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Dimitris Maketas is a member of the ProjectManagers.Org community. He shares his story on why he became an Application Solutions Analyst in the following interview:
Why did you become a Solutions Analyst?
I started as my career as an IT Manager, then Solutions Analyst, then Project Manager and I always enjoyed being the one responsible for planning, scheduling, scoping since it includes client interaction, and minimizing.
What work were you doing previously?
For most of my career I was always working either as a Solutions Analyst or Project Manager, in the banking and international relations industry.
What are you doing now?
Currently I am working as a Solutions Analyst/Project Manager for an international organisation, following Agile methodologies.
When was the moment you decided to make the change?
The moment I decided to make a change, was when I could not advance anymore as an Analyst and I was given the opportunity to become one.
Are you happy with the change?
I really am and although it is challenging, I really like it and I am still learning more about project management.
What do you miss and what don’t you miss?
I miss the business client interactions to better understand their requirements and expand my understanding of different business processes.
I don’t miss being the point of contact for all technical related questions by business users.
How did you go about making this career move?
I started by getting certified as Prince2 Practitioner, Scrum Master and Product Owner. In addition, when an opportunity was presented to me, I took the risk and never regret it.
What didn’t go well? What ‘wrong turns’ did you take?
The only “wrong turn” I took, was to accept a Solutions Analyst position again but with better benefits and better future expectations and career advancement.
How did you handle your finances to make your change possible?
Both myself and my family changed our lifestyle for a couple of years, and we planned the change in increments, so to be better prepared without major drawbacks.
What was the most difficult thing about changing?
The most difficult about changing, it to change my mindset and finding support to accomplish my goals. Luckily my drive was such and I had understanding and compassion from colleagues and friends.
What were other difficulties and how did you overcome them?
Other difficulties, was time management which was tackled by proper and continuous planning and rescheduling according to priorities.
What help did you get?
The help I got was understanding from family and friends and being a bit flexible on my timelines and goals to be achieved.
What have you learned in the process?
Patience and perseverance, is the key. Don’t be too hard on yourselves and set SMART goals and objectives. Take breaks between reaching certain milestones.
What do you wish you’d done differently?
Trying to market my skills much better and maybe change some milestones on my professional development.
What would you advise others to do in the same situation?
Try to find a mentor which believes in you and coaches accordingly.
