On Project Management and IT Careers: Marilyn Muhummad Lawal

Marilyn Muhammad: Senior Project Manager in IT

Before I dive into my conversation with Marilyn, I want to give you some important links and information. Did you know that you can give your career and salary a boost by obtaining the PMP or

(Project Management Certificate)? Project Management is something that a lot of professionals are doing yet may not realize it. It applies across a wide range of industries and fields of work because many of us find ourselves managing a project from start to finish.

So your work experience can count towards project management experience if you learn how to organize and word it by its inherent project phases and processes. Here is a link to the main site for Project Management Certification PMP Certificate. You do NOT need a degree to get it but if you have a degree, you will need to provide less hours of project management experience. For guidance on how to fill out the project management application, please look at this site Guidance on Filling the Project Management App. There is one last PM link  I'd like to provide you with for help looking into this, Girl's Guide to Project Management.  

Today in our given environment there may be 100 reasons you're interested in venturing into the lucrative and rather autonomous work of IT (Information Technology). If you're interested in starting your career in IT, I think a certificate with Google's name on it sounds amazing, here is the link to learn more, Grow With Google. Now, let's hear from an experienced and educated professional in the fields of both PM (Project Management) and IT (Information Technology). 

How many women do you know in the IT field? In 2020, women only made up about 26 percent of IT jobs. Out of that 26 percent, only 9 percent are minorities. For that reason, I always feel excited and some strong sister pride when I see women in IT. Recently I caught up with one such friend and past coworker, Marilyn Muhammad Lawal.

When we worked together roughly 10 years ago, her level of professionalism and the dignity with which she carried herself as a Muslim woman was impressive to me then and has only grown now. I truly believe she is an inspiration to women to change the statistics about women in the IT field.

"Marilyn, can you please talk about your educational background?"

 "I received my General Education Diploma in 1995, after that time I started thinking of what kind of career will motivate and challenge me. I wanted to work in a field that wasn’t predominantly a women’s line of work since I couldn’t stomach the medical field such as nursing that I saw many women choose. At the time my dad was taking some computer courses and I oftentimes went with him to some Technology Depots to get parts for computers he was rebuilding.

 I didn’t understand the technical jargon such as peripherals and drivers so that intrigued me to learn more, just to have a decent conversation with my dad. I then enrolled into Tarrant Country College 2000 and completed a certificate in Personal Computer Support in 2002, then applied those credits toward an Associate Program with a concentration in Computer Science completed in 2005 all by working full time and maintaining a family.

 After completing the Associates, I transferred to The University of Texas at Arlington where I met with an advisor who impacted my life in regards to my educational experience. My Advisor asked me what area of study did I want to pursue and what position do I see myself in as a career. At that point I was thinking small saying I’d like to be a System Administrator. Her response was “ why not learn the IT field where you can manage System Administrators and other Engineers. That motivated me to declare my major in the Business Administration program which led me in achieving a Bachelors in Business Administration with a concentration in Information Technology in 2011.

 Later on I applied at Colorado Technical University to complete A Master’s program but before completing my masters in 2020 I sat for one of the most prestigious certifications that is globally recognized called the Project Management Professional by the Project Management Institution known as the PMP in 2017."

"Marilyn, you are the first woman I've ever heard say they specifically looked for a field that women didn't dominate already. I find that truly fascinating and inspirational. Please tell me about your work experience."

"I started working when I was 12 in after school programs where I was taught how to create schedules for a maintenance program that I also worked. At that early age I was able to assist in leading the team since I was the first to learn the work schedule. When new members came I was taught how to delegate responsibilities. I also worked in fast food (Taco Bell) and warehouse before I started working in sales and telemarketing.

I’m very competitive and Telemarketing was a lot of fun but it was slowly phasing out so when I started college I applied for office positions such as Data Entry, Application Support and Loan Processing. At that moment I committed to taking a risk and applying for a Technical Support position after being laid off due to the economic slowdown.

I made a commitment to myself that if I get a certificate or degree in a particular field that I would stay in that field so that I could capitalize on my career path.

I worked with multiple recruiting companies to help me translate my computer skills into technical experience which taught me how wording things was so important. I constantly evaluated my schooling to ensure I was in the field that would drive me forward to greater opportunities while being able to carry my past work experiences that would count toward the requirements searched by employers. By doing this method I was able to grow in the technology field from starting out as a level 1 technical support agent to now Sr Project/ Program Management in the Technical field."

"That is powerful, practical advice that we can all benefit from. Thank you so much for sharing that Marilyn. What advice do you have for young women who may or may not be considering this field?"

"My advice to a young woman who is thinking about her future is to do what makes you happy or do what will make you successful so that you can do things that make you happy. Don’t limit yourself to careers that you think are just male roles. Go after it and be the best in that field as you can be. Stay motivated and always find ways to help you progress whether it’s furthering your education or joining a mentoring program."

"Excellent advice. I agree that doing what makes you happy is a key factor. What are your favorite and least favorite parts of your current work?"

"The most favorite part of my work is the lessons learned. As a Project Manager you have to lead and direct teams to move projects forward which requires a lot of decision making without having all the details so I rely on my expert judgement and sometimes they are accurate but other times they are not which is a good learning experience. The least thing I dislike about my current work is that  I hardly ever get to meet all of my team in person due to managing teams globally and remotely."

"Currently, you’re working in Project Management within the IT field. If anyone is interested in Project Management, what would you say to them?"

"I believe that everything is a project. Anything that you do that is unique with a start and finish is categorized as a project. If you have experience leading, directing or being a part of an initiative that is implemented into the company standards then you are involved in projects. If you want to take your career to the next level, Project Management is a way to get you in the next level in your career and income goals. Anyone interested in Project Management should join the Project Management Institute/ PMI.org to learn more about all the certifications to determine which one would best suit you in your position that would allow you to reach your career goals."

"Project Management has definitely peaked my interest. I look forward to learning more about it. If you have any other career advice for women, please share."

"Sometimes you have to take risks in order to move forward. If you feel like you are stuck in a position that is not elevating you in your career or income goals then take some time to evaluate what you currently have as experience and the industry you are in to see if there are opportunities that you can take advantage of that would lead you into the career journey you seek. Always seek for opportunities and keep that vision in your mind of the lifestyle you want and do your due diligence to achieve your goals. Thank you for your interest in me and I hope my experience can motivate others."

"I truly believe your experience and advice is inspiring and I thank you for sharing this with all my readers. I sincerely pray for your continued success."

 

 

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