Tommy Thompson

NAME Tommy Thompson
JOB Project manager
EMPLOYER Capita Symonds
AREA OF WORK Project management
QUALIFICATIONS BA town and country planning, Newcastle University (2000); Association for Project Management (APM) accreditation

I chose to go into project management due to the sheer diversity the job has to offer. The application process for my current employer was friendly but rigorous. I found talking about my likes and dislikes pretty easy, but selling myself while under pressure was challenging.

Understand your audience

My main responsibility is to run the project successfully on a day-to-day basis. I work with a mixture of colleagues, from operation directors to project office staff; in PM you need to understand your audience and adapt your communication style accordingly, whether by e-mail or speaking face to face.

My role requires me to attend various meetings with the client and colleagues to monitor a project’s progress, including:

Project review meetings with the client and project team, held bi-monthly. We review the current project status and what was achieved since the previous meeting and what we need to achieve before the next. They are sometimes held in the UK but can also be held on-site – my current project is in Germany.

Design team meetings (or DTMs) are held so that I can discuss the project design progress with the architects and consultants. They are usually held bi-monthly but this depends on where we are in terms of the project schedule.

Consultant meetings take place on an ad hoc basis. We usually concentrate on how the consultant is progressing with their specific actions.

Commercial review meetings are monthly and are set up to discuss project expenditure with the client. It is vital to understand what is being spent on the project and to make sure that the fees charged are in line with predictions. I’m responsible for processing invoices from consultants, checking that fees are correct and in line with planned expenditure, and I report back at commercial review meetings.

Working hard to succeed

I recently passed my APM qualification and am now looking to join RICS. I’m very interested in strategy and I’m looking towards a portfolio management or business development role in the future. At the moment, I enjoy not knowing what my next project, client, and location will be. I often work abroad and while travelling can take its toll, working in another country always makes up for it.

You’ll only get back what you put into project management, so be prepared to work hard to succeed. It is also important to work for a company that acknowledges your successes.