Hi, new poster here. I've been interested in transitioning to a Project Management career for some time now, and I'm ready to take the plunge. My career has been in IT Support/IT Support Management for large corporations, with a few years off as a consultant thanks to the bad economy. Since the bulk of my time in support has been to manage or co-manage projects, and several of my former colleagues have transitioned to PM roles, it would seem to be a natural fit for me. However, I'm concerned that I may not be able to easily transition from my current job as a Tech Support Specialist for a small university to a PM role. I am planning on taking an online Foundations course from the Project Management Institute, and also considering a few free or lower-cost non-accredited MOOC courses that offer a certificate at the end.
Of course I want to hear "go for it, you'll definitely get a project manager job" but I understand that the field is competitive and employers want people who have current skills/roles for their jobs. That said, does anyone have suggestions, thoughts, advice, discouraging comments that could help me figure out my next steps, both short and long-term?
Thanks in advance!
Barry