Project Management

Employers seek a combination of technical and soft skills in project management candidates, and every employer is different so there are no definitive lists here.  The skills below are meant as a guide and should be considered in addition to fully exploring role requirements outlined in person specification, job description and advert for each role you consider applying for.   

• Adaptability - Navigating changing project scopes and environments.
• Budgeting - Managing project finances efficiently.
• Communication - Verbal, written and non-verbal communication, including negotiation.
• Leadership - Ability to motivate and guide teams towards project goals.
• Risk management - Identifying potential issues and developing mitigation strategies.
• Analytical Skills – an ability to understand, analyse and report on project data.
• Stakeholder Management - Involves identifying key stakeholders and understanding their needs and motivations and their required forms of communication.  This requires excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to be persuasive.
• Technical Proficiency - Familiarity with project management tools.
• Time management and planning - Prioritising tasks to meet deadlines.
• Project Managers use a lot of technology which enables them to manage the complexity of their projects within the wider organisation context.  Think about becoming more familiar with some project management tools such as Trello, Microsoft Project, monday.com, notion and methodologies like Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and Waterfall, which can all support collaboration and organisation.  

To develop these skills, remember Career Zone offers a range of Personal and Professional Development sessions which are available to book on Handshake and run at least once per term.  Please also read through the sections about Gaining Experience and Further Study and Professional Development to discover how you can develop your skills through experience and by gaining further knowledge or qualifications.

All experiences ranging from volunteering, active involvement in clubs/societies to part-time jobs can help you to develop relevant and transferable skills to apply for project management roles.  Consider taking on responsibility for projects or parts of projects across the activities you do already; is there an opportunity to improve communication, instigate regular meetings, build a team, delegate tasks, fund raise or manage the budget? 

Project Managers use a lot of technology which enables them to manage the complexity of their projects within the wider organisation context.  Think about becoming more familiar with some project management tools such as Trello, Microsoft Project, monday.com, notion and methodologies like Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and Waterfall, 

You may wish to consider gaining experience through: 

Volunteering 

• Community Partnership Hub: Engage with and support our university community partners across public, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations.
• Exeter Student Volunteers (ESV): Collaborate on projects which are designed to target Exeter's key social issues.
• Exeter Students' Guild: List of societies based in Exeter.
• Students’ Union:  List of societies in Cornwall campuses. 

University of Exeter Employability Schemes 

• Grand Challenges: Project week working in interdisciplinary groups with other like-minded students to design innovative solutions to real world challenges. Test out your teamwork, presentation skills and project planning skills.
• Green Consultants: An award-winning programme designed to provide an opportunity to learn additional skills and experience required to work in the highly competitive environmental and sustainability sector.  Green Consultants also offers some excellent professional development training which can be accessed on ELE here, in Project management and consultancy skills.  Further to the training there is an opportunity to put your skills into practice with a real project.  This would look excellent on your CV.
• Exeter Award: The Exeter Award will help you stand out from the crowd and give you the confidence to shout about the experiences you've had at university.
• Career Zone Internship schemes: Internships can be extremely useful, so try and get relevant vacation work or placements. Search for Student Campus Partner (SCP)or Student Business Partner (SBP) roles on Handshake. 

Other useful connections 

• Career Mentor Scheme | Career Zone | University of Exeter: why not seek out a mentor who has experience working in Project Management to develop your commercial awareness.  

Virtual Work Experience 

• Forage provides short virtual internships in a range of sectors, with opportunities to connect with employers. This link takes you to Project Management specific simulations which you can do with big brands from the comfort of your own home.  Remember to add these to your CV.
• The Bright Network provides virtual internships in a range of sectors and fast-track opportunities for graduate programmes and internships for virtual-intern alumni. Look out for the Bright Network annual summer internship week. 

Speculative applications and where to find opportunities 

Undertaking relevant work experience will also allow you to develop new skills and gain a valuable insight into the sector. As jobs and opportunities are not always advertised, it can be useful to develop your networking skills and apply speculatively. Before visiting the sites below you may find it useful to read our Researching employers page. 

Finding part-time work  

Part-time work experience helps develop key project management skills such as interpersonal skills, communication skills, personal organisation, time management and adaptability.  Visit the casual jobs page and check out Handshake, our vacancy database with employers who are targeting University of Exeter students.  

Competition can be strong, especially for entry-level positions. Use the following resources to find advertised vacancies and research employers.  

Key job sites for Project Management jobs are:  

• target Jobs: For graduate jobs, schemes, internships and placements.
• Bright Network: Project management opportunities for undergraduates, postgraduates, internships, industrial placements and jobs.
• Prospects.ac.uk: For undergraduates, postgraduates, work experience & internships, placements and jobs.
• Project Manager Jobs: Undergraduate and postgraduate, fulltime, part-time and contract jobs.
• LinkedIn: The largest business and employment orientated social network for networking and jobs worldwide.
• APM Jobs: Association for Project Management job pages.
• Graduate job board for southwest England - Gradsouthwest: Job opportunities in SW England.
• Student Circus – a jobs platform specifically for visa-sponsored jobs for international students in the UK.  

Like living here in Southwest England?   

Check out Devon County Council's Skills Strategy  and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (CIOS) Skills priority areas, Good Growth Plan investments strategy for more detailed information to kick off your research.   

For general information about finding graduate opportunities, please visit our Graduate Jobs page. You could also have a look at Handshake, our vacancy database with employers who are targeting University of Exeter students.  

Graduate Schemes 

It is likely that Project Management will feature as part of many business graduate schemes as you can rotate around different areas of businesses, managing projects. However, there are likely to be very few purely Project Management graduate schemes.   

• Graduate Jobs & Schemes | Bright Network 

 Internships 

Use keywords to filter for internships in Project Management, searching the same jobsites as above. 

• Handshake link to current advertised internships
• Internships in Consulting & Project Management | Bright Network 

Placements  

If you are interested in finding out more about work placements, you can also access the Work Placements SharePoint via Single Sign-On. This resource covers all aspects of credit-bearing work experiences as part of your degree, including what a placement is, how to apply for them, and bespoke information for international students or those interested in working abroad.  

Recruitment Consultants 

There are a wide range of recruiters who advertise roles in project management.  

• See Agency Central for a list of specialist recruitment agencies and search by sector e.g. project management
• Michael Page 

Ensure any recruiters you connect with are members of a professional body such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development or the Recruitment & Employment Confederation.   

Further sources of support 

If you are an international student, visit our international webpages for help finding opportunities both in the UK and globally. 

To find opportunities outside the UK use GoinGlobal.

Some individuals decide to undertake further study to develop their skills and knowledge of the sector and related occupations. Not all roles or employers will require this, so it is important to research entry requirements and employer preferences before committing to additional training or qualifications. Use the sites below to research your further study options.  

• Project Management Qualifications & Training | PFQ | PMQ | PPQ
• Find a Masters is helpful for exploring UK based Project management masters courses
• Accredited Academic organisations | APM
• PRINCE2 is a professional qualification which is widely recognised by big businesses and in the public sector as delivering the training needed to manage projects within a highly process driven methodology. 

Advice 

If you are considering postgraduate or doctoral level study before entering your chosen sector, please visit our Postgraduate Study page for more information about choosing further study.    

Information and links from professional bodies 

If you have studied a related degree, check if your course is accredited by one of the professional bodies. Being a member of a professional body is voluntary, however, it can be valuable for developing networks, continuing your professional development, and generally keeping up to date with what's happening in the sector. Becoming a student member of the Association for Project Management and the PMI will give you access to careers information, webinars and member directories.  

• Association for Project Management (Develop your career)
• PMI (Project Management Institute)
• Project Management Institute Blog – follow this blog to stay on top of industry developments such as how AI is transforming project management.