Salt’s Specialisms in Project & Programme Management
• Agile/Scrum
• Business Analysis
• PMO
• Transformation
Demand Vs Offer
Organisations know that the successful management of projects and programmes contribute heavily to the achievement of the overall business objectives, which is why they constantly search for new talent. Since the environment within which the projects and programmes have to be managed have become more complex, it has become increasingly difficult to be an expert in this field. In other words, not many people have the required skill set for being a Project & Programme Manager, creating a skill shortage in this industry.
Popular Industries
The highest number of Project & Programme Managers is needed for the engineering, aerospace, construction, manufacturing, and technology sector. However, more and more companies in the public sector, media, digital, and energy industry are also hiring professionals in this field. A large amount of job opportunities in this sector are for manager positions but there are also quite a lot of jobs for directors and experienced professionals (non-managers).
Recent Changes
One of the most crucial changes in the Project & 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 & 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
For Project & Programme Managers to stay within a given budget as well as the ability to ensure that everything is delivered on time and satisfies the stakeholders. Apart from that, employers also want their future employees to be proficient users of various Project & Programme Management software applications but also know how to report for key project & programme elements outside the software.
CV Requirements
Recent studies shows the process outcomes of certified Project & 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 & programmes.
Interview Preparation
For Project & Programme Management jobs, it is less likely that you have to complete a certain task or solve a case study. Instead, you will probably be asked to answer a couple of behaviour-description questions, which should tell the interviewer more about your current behavioural patterns. Such questions might include:
1) Please describe a problem on one of the programmes you have managed. What happened?
2) Please list the metrics which you used to manage your programme. Why did you use these metrics?
3) Please describe a recent programme you have managed. What was your role?
4) What does “finished” mean in your current project?
5) Have you experience with death-march projects? If so, please describe it in more depth.
6) Please describe a recent project you have managed. What was your main task?
Educational Requirements
For small or medium-sized companies, there might be no formal qualifications required in order to get a job as a Project & 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.
