Name: Roderick Gilliam 

Current Company: Building Technology LLC

Current Position: Ordnance, Engineer Equipment Maintenance Warrant Officier CW2

With what service of the military are/were you affiliated? Missouri Army National Guard ,1140th Forward Support Company.

How long did you serve? Currently serving (26 years). Projected to retire February 2030.

How did you hear about and become involved in PMI? I learned about PMI from a friend and a former chapter member Rodney Williams. We both were pursuing degrees in PM and one day in a casual conversation he mentioned that he joined PMI and invited me as his guest to the upcoming dinner meeting. I really enjoyed the meeting, however at that time I wasn’t ready to engage.  While on my last deployment I completed the exam and decided it was now time to fulfill that promise I made to myself.

What advice do you have for current or past military members who want to pursue a career in project management? It’s said that experience is the greatest teacher. What they didn’t say was it has to be your experience. Start off by looking into your network or finding someone in your desired field and asking good questions. Learning what a day in life could look like could make a world of difference. At the same time, you can gain knowledge about various requirements and avenues of approach to arrive at the landmark you are pursuing. For those that are on active duty start by gathering all the information that you can about your military career and how it translates to civilian life, and by all means use your education benefits, specifically Credentialing Assistance in this case as it will allow you to take courses and the exam at no out of pocket cost to you. It may seem overwhelming and may take some time but stay in the fight!