Job outlook for project management supports in the United States

What soft skills should all Project Management Supports possess?

C. Darren Brooks Ph.D.: While advancements in technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics occupy center stage in many areas of management practice, soft skills continue to be seen as equally or even more important skills for success in the field of management. Soft skills are typically described as personal attributes, qualities, and characteristics that enable us to interact more effectively with others. In most fields of management, our ability to communicate, work with, and interact with other people constitutes a significant portion of the work we do. Consequently, employers are focused on identifying candidates who possess strong skills are areas of communication (verbal, written, and non-verbal), leadership and followership, collaboration, an ability to work in teams, intellectual curiosity, adaptability, conflict management, problem-solving, creativity.

What soft skills should all Project Management Supports possess?

Candace Esken Ph.D.: Excellent communication skills are absolutely essential for management analysts. Usually, these skills are best demonstrated during the interview process with little room for error. In addition, applicants should have strong interpersonal skills because much of their job requires them to work with managers and employees of various organizations. Furthermore, soft skills such as leadership, confidence, and time management are highly valued.

What general advice would you give to a Project Management Support?

Ron Aubé Ph.D.: Be humble and coachable. Get several mentors and absorb all the knowledge you can from them. Learn from experienced workers and share your own knowledge. Older generations are not always as savvy with technology and reverse mentoring has proven productive whereas older experienced workers can teach the younger cohorts about how to navigate organizational and decision-making issues. Remote work has made this a bit more challenging but not impossible. Build your network. Get involved in everything and anything related to your field of expertise. Be seen. Share your knowledge. Be confident, yet humble and open to new ideas.

As the workplace is still undergoing significant behavior change forced by Covid-19, probably the best advice I could give to a graduate beginning her/his career is to be adaptable and seek to work for an organization with a culture of agility and innovation. Organizations refusing to change and adapt are doomed to fail ultimately. As a young graduate with the knowledge of technology, you have an enormous advantage over workers not possessing the ability to navigate the digital world so easily. Take advantage of it.

What skills stand out on Project Management Support resumes?

Brooke Buffington: Skills that standout are often position specific, but there are always skills that a wide-variety of employers seek. These skills align with the competencies developed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), which include skills in critical thinking/problem solving, oral/written communication, teamwork/collaboration, digital technology, leadership, professionalism/work-ethic, career management, and global/intercultural fluency.

What general advice would you give to a Project Management Support?

Angela Grotto Ph.D.:

1. When job searching, be active and persistent - Network by setting up Zoom informational calls with professionals (alumni, people with whom your family work) to learn about jobs that you are interested in or to learn about organizations where you would like to work and then follow up with them; have someone you trust who is a professional review your resume and social media profile pages; carve out time every day to apply to jobs; use Handshake and LinkedIn as a resource; keep sending out applications; while job searching, volunteer or start your business project that showcases your skillset and then discuss it during your interviews.
   
2. When interviewing, be creative - Use experiences from your academic career to demonstrate your capabilities. There are many skills you learn in class that are transferrable to the professional world. For example, as a student, you likely had to pivot to full remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than seeing this as a disadvantage, discuss how the new learning format has prepared you to work remotely as an employee, how small group projects have primed you to collaborate on a virtual team, and how small classes have equipped you to use technology such as Zoom.
   
3. When deciding on a job offer, be open-minded - Your first job may not be the one you had imagined or hoped for upon graduation. Still, it may be a stepping stone to your ideal career or a way to build your network of professional connections. You create meaningful and valuable relationships with others who may one day help you get the job you want.
   
4. When you land the job, be flexible - Show your employer or your boss that you're willing to step outside your comfort zone and do tasks that you were not necessarily trained for or are unrelated to your degree. Also, when circumstances at work change, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, show that you are willing to step up and do a different job, do someone else's job, or work on another project or team. This flexibility will demonstrate your versatility and how you can adapt to new and unpredictable situations. Lastly, embrace the "gig" economy - be willing to start as a temporary or contract worker with a company to get your foot in the door and build more professional connections.
   

Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Project Management Supports?

Helen LaVan Ph.D.: Some individuals may seek job-related opportunities, including promotions, because they hold incorrect beliefs about the job market's nature. For example, I recently reviewed options for our Master of Science in Human Resources (MSHR) graduates within the Chicago Metropolitan area. The number of posted opportunities surprised me.

This does not include, perhaps, even half of the options not posted on job posting boards, such as exclusively on employers' career pages or with external recruiters only. Individuals may have depression and will begin to self-medicate and will persist in these behaviors. Since more individuals will be working remotely, employers and coworkers who might have noticed these behaviors in the past will not see and refer them to resources.

Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Project Management Supports in the next 5 years?

Benjamin Clark Ph.D.: At some point, the Baby Boomers will retire. We've been talking about that for twenty years now, and many of them have hung onto their careers longer than prior generations, due to recessions and just living longer, healthier lives. However, highly skilled workers will be needed to replace these folks moving forward. The changes in technology may replace some jobs. Again, the management of that tech and the data they produce are vital areas younger generations can step in and immediately provide value.

How do you envision technology impacting Project Management Supports in the next 5 years?

Jill Robinson Ph.D.: Technological advances have driven change in the entertainment industry since it first began. We will continue to watch plays in person, but we will also manage content on all our devices. There will also be more changes in how practitioners do their work. They won't need to fly across the country for a meeting when they can meet online. In the past, I have been passed from Los Angeles to New York for a one-hour session. Moving forward, such expenses may no longer make sense. Organizations will need to use their resources wisely, where they will have the most significant impact.

Along with technology, the impact of COVID-19 is a mixed bag for the entertainment landscape. While Netflix has seen revenue increase, up 28% compared to the same time last year, Live Nation, which produces live entertainment, has seen the floor drop out, leaving them with a whopping 97% decrease in revenue, which puts their very survival at risk. Many in the industry believe---or at least hope---live entertainment will rebound and continue to draw crowds post-virus. The question is, when will fans feel comfortable returning to such venues? These factors suggest that what we have traditionally thought of as the entertainment industry could look very different in the next five years.

What general advice would you give to a Project Management Support?

Bethany Swindell: Your biggest asset is your network. Treat everyone with humanity and integrity and remember that every moment is an opportunity to learn and grow.

What general advice would you give to a Project Management Support?

Joel Stevenson: I would not enter the job market at this time. I would apply to the Masters of Human Resources Program at U of SC. If I could not get into the program, I would take an HR job and apply again to the Master's Program. Reason...with a Master's in HR, the starting salary is right at $85,000 per year. Cost and amount of time it takes to get your Master's, $25,000, and 15 months.

What type of skills will young Project Management Supports need?

Dr. Faisal Rahman Ph.D.: Graduates need to be extremely comfortable and competent in using technology in every aspect of their job. Also, they should have course work in data analytics. COVID-19 is reshaping every sector of the economy. Graduates need to understand the changing needs of the customers and employers and how to communicate with them.

What experience really stands out on Project Management Support resumes?

Hitendra Chaturvedi: Real and quantifiable results on work performed stand out rather than just words. Working with people and showing effective cross-group collaboration stands out. Having the courage to show that a project you worked on failed, but you got valuable lessons from it stands out. In my books, if there is a spelling mistake on that single page of the resume that is supposed to represent you, it will immediately force me to practice my basketball shooting skills with the garbage bin.

How do you envision technology impacting Project Management Supports in the next 5 years?

Michelle Burton: The business graduate will have to have a firm understanding and capability in technology to be competitive in a virtual business environment. This is the time to sharpen skills or even become Microsoft Certified. I would even suggest knowing the required software products of a particular industry so they can have an edge on the competition. Businesses that stay up on technological trends have higher success rates than those that do not, which is why it is essential for a graduate entering the workforce to become and or remain technology savvy.

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Project Management Supports to find work opportunities?

Jacob Kovel Ph.D.: In general, the construction industry is strong throughout the world. It is one of the few industries that really cannot be outsourced. Additionally, it is an area where many governments, at all levels, spend money. Finally, there is a nationwide shortage of trained professionals in the industry, as well as a shortage of skilled tradespeople. Combined, all of these lead to a strong job market almost everywhere.

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Project Management Supports to find work opportunities?

Dr. Richard Greggory Johnson III: Nonprofits will still be a great place to find a position. Also, the public sector will hire, as well.

Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Project Management Supports?

Dr. Ricardo Cunningham: According to a July COVID-19 research survey from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), 83% of employees have made business practice adjustments as a result of COVID-19, and of the businesses who have made adjustments, 50% are no longer hiring or delaying new hire start dates. The survey numbers indicate an anticipated decline in hiring for most sectors, and business majors coming out of college this year will face a more challenging job market.

In addition to the impact on the employment market, I suspect that the way jobs will look, feel, and operate going forward will be somewhat different as well. With employers now recognizing that their work can be accomplished remotely, many are opting out of expensive leases in favor of work from home arrangements to reduce overhead. Many of the jobs that were once location-bound may no longer be or will be altered to a hybrid format, which can, in exchange, offer the flexibility to a millennial and generation Z workforce that largely rejects the rigidity of the traditional office environment.

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Project Management Supports to find work opportunities?

Dr. Ricardo Cunningham: Although the pandemic has hit the entire US, according to the SHRM survey, 14% of employers have hired more employees in response to COVID-19, with the most significant percentage coming from employers over 5,000. Work opportunities are likely to occur in geographic growth regions of the South and the West, but the emergence of remote work may limit the impact of regional employment. New graduates, however, should not neglect the Midwest in their post-graduate job search. Unique to the Midwest is a growing professional and business services sector with many entry-level opportunities for new grads. Couple job availability with the modest cost of living in most Midwestern cities, and it provides young professionals with relief from the high cost of living coupled with wages that don't keep pace on the east and west coasts.

Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Project Management Supports?

Jonathan Hicks Ph.D.: Students in 2020 and 2021 will have had a unique vantage of evolving forms of human communication. Much like elder Millennials watched home phones be replaced by cell phones and typewriters be replaced by computers, so too has Gen Z been able to see conventional classrooms shift. In the years to come, this will influence how they manage both people and their workspaces. Some students have quickly grown to prefer technology infusion; others have reaffirmed their commitment to face-to-face communication. Either way, their adaptability has been tested authentically, and they will carry those lessons with them for decades to come.

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Project Management Supports to find work opportunities?

Jonathan Hicks Ph.D.: In the short term, outdoor recreation facilities/sites will likely be the most stable, as fresh air and social distancing are more comfortable to achieve. Park visitation has increased significantly during 2020. Subsequently, so have the demands increased on outdoor recreation managers to provide increased programming, facilities, and maintenance. Such efforts require staffing, and recent graduates will be ideal candidates to fill those roles. Geographically, warmer climates with longer tourist seasons will provide the most stable permanent employment; however, many of those locations have also been among the most likely for COVID outbreaks. Graduates should consider such factors when making employment decisions.

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Project Management Supports to find work opportunities?

Greg Prussia Ph.D.: Urban centers will likely provide the best prospects for business graduates. Areas with a tech focus will also have substantial hiring potential opportunities.

Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Project Management Supports?

Loretta Cochran Ph.D.: I think one of the biggest challenges to new graduates is the change in internships - those opportunities shrank quickly. Internships are essential in that they provide much-needed work experience and access to hiring managers.

How do you envision technology impacting Project Management Supports in the next 5 years?

Loretta Cochran Ph.D.: Technology related to remote work will be in continued high demand. Location is less of a limiting factor but having access to high-speed internet is now a critical factor - much like water and electricity.

There will be increased pressure on human resource professionals to show their value in the bottom line. Emergency response/risk management is now a primary concern for Human Resources in all industries - not just historically hazardous ones. That's an area of specialization that hasn't previously been recognized as a growth industry. Purchasing/sourcing/procurement/supply chain optimization has also found a new place in the career limelight.