Degree Versus Experience

Welcome to episode 18 of The Everyday PM Podcast where I look back at the age old debate of degree versus experience.

As the project management industry continues to grow and evolve, as does its' candidate pool. The rigid dichotomy between degree versus experience presents a question mark for everyone competing for project manager roles. Those candidates who are fresh out of college lack the experience employers are looking for, while other candidates who have been in project management for many, many years are supplementing their experience with certifications and degrees. According to Linsey Knerl (2018), author of Northeastern University Graduate Programs blog post on "Education vs. Experience: Which Do Employers Value More?", a recent survey of 50,000 employers reveals that there's a desire for both education and experience. Ultimately, what employers want to see is real-life application of academics, which means students will want to use their learnings on current projects and veterans of the industry will want to evolve their foundational knowledge by staying abreast on emerging trends in project management.

What are your thoughts on the debate between degree versus experience? Where do you stand in this debate? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!

Reference

Knerl, L. (2018). Education vs. Experience: Which Do Employers Value More? Blog post on Northeastern University Graduate Programs: https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/education-vs-experience/

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Ann Campea, MSPM, MPH, PMP

Worldwide Readiness Program Manager, Apple, Inc.

Program/Project management professional with 10 years of experience in product development, physical retail launches, and health care industries.