5 Great Career Paths for PMO Professionals Online

Do you have a passion for organisation and making ideas come to life? Do you have excellent communication and problem-solving skills? If you have these abilities, then a career in a project management office might be right for you.

What is a Project Management Office?

A project management office (PMO) is an internal or external group of people that ensures project management best practices are set across an organisation to help deliver value to their clients. They serve as a bridge between teams and provide structure to the execution of project success.

The PMO plays many roles within a company but varies greatly depending on the company's size and scope. For example, in an IT company, a PMO typically maintains project proposals and status reports of multiple applications or new site launches. On the other hand, a PMO in an engineering or construction industry deals primarily with resource management and project planning.

Different types of PMOs vary in responsibilities and influence in projects. Each PMO role also changes from providing support to direct administration of the projects. According to the PMBOK Guide, there are three different types of PMOs:

1. Supportive

A Supportive PMO's main characteristic is to provide a consultative role in projects. They spend their days providing support on training, technical, and project program support without being directly involved in the project. They act as coaches and cheerleaders by guiding and mentoring teams.

2. Controlling

A Controlling or Adaptive PMO serves as an auditor for an organisation. They check and evaluate the existing tools, processes, and standards of an organisation and make suggestions to improve operations. The most important aspect of this type of PMO is that it modifies each project's approach along the way.

3. Directive

The directive PMO has complete control of projects. They manage all projects by providing all resources needed and oversee all aspects of every project across the organisation, working to guarantee consistency and final results.

As the PMO’s role changes over time, especially today as artificial intelligence and automation take on traditional PMO functions, different roles have opened up for job seekers keen on pursuing a career in project management.

Here are a few roles that exist in a PMO that you can land, even online.

PMO Roles

1. Project Coordinator

This entry-level position is mainly administrative. Project coordinators typically create and distribute reports to the project team and stakeholders. They function as a general assistant to the management team by being the gatekeepers of workflow, schedule, and multiple projects documentation.

The project coordinator position is a great way to polish your organisational and communication skills if you start out in the project management field. If you're a multitasker and team player, you will surely flourish in this role.

2. PMO Analyst

PMO analysts are well organised and have a keen eye for detail. A PMO analyst's primary goal is to perform research and analysis to identify how to optimise PMO operations. Ultimately, their goal is to drive high priority projects. They use data to analyse project deliverables and ensure timeframe and budget requirements are met.

PMO analysts must have great problem-solving and critical thinking skills because they deal with most business operations and budget. An interest in dealing with numbers and various project management tools will help you land this role.

3. Project Scheduler/Planner

The project scheduler is responsible for creating, updating, and coordinating the delivery time of projects. They work closely with team leaders to build, evaluate, and optimise project schedules.

This position usually exists in a PMO for larger projects. It is mostly a technical job that requires a great deal of familiarity with the latest project management tools. Being tech-savvy and highly adaptable to industry trends is an important trait for this role.

4. Project Manager/Leader

A project manager works to oversee the whole production of a project. They are often in charge of strategy to achieve business goals. They do this by delegating tasks to other team members to optimise project completion and success.

This role requires experience; so if you are thinking of a career change, you need to brush up on your transferable skills. Leadership and risk management skills are on top of an employers mind when considering a candidate for this position. It is important to highlight those in your resume.

5. PMO Specialist

A PMO specialist has a clear understanding of its strategy and maintains a clear overview of all current work and projects. They ensure that current and future projects are aligned with the company's strategy. Ultimately, a PMO specialist works to ensure that the right work is being done as efficiently as possible to accelerate the business.

PMO specialists design action plans to increase productivity, manage project costs, and keep projects on schedule. This job requires having specialised knowledge of their chosen career field. Employers are much more likely to hire PMO specialists who display a great deal of autonomy and interest in a specific industry.

Taking a PMO role will provide several opportunities to develop your skills and abilities. The experience in each role stated above provides a range of project management processes that support delivery solutions that can strengthen your background and appeal to potential employers.

Careers are not one size fits all. Choose a path that fuels your passion by discovering #JobsThatMatter to you at JobStreet. Update your JobStreet profile and showcase your skills so potential employers can find you. For more expert advice on your career growth and the latest industry insights, visit the JobStreet's Career Resources Hub.

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