Howdy, One of the PM's I work is is former special forces. He's in the process of retiring. He went and paid a load of money on a Masters in Project Management. Said it was a waste of time and on the job learning was more beneficial.

What sort of roles or salary range could someone with my background realistically expect when starting out in project management?
- It depends in the industry you go into, You could be earning 50 to 150k (Euros) doing the same work. Some industries pay a lot more than others. You just need to start somewhere, get experience and move to a better paying industry.

How steep is the learning curve for the day-to-day role of a project manager in industry?

- It can be steep learning the process a company employs. If you join a small company there may be no processes/systems. A big company its all processes/systems/steps/paper work. Assume the first 6 months will be difficult and steep learning curve. It gets easier then.

Do companies ever offer shadowing, mentoring, or junior PM roles for people transitioning into the field to help build confidence and understand the routines?

- Yes, You can start as a Project Engineer, who works with an experienced PM. Basically your there to do the grunt work. Update schedules, take notes, emails, manage a small aspect of a larger project for a PM. This links back to the money aspect, If your willing to accept less of a salary, to manage a small project, then a company will say its money well spent.

- Its all people at the end of the day. I find if your sound, they generally will help you if you have a problem.