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The Importance of Being Qualified
A series of blogs by Jack Machin, ChPP MAPM
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Blog no.1 of 3
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING QUALIFIED
“It isn’t easy being anything nowadays, there is such a lot of beastly competition about” – Oscar Wilde (The Importance of Being Earnest)
Anyone in the business of delivering projects will have worked with someone who is labelled a ‘Project Manager’ without having any real recognised qualification behind them to back up their fancy (often self-proclaimed) job title. They can often boast a wealth of experience and expertise in their industry, but their credibility is open to scrutiny unless they can demonstrate their competence with a meaningful qualification.
In theory, project management should be a somewhat straightforward gig, but people do tend to oversimplify it. It is not just a case of managing the ‘three pillars’ of project management; time, cost, and quality, and there are several nuances at play when ensuring that the project maintains traction. Poor management is still so common, and perhaps the role of a Project Manager is underappreciated in that sense. PMs spend a lot of time reacting to unforeseen issues, ensuring governance processes are adhered to, and maintaining relationships with sensitive stakeholders. Those who have ambitions of delivering projects with greater scale and complexity cannot rely on theory and common sense alone to get them through.
The demand for skilled PMs is higher than ever and many industries are experiencing a talent shortage. According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), the world needs 25 million new project professionals by 2030 to meet the increasing demand across various sectors. This presents an opportunity for those entering the profession as organisations are actively looking for qualified PMs. There is a risk however that with rising demand there will be an emergence of rogue traders – those claiming to be top notch PMs without the skills or experience to back it up.
Given that the Project Manager title is becoming more and more widespread there is an increased risk that clients will appoint PMs that lack the credentials to successfully deliver their projects and programmes. Appointing a PM who is not properly qualified can pose serious risks to the success of a project and the reputation of the client organisation. They may lack experience of developing realistic schedules, sufficiently allocating resources, and identifying critical path activities. For recruiters or prospective clients looking for the right ‘fit’ it can be difficult to see the wood from the trees, so to speak.
On a personal level, given that I am a PM in my mid-twenties with a somewhat youthful appearance I often feel that I need to give new clients extra assurance about my own capabilities. To build trust, I always aim to be honest about what about what my strengths and weaknesses are and aim to be as prepared as I possibly can. I feel it is important for me to be proactive, follow processes meticulously, and communicate with clarity and confidence. Alongside those ‘soft skills’ I recognise the importance of holding a recognised qualification and I am fortunate that Ubique are keen to see their staff develop and they have provided me with several opportunities for growth.
I am proud to have achieved Chartered Project Professional status with the Association for Project Management (APM) – allowing me to don the post-nominals ‘ChPP.’ Becoming Chartered has a number of advantages but perhaps the most important one for me is that is has given me greater credibility and strengthened my reputation with clients. The APM have highlighted the key benefits of Chartership on their website and you can read more about this here: Five benefits of becoming a Chartered Project Professional in 2025.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog debut and I will be talking more about the early stages of my career in the next blog in this series; ‘My journey as an Apprentice Project Manager.’
The demand for skilled PMs is higher than ever and many industries are experiencing a talent shortage. According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), the world needs 25 million new project professionals by 2030 to meet the increasing demand across various sectors. This presents an opportunity for those entering the profession as organisations are actively looking for qualified PMs. There is a risk however that with rising demand there will be an emergence of rogue traders – those claiming to be top notch PMs without the skills or experience to back it up.
Given that the Project Manager title is becoming more and more widespread there is an increased risk that clients will appoint PMs that lack the credentials to successfully deliver their projects and programmes. Appointing a PM who is not properly qualified can pose serious risks to the success of a project and the reputation of the client organisation. They may lack experience of developing realistic schedules, sufficiently allocating resources, and identifying critical path activities. For recruiters or prospective clients looking for the right ‘fit’ it can be difficult to see the wood from the trees, so to speak.
On a personal level, given that I am a PM in my mid-twenties with a somewhat youthful appearance I often feel that I need to give new clients extra assurance about my own capabilities. To build trust, I always aim to be honest about what about what my strengths and weaknesses are and aim to be as prepared as I possibly can. I feel it is important for me to be proactive, follow processes meticulously, and communicate with clarity and confidence. Alongside those ‘soft skills’ I recognise the importance of holding a recognised qualification and I am fortunate that Ubique are keen to see their staff develop and they have provided me with several opportunities for growth.
I am proud to have achieved Chartered Project Professional status with the Association for Project Management (APM) – allowing me to don the post-nominals ‘ChPP.’ Becoming Chartered has a number of advantages but perhaps the most important one for me is that is has given me greater credibility and strengthened my reputation with clients. The APM have highlighted the key benefits of Chartership on their website and you can read more about this here: Five benefits of becoming a Chartered Project Professional in 2025.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog debut and I will be talking more about the early stages of my career in the next blog in this series; ‘My journey as an Apprentice Project Manager.’