Bridging the Gap

[TcKiddco]

Experts, 

Experts do not become experts overnight without some degree of experience in your field.   I want to become a Technical Project Manager and perhaps this question can be raised to anyone regardless of what role you may have.    

What are examples of minor levels of experience which have led you to become experts or declared as having experience besides taking courses and earning creditntations?  

[Mark Manders · Accepted solution]

Only one answer possible: do it.

The theory, courses, documents, certifications are all nice, but without doing it, you won't become an expert. Be a member of technical projects and work on them. Work with the PM to see what he is doing. Run your own projects, focusing on the technical part (but there is a difference between managing a technical project and being a technical manager of a project). 
No matter what it is you exactly want to do: a PM is responsible for the entire project, including staying within budget and timelines. 

Experience is the most important thing. In our field, showing what you have done should be more important than that certification stating you are a CSA. Not all companies work like that, but they often find out the hard way that they hired a paper kitten instead of an experience tiger when they care more about certifications than experience.