Job Roles for PRINCE2®

Many hiring companies ask for Project Manager candidates to possess PRINCE2® certifications as a prerequisite. PRINCE2® Job Roles include:

  • Project Manager

  • Project Consultant

  • Project Analyst

  • Project Support Officer

  • Programme Director

 

How do I become a PRINCE2® Project Manager?

Given the sheer range of sectors that use PRINCE2®, including the public sector, oil and gas industry, construction, IT, Banking, Engineering, Operations Management, and Marketing, becoming a PRINCE2® Certified Project Manager is a positive career step regardless of your current experiential or educational portfolio. PRINCE2® is the most popular project management methodology in the UK, and the second most utilised in the world - preceded only by PMP. Hence, obtaining this industry standard, UK Government-endorsed, PRINCE2® certifications will serve as career launch pad due to being a signifier of professionalism and astute project management attributes.

 

Possession of PRINCE2® Certifications will enhance your employability and allow you to be sufficiently qualified to manage successful projects using PRINCE2® methodology - once you’re qualified, becoming a fully fledged Project Manager will become a reality rather than a career aspiration.

 

How do I become a PRINCE2® Project Manager? Step-by-step Guide

Due to certain course prerequisites there is a specific order in which PRINCE2® certifications must be completed.  In order to become a PRINCE2® Project Manager, you must:

  1. Build your project management knowledge through extensive reading

  2. Decide what type of qualification is best suited to your requirements PRINCE2®PMPScrumMSP

  3. If PRINCE2® is the right route for your personal and professional development, book the PRINCE2® Foundation course or the PRINCE2® Foundation and Practitioner Course

  4. Complete the extensive pre-course reading materials

  5. Undertake the PRINCE2® Foundation Course

  6. Pass the PRINCE2® Foundation Training Course (3 days)

  7. Book a PRINCE2® Practitioner Course in a location that suits your needs

  8. Undertake the PRINCE2® Practitioner Training Course

  9. Pass the PRINCE2® Practitioner Training Course (2 days)

  10. Receive your PRINCE2® Certificate

  11. Become a Certified “Registered PRINCE2® Practitioner”

  12. Boast your PRINCE2® credentials on your CV or LinkedIn profile (Click here to view our guide on how to add your PRINCE2® certification to your CV and LinkedIn profile)

  13. Apply for project management jobs in an industry that interests you

  14. Become a Project Manager

  15. Lead Successful projects - demonstrating your professionalism and applicable knowledge of PRINCE2®

 

PRINCE2® Salary Expectations

On average a PRINCE2® Foundation qualified candidate can earn an annual salary of up to £32,000. Taking the PRINCE2® Practitioner Certification can significantly elevate your employability prospects and salary expectations - a Practitioner can approximately earn  up to £50,000*. Such figures demonstrate the long-term value of your short term investment.

 

*Information obtained from PayScale - correct as of 24th July 2017

 

Next Career Step - what can I do after PRINCE2®?

Individuals need to decide what direction they wish their career to lead, which is entirely dependent on individual preference concerning working out what you’re good at, what you enjoy, your level of experience, your industry, what’s important to you in life, and what your salary aspirations are. After undertaking project management qualifications and leading a plethora of successful projects, individuals can assume more advanced roles such as:

 

Senior Project Manager - once you have established yourself as a proficient Project Manager then you can progress to a Senior Project Manager - leading larger and more complex projects. A signifier of career excellence and professionalism, this role allows individuals to establish their skills through interacting with stakeholders and third party contributors whilst meeting more demanding consumer requirements.

 

Senior Project Managers are responsible for the organisation and overall functioning of multiple projects simultaneously, and often globally. Businesses rely on senior Project Managers to utilise substantial budgets efficiently, through demonstrating best practice and a professional approach to all tasks; hence this position is a significant step up from standard project management roles.

 

Business Director - if you are passionate about continuing within the project management realms, but wish to learn about business processes simultaneously, then assuming a Business Director role may be the next career step for you. Within this role you can expect to manage and oversee multiple projects at the same time. Most companies require a substantial project management portfolio that signify proficiency and success, prior to assuming a Business Director role.

 

Resource or Area Manager - within this role you will have greater responsibilities regarding a niche sector across multiple projects. This role is very people focused and requires substantial organisational skills.

 

Project Consultant - This role tends to be assumed on a self employed basis and is entirely dependent on having an extensive network of contacts. Having demonstrated project management proficiency over a variety of project types and over a number of years, individuals can impart their knowledge through working as an independent consultant for complex projects - providing much sought-after impartial and unbiased perspectives. Project Consultants are most successful when they remain solely in their industry or niche topic - allowing them to fully indulge themselves into the management side of practice, rather than having to learn a new industry from scratch on each occasion.

 

With superior knowledge and awareness of how to promote productivity and resource utilisation, project consultants are much-desired and have the opportunity to work with a variety of companies to build their network. Project Consultants are the vehicles for change and can enter into a company with the knowledge and expertise required to beneficially transform the direction of a project.

 

Programme Manager - Becoming a Programme Manager is seen by many as the next incremental step up from project managing - it mainly entails managing concurrent projects that are more substantial in terms of size and budget compared to singular projects. A Programme Manager must first establish themselves as an astute Project Manager, with a high level of experience and project success, prior to becoming a Programme Manager.

 

This role requires knowledge that exceeds basic business awareness - enabling individuals to work across multiple industries or faculties. This additional requirement is the main contributory factor that enhances your career path as it demonstrates professional versatility. The qualities required of a Programme Manager are very similar to those required of a Project Director, both of which are positive steps forward.

 

How to become a Project Coordinator:

The role of a Project Coordinator usually forms as a type of assistant Project Manager - coordinating routine and repetitive projects, and supporting the Project Manager to make informed decisions. Project Coordinators assume a very important position due to often being responsible for managing resources, schedules, man-power, and equipment utilisation - hence a coordinator should be organised and proficient in dealing with checklists, maintaining logs, and making logical decisions - all of which are encouraged within the PRINCE2® methodology. The Project Coordinator facilitates the Project Manager's decisions and therefore is pivotal when getting the job done to a high quality, that adheres to the pre-defined stakeholder/consumer requirements.

 

Given the organisational requirements, planning is key for a Project Coordinator, due to having to converse with, and appreciate, a variety of departments and third party contractors. Project Coordinators must possess fundamental management skills, techniques, and processes, and be as aware of the project’s objectives as the actual Project Manager, as they must appreciate how each cog fits with the next, in terms of project pursuits and resource optimisation.

 

Coordinators are the focal point of communication and contact for all stakeholders - tasks include dealing with client queries to writing business reports at the request of senior management - hence they must be versatile, efficient, and prepared to complete a large amount of quality work within a short period of time, often without recognition.

 

Project Coordinator roles are thought to be excellent career steps towards being awarded with the enhanced responsibility of becoming a Project Manager - learning and honing-in skills concerning conflict management, resource utilisation, negotiation, motivation, and people management. 

 

Step by Step Guide to becoming a Project Coordinator:

  1. Obtain a bachelor’s degree (or diploma as a minimum) in a subject based on business management

  2. Gain project management certifications such as PRINCE2® Foundation and Practitioner, PMP, or Agile

  3. Gain 1-2 years of professional experience working in project-based environments

  4. Hone in your leadership, management, analytical, communication, motivation, and negotiation skills

  5. Learn about and understand your chosen business sector

  6. Become a project coordinator

  7. Expect to earn an average salary of £30,000+*

 

*Information obtained from PayScale - correct as of 24th July 2017

 

How to become a Project Analyst

A Project Analyst’s role concerns analysing data within projects and programmes, to assess whether budgets will be met, the probability of risks, schedules, and the statistical impact of change. Project Analysts provide the statistical data to support the technical team and Project Managers.

 

Project Analysts are sought-after due to the current industry requirement to optimise resource expenditure and to report progress back to ever-engaging stakeholders. Ranked slightly above the Project Support Officers, Project Analysts are there to support the Project Manager's decisions - ensuring that business decisions are made in the best interests of the project and that they are grounded by statistical support indicating their legitimacy. Due to business justifications and risk calculations being central to the PRINCE2® methodology, having a proficient Project Analyst is crucial in determining the success or failure of a project.

 

Project Analysts must learn to translate their collected statistical data into information that can enhance a project - joining the dots between numbers and practice. In some regard, the analyst within a project is the interdependency watcher - monitoring the project’s progress to ensure that tasks are completed in accordance with the pre-determined requirements/objectives. In order to become a Project Analyst, individuals are advised to take project management courses in order to understand how a successful project should function and what tools can be utilised to enhance productivity - it is not a passive position, individuals should be fully engaged with the project process.

 

Project Analysts ensure that projects are completed punctual and within budget, hence notable project management courses that aim to achieve these goals include PRINCE2®, PMP, Agile, and Scrum.

 

Follow this step-by-step guide to become a Project Analyst:

  1. Obtain a bachelor’s degree (or diploma as a minimum) regarding management or business analysis

  2. Or gain a business analysis qualification such as the BCS Certificate in Business Analysis Practice

  3. Gain project management certifications including PRINCE2® Foundation and Practitioner, PMP, or Agile so that you can fully appreciate project processes

  4. Become a junior project analyst

  5. Analyse the success of a project’s processes at incremental stages

  6. Support the Project Manager to make informed decisions

  7. Develop your credibility as a proficient Project Analyst

  8. Be a fully fledged project analyst with an approximate starting salary of £24,000, with earning potential of £30000+*

*Information obtained from PayScale - correct as of 24th July 2017

 

How to become a Project Support Officer

Project Support Officers are placed to support the day-to-day functioning of a project - ensuring that the predetermined methodology and standards are being followed to promote a project’s probability of success. A Project Support Officer often receives minimal support themselves from the Project Manager, as they are charged with responsibility and are encouraged to perform tasks independently. Hence, it is beneficial for Project Support Officers to have a pre-existing and fundamental understanding of the project’s intentions and underpinning methodology, in order for them to perform tasks such as planning, reporting, configuring management, recording costs, maintaining issue logs, and communication methods.

 

Such awareness can be developed through taking project management training such as the PRINCE2® Foundation Course - the most popular choice for aspiring Project Managers and Project Support Officers. Project Support Officer positions are considered to be the first step in the career ladder for aspiring Project Managers - within this role you will learn how projects operate, how to encourage the implementation and adherence of a management methodology, and the fundamental reasons why projects are successful or not.

 

Follow this step-by-step guide to become a Project Support Officer:

  • Possess long-term career aspiration to become a Project Manager

  • Take the PRINCE2® Foundation training course to become fully aware of the management methodology, or Agile® Foundation or PMP® Foundation, depending on your industry standard/location

  • Become a certified PRINCE2® Foundation qualified contributor

  • Fulfil Project Support Officer Role

  • Contribute to a myriad of successful projects

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