I currently hold a bachelor's degree in Criminology and I'm highly considering doing a masters degree that would help expand my career possibilities in business consulting and in psychology. With being a recent graduate I'm in between choices on whether to do a masters in PM or go straight into the CAPM process while focusing on getting more work experience.
Also, if not a masters in PM then replacing it with Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Saving Changes...
From a cost and effort perspective the CAPM would be the easier and cheaper alternative by far. Both endeavors will give you a foundational base of project management knowledge but to translate that into competency requires a reasonable depth and breadth of hands-on experience.
My suggestion would be that if your goal is career development in pursuit of a specific role, research the educational qualifications of those who are already in that role to see which might be the better option.
I don't recommend pursuing a degree in project management unless you're hoping to teach it or go into research and get published. The exception would be an MBA with a specialization in project management, but even then, if you're wanting to become a project manger you might be better off waiting on the degree until after you have some experience as a project manager. Master's degrees are more of a consideration after you have some experience and are trying to get into a senior project manager role. Getting the CAPM and work experience is a better starting point.
Caveat - this is coming from a client-side project manager. If you're looking to go into consulting, it's possible a master's degree could be better. In this case, I'd have to agree with Kiron - research the companies you want to work for and what they require. Do they take people straight out of school? Do they offer paid internships to students?
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1 reply by Jose Viera
Aug 14, 2023 4:53 PM
Jose Viera
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I've also considered the idea of doing entry level project management work to gain the experience. But I've wondered how can I obtain those jobs without any PM experience. I would imagine that it would need to be a role within a company that is not too serious on professional background.
I've looked into the different roles and I've managed to find junior project manager, project coordinator and so forth. Nevertheless, any additional recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you for all of your recommendations.
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Jose
I do agree with my fellow colleagues. At the end, it all depends on your career path and long terms goals. In general, while Graduate Degrees are good, they tend to be too general so these days, I do find industry specific credentials to carry more value.
For example, majority of the job postings I see, they ask for Bachelors Degree and then PMP as an asset.
If your focus will remain on practicing Criminology and Phycology, then a CAPM would be an asset as it will provide you with the knowledge for the basics in Project Management and I don't see the value in doing a Masters degree in PM. A masters degree in a field related to Criminology and/or Phycology would be better suited for you. This is my humble opinion.
I don't recommend pursuing a degree in project management unless you're hoping to teach it or go into research and get published. The exception would be an MBA with a specialization in project management, but even then, if you're wanting to become a project manger you might be better off waiting on the degree until after you have some experience as a project manager. Master's degrees are more of a consideration after you have some experience and are trying to get into a senior project manager role. Getting the CAPM and work experience is a better starting point.
Caveat - this is coming from a client-side project manager. If you're looking to go into consulting, it's possible a master's degree could be better. In this case, I'd have to agree with Kiron - research the companies you want to work for and what they require. Do they take people straight out of school? Do they offer paid internships to students?
I've also considered the idea of doing entry level project management work to gain the experience. But I've wondered how can I obtain those jobs without any PM experience. I would imagine that it would need to be a role within a company that is not too serious on professional background.
I've looked into the different roles and I've managed to find junior project manager, project coordinator and so forth. Nevertheless, any additional recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you for all of your recommendations.
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1 reply by Aaron Porter
Aug 15, 2023 10:37 AM
Aaron Porter
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I don't have statistics to back this up, but from what I've seen, it is more common to be working at a company in a different position and move into formal project management after handling team level projects than it is to jump into a role at a new company without experience. There are exceptions. If you get your CAPM and build relationships with other project managers in your local area, you can increase the likelihood of finding opportunities for junior level positions that you will be considered for. Sometimes who you know can make a difference.
A CAPM Certification would help you to introduce to Project Management knowledge, allowing you to establish if it will be or not be a good complement to your career.
A master in Project Management, for the other part, is recommended if you desire to be a PM as your main profession. Saving Changes...
I've also considered the idea of doing entry level project management work to gain the experience. But I've wondered how can I obtain those jobs without any PM experience. I would imagine that it would need to be a role within a company that is not too serious on professional background.
I've looked into the different roles and I've managed to find junior project manager, project coordinator and so forth. Nevertheless, any additional recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you for all of your recommendations.
I don't have statistics to back this up, but from what I've seen, it is more common to be working at a company in a different position and move into formal project management after handling team level projects than it is to jump into a role at a new company without experience. There are exceptions. If you get your CAPM and build relationships with other project managers in your local area, you can increase the likelihood of finding opportunities for junior level positions that you will be considered for. Sometimes who you know can make a difference. Saving Changes...
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