Career Advancement Suggestions pls

Hi,
I joined a company 2 years back as a QA analyst and then was promoted as QA Lead and I am leading a couple of projects and also projected as the QA manager to stakeholders. Although the company is good, my salary is below market level.

So I want to take a break and hone my skills and try for QA lead or Project manager/ QA manager with good salary and benefits.

So please ladies who were/are in my position - what sort of experience, education, skills you gathered to take interviews for these positions. How hard are these positions to manage in corporate companies, please throw some light ?

Does PMP, PMI certifications for Project management be helpful and also how hard are they. Can I study at home or should I go for some course.

People on the same boat, Please help me...
thanks

P.S. I posted the same info in Education and Personal growth forum and then thought this forum would be the right one to ask working women, so moderators please feel free to remove it from there.

Hi MLK - I'm not a QA person but from personal experience I can tell you one thing. It is not easy to get back into the workforce after taking a break for the following reasons -
1) You need to prove your capabilities
2) You need to prove that your skills are not rusty
3) You need to prove your commitment to work
4) You may have to take a step down and work your way upwards(so that the employer gets a chance to assess your skill levels)

I would suggest you not give up on your job. Keep working and look for a better placement. It is always easier to find something when you are already in the workforce.

PMP is good for someone looking for a management break or trying to learn project management. Since you are already QA lead and successfully managing multiple projects, why don't you post your profile online and test the waters? The market is still quite sluggish(esp for lead/mgmt positions), so you may not get calls right away but you can talk to recruiters and see what they are looking for.

Thanks a lot ... I am holding on to my job and will stay in the work force, just wanted to know the requirements of management positions to equip myself.

Oops, sorry I misread your post. Anyway, you already posses the first thing I would look for in PMs(good communication skills). The criteria for pure PM positions are -
1) Good communicator(key for onsite/offshore co-ordination managers).
2) End to end project planning/resource planning etc.
3) Good knowledge of the SDLC processes and key methodologies.
4) Knowledge of six sigma methodologies(if applicable).
5) Resource management/people management skills.
6) Depending on the nature of the position - mentoring skills.

I checked with a QA mgr friend who says people/task management is key for QA managers. Along with that, help with the project plan and good knowledge of testing tools and methodologies is required. A QA person moving up is the ideal situation.

Regarding PMP, from what I've heard, PMP is a good to have certification but the catch is that PMP teaches things that you may need to FORGET if you need to get your project in shape sometimes. It will be good to get if you are starting to look for a new job. I have friends who swear by the exam's simplicity and there are others who tell me how scary it is. Not sure how to go about preparing(almost all of my friends were required to take it as a policy of our employer and got trained to take the exam). Look for online training material/books/study groups - that's what I always do for my certs.
Good Luck MLK!

Hi MLK

Definetly if you are looking for a managent position PMP certification will help you .

DOnot take a break in work .start applying for companies for manager level jobs and make your resume in such a way that it projects how your managed the projects like how many people you managed and how big the project was and if you managed any budgets etc .

Thats the key .

All the best .within 2 yrs climbing up from a QA lead to manager level itself an achievment so pat yourself for that .I am sure you will become a manager soon

Hi mlk,

+1 to scorpiogal's suggestion. As you are doing managerial work, adding a PMP certification will help you get a comprehensive understanding of how a project execution is done and the best practices involved. PMP certification coupled with your experience would be a great combination for you to pitch for the next level in your career.

In 2 yrs moving from QA Analyst to QA lead and handling management activities is simply great. Wish you the best for your future and the same pace for your career growth

-Lakshmi