Making an Impact: How a Project Manager Helps Share the Big Picture

MetroStar is exploring the positive impact our people are having on the world around them. In this series, you will learn about the different roles, projects, and positive changes MetroStar's team is helping to create.

Being a Project Manager

Asha, a Project Manager at MetroStar, advocates for her team both internally and externally. Within MetroStar, she serves as a point of contact for her team and ensures projects move efficiently.

Being a project manager can mean something different for every company; however, each project manager must understand their organization's positioning, the big picture of a project, and how to best advocate for their team's needs while still guiding them to finish a project.

"You are the linebacker of this world," Asha said. "You are blocking things that need to be blocked, so your team can do what they need to do. You are serving or supporting others."

Being in the Government

When you work for the government, it means you are likely working on projects that will support the American people in some capacity.

"There is no right or wrong path when choosing the industry you want to work in," Asha said. "Working in the government sector does give you a look behind the curtain, though."

Asha notes that working for the government is similar to working in the retail or food-service industry. There are many intricacies about an industry that are learned while working a certain job that others may not realize on their own or beforehand.

The general public has a base understanding of how companies streamline their work, but the government's workflow can be tricky to understand. It's hard to become familiar with the way the government operates unless you are working for the government or have friends and family who do.

"The work of government agencies has always had the potential to be very impactful, to many people, and for longer periods of time. You don't have the option to 'fail fast' like other industries, so a lot of the work is done at a slower pace," Asha said.

Asha also notes that the way the government functions has shifted in the last few years. 

A Shift in Consumer Demands

Commercial, government, and nonprofit industries are overlapping now more than ever before. The American people are demanding changes and looking for higher transparency levels across all sectors. The push for social and environmental justice has grown in the past decade, mainly because consumers have demanded that change.

"You can jump between different industries due to this new overlap and also because of the transferable skills you gain as a project manager," Asha said. "But having empathy will make you the biggest changemaker in any field."

As a project manager, Asha helps a team see the bigger picture of a project. She is the line of communication that allows her team to make positive changes throughout the industry.

"For better or worse, our government is a hierarchy. Even in the most forward-thinking agencies, there will be a structure and order of people to report to," Asha said. "So, having a point of contact makes for more simple communication flows and lets the extra noise fall off."

The streamlining of work that a project manager brings to the table makes them an important part of a project puzzle. Without their piece, many projects can quickly become unorganized and dysfunctional. 

Growth At MetroStar

Asha has worked in different industries but believes it's an exciting time to be a project manager at both MetroStar and in the government sector. 

"At the moment, there is a lot of activity within MetroStar. It all relates to the idea of industry growth, but growth that is built upon a solid foundation," Asha said. "My current project presents unique challenges for myself and my team, but that's a good and positive thing for both MetroStar and the government."

For anyone looking to start a career as a project manager, Asha encourages a person to find what they are passionate about and where they want to make an impact. Each government agency attracts different types of people and you can find a specific niche that fits right for you.

"If there is anything you care about, then there is probably is a government agency or project for you, you just have to follow your gut," Asha said.