Opportunities to further your career within the Project & Programme Management industry
Organisations know the importance of well executed Project and Programme Management to the achievement of overall business objectives. This is why finding the right candidate for not only the company but the project itself is so crucial. In this digital transformation age, not many people have the required skill sets to be a Project and Programme Manager within this industry, which is causing a mass skills' shortage in this industry.
Furthermore, since the environment in which these projects are run and delivered has become more complex and agile, Project and Programme Managers need to stay informed about new methods of best practices in order to stay ahead of the competition. Keeping abreast of the latest developments in Project and Programme Management will not only provide you with a greater chance of employment but a better prospect in your future career progression.
Popular Industries
The greatest demand for recruiting Project and Programme Management specialists comes from engineering, retail, marketing, banking, manufacturing and technology sectors. However, more and more companies in the public sector, media, digital, and energy industry are also beginning to hire professionals in this field. A large proportion of the job opportunities in this sector are for managerial roles.
Recent Changes
One of the most crucial changes in the Project and Programme Management job sector is that employers invest more money in the development of their employees as research shows it has an extremely positive impact on the project and programme performances. In these programmes, the staff not only improve their hard skills by learning about new technologies and methodologies, but also their soft skills.
Future Prospects
A career in Project and Programme Management can be very lucrative. The important thing for a successful career is to gain as much experience in the specialist field as possible, continue your education even after completing a degree, regularly engage with relevant organisations, and keep yourself up-to-date about the latest industry news.
Employers’ Requirements
The employers’ key requirements for Project and Programme Managers are the ability to stay within their given budget, to ensure everything is delivered on time and it satisfies the stakeholders. Apart from that, employers also want their future employees to be proficient users of various software applications such as Jira, Greenhopper and Atlassian to help them keep track of projects. Most employers in the digital space will also ask that Project and Programme Managers have experience working within iterative agile environments.
CV Requirements
Recent studies shows the process outcomes of certified Project and Programme Managers are usually more successful than the ones of uncertified managers. Due to this finding, it adds enormous value to your CV to list relevant certifications in your field. Hiring managers also prefer if you include experience with various management methodologies as they are directly correlated to higher-performing projects and programmes.
Interview Preparation
For Project and Programme Management interviews, it will be less likely that you have to complete a certain task or solve a case study. Instead, you will probably be asked some questions which should tell the interviewer more about your current behavioural patterns. These questions might include:
• Please describe a problem in one of the programmes you have managed. What happened?
• Please describe a time where you have had a difficult stakeholder, how did you manage the situation?
• Please describe a recent programme you have managed. What was your role? What did you achieve?
• What does “finished” mean in your current project?
Educational Requirements
For small or medium-sized companies, there might be no formal qualifications required in order to get a job as a Project and Programme Manager. However, larger companies and more senior roles usually require a degree, experience or a relevant qualification, such as PRINCE2 or Managing Successful Programmes (MSPs).
Looking for Project & Programme Management jobs? Check out our current opportunities on our job page.
