What are the career prospects and outlook for a "program manager"?

A program manager is a project manager in charge of lots of projects. You need to be good at managing people, have excellent organisation skills, delegation skills, can work under pressure, especially when deadlines are looming, and are quick to learn about new areas – you need to become an expert in your project subject very quickly.

It’s a tough job but rewarding. Sometimes projects fail and that’s frustrating when you have put in a lot of effort so you have to roll with that. I think it’s fairly well paid.

Most program managers will have a speciality and may have come from the industry. So for example, a car manufacturer will employ PMs with engineering degrees plus project experience. A project management qualification is essential (PRINCE2 is the gold standard in the UK)

If you take this job you’ll want to get your PMP certification. It’ll open other doors.

@ARE_you_kidding_me Thanks! Can you elaborate a bit more on what other doors, roles, etc. this could lead to? What’s your impression on the future of this role across industries?

It’s a cert that is widely recognized and will make you more marketable when other opportunities present themselves. Since you can earn this by simply doing your job you should really consider doing it. Project managers can segway right into top management positions.