Although there are, unfortunately, some exceptions, by and large, the pandemic is subsiding, and economies around the world are rebounding. Chief among the indicators of a healing economy is that companies are hiring and/or rehiring. Among these new hires are project managers, regardless of whether they are Agile or traditional “waterfall” method, experts. And this is because so much of the economy is becoming project-based. Even my daughter’s elementary school, middle and high schools are teaching in a project-based manner. Studies have found that children and people generally work and learn more efficiently by setting goals, creating synergy, modeling, and following a clear project plan.

Personally, I see requests from recruiters regularly for qualified project managers, oftentimes with minimal work experience. These requests even have cash rewards for recommending and getting someone hired, which is a practice I had not seen since even before the epidemic. And various studies, including those from the Project Management Insitute (PMI), have shown that the project management field is among the fastest-growing industries globally. In fact, a study from PMI titled “Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017 to 2027” forecasted that: “Through 2027, the project management-oriented labor force in seven project-oriented sectors is expected to grow by 33 percent, or nearly 22 million new jobs.” This is an estimate that has stood the test of time so far.

In 2020, as many business sectors faltered and struggled, by and large, project management stayed relatively strong. And this was due to the need for planning and strategizing during an uncertain time. During the pandemic, more than at other times, Change Management, Risk Management, as well as Stakeholder and Communication Management, for example, were sought after practices because of the need to deal with the unexpected events that had occurred, as well as to be able to address future uncertainty. Furthermore, addressing the needs and expectations of innumerable stakeholders was key to weather through the crisis.

As the world economy continues to improve, the need for professionals, such as project managers in various fields will continue to increase. Therefore, whether you are looking for a first job or are looking for a career shift, improving your management skills is crucial. Also, if you have been thinking about becoming certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), or in an of the Disciplined Agile (DA) specialties, now is the best time to follow through on these plans. The new DA courses and testing have begun to surface through PMI, and the new PMBOK is expected to debut in early August.

In closing, think about benefitting from the new “normal,” which will include a lot more risk analysis, emergency preparedness, and detailed project planning and overall management. And although certification alone will by itself not make you a better professional, the skills, capabilities, and coursework will teach you how to execute whatever projects you undertake successfully.

The Project Management field is already resurging

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