell yourself and carry yourself well enough, you may very well capture the attention of someone regardless of specific skill set requirements.
I do not think there is a best place to start, only that you start and be persistent if you want something.