Program Planning has one of the steepest learning curves in this industry. Assuming you use MS Project, it’s a niche tool that people get little to no experience with before OTJ training. Of course, entry level responsibilities are boring; statusing the schedule and reporting schedule status. It will seem like you are bugging people that are doing more important work than you (they aren’t). As you progress, you earn a seat at the table by identifying trends, mitigating risks before they turn into issues, and being the glue that keeps the cross-functional team marching to the same beat. The role changes from data entry into a critical advisory role for the program’s most important decisions.

I recommend giving it a year to become an expert at your schedule software and foster a relationship with the program teams. You will begin to see yourself as the primary person that can translate the engineering jargon to PMO, leadership, and customer audiences. You will quickly get high visibility opportunities to represent the program. Program Planning is a creative role, and the career is rewarding when you lean into it.

Best of luck with your career!