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PM-Mastery

How To Build A Career Roadmap Like A Project Plan with Tyler Norman

Aug 25, 2026 Season 2 Episode 79

Walt Sparling

Your career doesn’t stall because you “lack drive.” It stalls because nobody taught you how to run it like a real project. We talk with Tyler Norman, Director of Strategic Supply Chain Programs at Scholastic and a longtime PMI speaker, about turning career growth into a roadmap you can execute instead of a wish you revisit every January.

We get into what separates education-only project management from experience-built project management and why internships, volunteering, and getting close to the work matter so much for new PMs. Tyler shares how he uses job descriptions like requirements, then performs gap analysis to identify the skills, certifications, and “component projects” that move him toward the next role. If you’ve ever wondered which PMI certification to pursue next or how to keep a steady continuous learning rhythm without burning out, you’ll get a practical framework you can borrow.

The conversation also goes beyond work. Tyler explains the moment he realized he was “killing it” professionally while his personal life was falling apart and how that sparked his most requested talk: managing your career path like a project. We dig into planning as a total human, building swim lanes for family, health, and career, and using seasons to prioritize what matters most right now. We also talk about modern AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude, including how to set your AI up to push back and be objective instead of acting like a cheerleader.

If you want a clearer plan, better priorities, and a weekly rhythm that holds up in real life, subscribe to PM Mastery, share this with a PM friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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