FreezePoints eMagazine

On February 18th, 2026, I had the privilege of serving as the keynote speaker for our PMI Orange County Chapter (PMI-OC) webinar, "Project Management 101: Career Information for Students". Alongside my dedicated Academic Outreach Team, I shared my passion for this profession with students eager to build their future careers.

Defining Our Craft

During the session, I wanted to strip away the jargon and focus on the core of what we do. I defined a project as a temporary endeavor with a specific goal, schedule, and budget. It could look like building software, planning a party, or remodeling a home. To me, Project Management is the vital application of knowledge, skills, and tools to ensure projects actually meet their requirements and deliver intended outcomes.

I also discussed the two primary ways PMs guide this work:

• Waterfall / Predictive Model: A structured, sequential path where each phase must be completed before the next begins.
• Agile / Adaptive Model: A flexible framework using iterative "sprints" to allow for rapid development and testing cycles.

Why Now is the Time for Students

One of my favorite parts of the presentation was sharing the incredible growth in our field. I shared that by 2030, the world will need roughly 25 million project leaders to meet global demand. In the U.S. alone, the job outlook for Project Management Specialists is projected to grow by 6% through 2032, which is significantly faster than the average for most occupations.

The Power of the PMI-OC Community

I always tell students that they don't have to navigate this path by themselves. Our local PMI-Orange County chapter provides a home for 1,868 professionals and over 100 volunteers. I highlighted several benefits that are particularly vital for students:

• Career Guidance: A dedicated mentoring program and numerous volunteer opportunities to build real-world experience.
• Knowledge Development: From our Book Club and online workshops to our professional exam prep courses.
• Networking: Dinner meetings and Advanced Topic Seminars where students can connect directly with industry leaders.

Taking the First Step

I challenged every student on the call to take action today. You can start by earning a FREE professional certificate and badge in just 45 minutes through the PMI Kickoff course. For those ready to take the leap, student membership is very accessible, just $32 for PMI global and $35 for our local Orange County chapter. 

Join Me at Our Next Event

I hope to see many of the students I met during the webinar at our upcoming chapter events:

• PMI-OC Book Club (Feb 19th): We will be discussing “Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss.
• Social Impact Day (March 1st): Join us as we pack snacks for the homeless.
• Virtual Dinner Meeting (March 10th): Featuring Michael Greco on "How Employers Actually Use Agile".
• Advanced Topic Seminars: Mark your calendars for "Getting It Done" (March 28th) and "Smart Leadership in the Era of AI" (April 18th).

If you are ready to start your journey into project management, visit www.pmi-oc.org. I look forward to seeing where you go from here!