Hey All,
I have worked within finance for two highly recognised Investment Banks in the UK as an Executive Assistant for the last 6 years. I currently work within Treasury & Advisory and have also worked within a major change management project dealing with ALM reporting etc. During my time I have assisted with some governance and reporting, steering committee meeting, project logs and data analysis.
I now want to officially move away from EA roles and transition into PMO Support to gain more experience, I've been actively applying for such roles with very little interest, I feel stuck as I'm not sure what I can do to be taken seriously and not seen as an EA (even though that has been the bulk of my working experience thus far) I have also enrolled on a PRINCE2 course which I hope will improve my chances.
Ideally I am seeking advice and also looking for a mentor to help guide and steer me in the right direction.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Louise
Career transition advice!!
Hi
Am in a similar position to you. Have worked in a project management role but its never officially been a part of my job scope!
From what I've been advised on here a Prince2 course (and certificate) is the way forward and shows prospective employers that you have the motivation to make a transition into PM. I applied for a position as a PM assistant at Network Rail and managed to get an interview at least. Was not successful but just to get to that stage was encouraging. My gut feeling is that had I had Prince2 certification I may have got to the 2nd interview. Who knows.
I'm sure others who know a lot more about it than me will be along to assist you.
Regards
Am in a similar position to you. Have worked in a project management role but its never officially been a part of my job scope!
From what I've been advised on here a Prince2 course (and certificate) is the way forward and shows prospective employers that you have the motivation to make a transition into PM. I applied for a position as a PM assistant at Network Rail and managed to get an interview at least. Was not successful but just to get to that stage was encouraging. My gut feeling is that had I had Prince2 certification I may have got to the 2nd interview. Who knows.
I'm sure others who know a lot more about it than me will be along to assist you.
Regards
Yes, a PRINCE2 certification is a good start for every person who wants to work with Project Management. The Foundation level isn't very hard and only requires some theoretical knowledge. It proves that you can talk in the same language as other project members and leaders.
Another nice certification is the IPMA (International Project Managers Association). I don't know the international value of this certificate, but here in The Netherlands, it is (after Prince2) the most important certification for every project management employee. Use Prince2 as a framework for your project and IPMA to develop your project managers personal skills.
As Prince2, the IPMA certificate has got 4 levels. The first, IPMA-D, is accessible for everyone and doesn't require PM experience.
Another nice certification is the IPMA (International Project Managers Association). I don't know the international value of this certificate, but here in The Netherlands, it is (after Prince2) the most important certification for every project management employee. Use Prince2 as a framework for your project and IPMA to develop your project managers personal skills.
As Prince2, the IPMA certificate has got 4 levels. The first, IPMA-D, is accessible for everyone and doesn't require PM experience.