Career story: project manager in the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General

What does a day in your shoes feel like? And what are the key skills that can make or break a career in your field?

We’ve asked a diverse group of Apolitical members to share their career stories with us and the tips they have for junior public servants. In this article, Angela Modupe Adediran explains why it’s important to connect with others for mentoring and professional development as a project manager in the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General.

What is your current role and how do you spend your time on a standard day?

In my current role as Project Manager, Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General, I provide project management support on multiple projects ensuring governance structure is established and the projects remain achievable, on schedule and within budget and scope. Given the nature of my role, I am required to work with various project owners to identify project interdependencies, potential issues, risks and their impact. In collaboration with the project owners, stakeholders and team members, we work together to determine mitigation strategies when needed.

What did you do before taking up this role?

Before taking on this role, I was a senior project analyst in the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

In your opinion, what are the most important skills someone needs to excel in your field?

The most important skill for someone to be successful in this role starts with establishing trust and a good relationship with all project team members and the organization. I feel communication is critical to ensure information is being given, heard and shared in a collaborative and timely manner to avoid confusion and unnecessary delays. With all projects, challenges are anticipated, and it is, therefore, important for a project manager to be able to not only come up with viable solutions but to take a collective approach in determining the best course of action. Listening to others and showing empathy is important in keeping a team motivated and ensuring successful completion of the project.

What is your favourite part of your job?

My favourite part of this job is the ability to work on different projects at any given time. The variety allows for new learning and the opportunity to be able to make a difference on several initiatives that are deemed important to the organization. Interacting with diverse project teams both internally and externally keeps me engaged and makes this type of role more interesting on a daily basis.

What advice would you give to new public servants who are interested in a career in your field?

My advice would be to develop strong communication and interpersonal skills as this is probably the most important skill to hone in order to establish a good rapport and trust with project teams. It would be a good idea to connect with other project managers in the field to gain more insight into this type of role and their expectations. Look for mentoring and professional development opportunities that can shed light on the life of a project manager to determine if this type of role is in line with your career goals.

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