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Karen Pelletier
Project Manager
Northrop Grumman
Reading, MA
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Currently I am a project manager for an 8 person software development
team. My responsibilities as a project manager include creating
plans by using estimating techniques, preparing financial reports,
and comparing plans to actuals verifying that I will meet the plans.
I also create a team atmosphere by conducting weekly team meetings
reviewing progress toward the project tasks and discuss project
activities. Finally I assist the software developers in the software
development process by developing various documents/artifacts including
the Build Process Model (BPM), Product Breakdown Structure (PBS),
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), resource-loaded schedule, and training
plan using MS Work, MS Excel, and MS Project Office Automation Tools.
I became a project manager after 15 years of continued career and
professional development. My undergraduate studies incorporated
various liberal arts courses, a major in Recreation and Parks Education
requiring education, science and leadership courses, as well as
a minor in Music. As I entered a career in Industrial Employee Activities,
I realized I needed to fill the gap in business, so I obtained an
MBA. My MBA incorporated courses in Management Information Systems
as I adapted to the trend of personal computers, databases, and
spreadsheets. As a result, I transferred into an Information Technology
Career supporting my desire to learn about Networking, Apple Macintoshes,
IBM PCs, and Office Automation software applications. Along the
way, I became a Project Manager requiring certain skills. Hence,
I identified the skills and knowledge I required and filled the
gap by taking courses in Effective Business Writing, Negotiation
Workshops, and Conflict Management. As well as any project manager
info specific to Financial Management and Business Process Management.
My current department's focus is on technical training so August
of 2002, I received a Master's in Education. My desire to be an
effective efficient technology training provider by offering a stimulating
learning environment to co-workers and to support their professional
development needs while offering the technical skills, tools, strategies,
and habits of mind they require to complete their tasks adequately.
As I experienced these various courses, course work, instructors,
and professors, I gleamed from them various tools, techniques, models,
and strategies to apply to everyday life.
One of the highlights of my career was to lead an office automation
project to a successful conclusion. The experience made me feel
like an Olympic gold medallist. During the project I had to create
a schedule, meet deadlines, network the office, purchase office
equipment within a budget, provide staff with new technology tools,
train the staff on the new tools, and coordinate the technology
implementation team that would assist in building the network, configure
the hardware and software, and support the infrastructure. The office
considered the project a success because the schedule and budget
was met and staff received adequate technology training and templates
to support their job functions. I attributed the success of this
project to the variety of communication strategies I had to apply.
To keep the staff informed of the progress, I create a newsletter
forum Technology Link, designed the WordPerfect Office e-mail training
material, and generated word-processing and spreadsheet templates.
I also used a variety of oral communication skills to support phone
calls, classroom training, and team meetings.
During my 15 years of professional experiences, I have met many
barriers. The key to my success is the strategies I apply to overcoming
the barriers. These strategies include working through a problem
solving methodology, applying a conflict model, educating myself
on the issues, or discussing issues with others who could offer
insight and provide pertinent suggestions.
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