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Project Management

Research careers and find opportunities in project management.

About

Project managers can work across most sectors. Common sectors include construction, IT, engineering, property, translation and the public sector.

The project manager is responsible for day-to-day management of the project. They must be competent in managing the six aspects of a project: scope, schedule, finance, risk, quality and resources.

The APM Salary and Market Trends Survey 2023 revealed most project management professionals work for large companies. 85% worked for organisations with more than 250 employees.

80% of respondents said they felt optimistic or very optimistic about a future in project management.


Roles, skills and salaries

The range of companies and sectors you can work in is huge and can suit graduates with a variety of skills.

Job profiles

Project management is open to graduates of any degree. Typically, graduates start in an entry level position. This may be a project assistant or junior/graduate project manager before progressing. See APM Salary and Market Trends Survey 2023 for more information.

Many employers will support project management graduates in gaining an industry recognised qualification. This may be a PRINCE 2 or Agile project management theory. You would study for these alongside working. Employers would not normally expect recent graduates to already have these qualifications.

Have a look at the job profiles in this sector on Prospects and targetjobs to find out more about what these roles involve and how to get into them. These are just some of the profiles available:

Skills employers look for

Skills employers look for:

  • organisational, planning and time management skills
  • a logical and methodical approach
  • negotiation skills and diplomacy
  • the ability to motivate
  • communication, interpersonal and people management skills
  • ability to work under pressure and to deadlines
  • IT knowledge
  • budgeting skills
  • commercial awareness
Salaries

According to the APM Salary and Market Trends Survey 2023, 18 – 24-year-olds working in project management earned an average salary of £27,500. The average overall salary for project management professionals in the UK in 2023 was £47,500.

To learn more about typical starting salaries use the following resources:

For information about how to negotiate a salary, visit Handling job offers.


Be inspired

It’s not always easy to know which roles to apply for. The resources in this section can help you find inspiration from previous students and know where to get further support.

Inspiration from people working in the industry
  • browse our Work Experience and Graduate Employment directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed
  • use LinkedIn’s Alumni tool to find out what Newcastle graduates are doing now. You could ask to connect with them, to gain advice and insights into their career. See Newcastle Alumni on LinkedIn to help you get started or watch our quick tutorial on Getting inspiration from others [3:13]
  • attend alumni events, such as Newcastle Develop, to hear directly from our graduates
  • sign up for mentoring support with  and The 1 Hour Project. These aim to match students with industry professionals who can provide invaluable insights. Register to be connected for a one-hour meeting
  • attend events, such as recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights. Hear about graduate jobs, placement schemes, build your network and ask questions
Online reviews

Searching for reviews online can be a useful way to get an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers. Reviews are written by employees with different opinions about what makes a good employer.

Use the following review sites for inspiration and insight into the recruitment process:

Not sure what you want to do?

If you’re not sure exactly what you want to do, we can help. You can book a guidance appointment via MyCareer. Our careers consultants can help you explore your options or plan your career.


Sector and industry insights

Researching the industry is essential, whether it’s to:

  • help you decide which area to work in
  • identify who to apply to
  • tailor your application
  • impress an interviewer with your knowledge of the sector

Here are some resources to help you get started.

Career guides
Industry news
Attend events

Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry.

See our Events and workshops page for upcoming events, including recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights.

Many large employers and the professional bodies in this sector run events and other opportunities, for example:

Social media

Use social media to find industry insights

Join sector-specific groups on LinkedIn to keep up to date. Posts often include news, events and opportunities. You can also find useful insights on careers on X and TikTok. Treat these with caution, as not all content may be accurate.

Find out more about 

Professional bodies

Consider joining a relevant professional body/industry network  

Professional bodies often: 

  • run networking events
  • have specialist groups you could join
  • post vacancies on behalf of their members
  • have member directories, useful for speculative applications 

Key organisations include: 

Finding professional bodies worldwide

GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of professional bodies. Find them under ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each individual country guide.


Guide to finding opportunities

Many large recruiters advertise summer internships, year-long placements and graduate training programmes in project management.

You can also find opportunities within government agencies and public bodies, such as the Civil Service.

There are various ways to find internships, placements and graduate opportunities. We’ve added some tips below to help you get started.

  • search foradvertised vacancies using the vacancy sites listed below 
  • look at the careers sections on company websites for student and graduate opportunities.
  • use Researching employers to help you gain insights into companies
  • attend events, such as recruitment fairs  and employer and sector insights  
  • contact employers speculatively – see 'non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs' to help you find organisations to approach 
  • follow companies on social media for latest news and updates 
  • consider registering with a recruitment agency for graduate jobs 
  • register with EmployAbility if you are disabled, neurodivergent or have a mental health condition. They can offer advice and support on applications to Newcastle students. They also run first year, internship and graduate programmes with inclusive employer partners. 
  • consider alternative ways to find relevant experience and develop your skills

Advertised work experience

Placements and summer internships are usually aimed at undergraduate students in and above their second or penultimate year of study. Some companies will also consider first and final year students.

When to apply

Apply for advertised opportunities as early as possible.

UK applications typically open early in the academic year from September or October. Some close as early as November-December. Many employers close applications as soon as their places are filled.

Search for internships and placement years

Several large graduate recruiters, such as Rolls-Royce, GE and Network Rail, offer students paid summer internships or placement years in project management.

Use our resources to get started: 

Search the following external sites for more opportunities in project management: 

NCL internships

The Careers Service runs flexible term-time and summer internships with local employers and on campus. NCL internships are aimed at all students, from any stage and many are project based internships. 

  • Search for these under Vacancies on MyCareer. Type in ‘NCL internship’ into the text search box.
  • You can find these advertised throughout the academic year. Full-time summer opportunities are advertised from around March.

 

Worldwide experience

Access GoinGlobal for internships in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:  

  • additional vacancy websites  
  • CV, application and interview advice   
  • Advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world.  
Looking for ideas

If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching our NU Work Experience Directory. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank. 


Advertised graduate opportunities

When to apply

The resources in this section advertise both graduate jobs and graduate schemes. See our graduate jobs page to understand the difference between them. 

For graduate schemes, apply as early as possible.  

UK applications typically open early in the academic year from September or October. Some close as early as November-December. Many employers close applications as soon as their places are filled. 

Graduate jobs tend to be immediate start positions which can be available all year round. You are more likely to apply for these towards the end of your studies. 

Vacancy sites

Use our resources to get started: 

  • MyCareer - search for internships and placements in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts. You can filter by occupational area (eg 'using languages'), vacancy type and location.
  • Internships, placements & shadowing - links to vacancy sites
  • Global work experience - for internships or placements abroad
Vacancy sites for project management
Worldwide vacancy sites

See International jobs for details of overseas vacancy sites. 

Access GoinGlobal for job adverts in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:  

  • additional vacancy websites  
  • CV, application and interview advice   
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world

Specialist recruitment agencies

Recruitment agencies can be useful for finding graduate jobs in project management. These tend to be for immediate start positions. It's worth registering with one or two agencies towards the end of your course.  

Specialist agencies include: 

  • Edgar Cowen - technology, property and construction recruitment agency with project management vacancies
  • Michael Page - project management vacancies

See Recruitment Agencies to find more agencies. 

Finding overseas recruitment agencies

GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of recruitment agencies in specific countries. They are listed under the following headings:  

  • staffing agencies and temporary help firms  
  • executive recruiters and search firms  

Recruitment agencies may not operate in the same way in different countries. In the UK agencies are free for job seekers, but this may not be the case elsewhere. Explore the terms and conditions of an agency before signing up to use them.  


Non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs

Not all internships, placements and graduate jobs are advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through: 

A speculative approach is common for finding internships and placements and graduate jobs. This is where you approach a company directly to ask if they have any opportunities available. 

How to access hidden opportunities

Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. Our guide to finding organisations below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities: 

  1. Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in. 
  2. Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company
  3. Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated. 
  4. If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying! 
When to contact organisations

You can use this approach at any point in the year. We recommend that you: 

  • start your research as early as possible to gather relevant contacts 
  • contact organisations around three months before you want the opportunity to begin 
How to find organisations

Use the resources below to find organisations in the North East, UK and worldwide. 

 

UK organisations

See Researching Employers for more ways to source and research companies.

Worldwide organisations

Search GoinGlobal’s employer directory for company information in 196 countries. Their country guides list professional bodies around the world. 


Other ways to gain relevant experience

We've added some suggestions to help you develop your skills and gain relevant experience. 

  • complete a free virtual internship. For example, with Forage, you can filter by career interest to find virtual internships
  • complete a project based placement as part of the ncl+ Advanced Award
  • complete free online courses, such as FutureLearn's courses in project management
  • think about voluntary work and work on a project for a charity - see volunteering for help with finding opportunities
  • get involved in student societies and develop relevant skills. This might include organising events and projects, leading a committee or managing a budget as treasurer
  • enter a project-led competition

Work for Yourself

Working as self-employed or freelance is common in the project management sector. 

Our START UP team can help you explore working for yourself at any stage. Whether you want to explore an idea or have already launched a business or freelance career, you can access the following help: 

 

  •  support with idea generation 
  • provide tailored advice 
  • help you develop your skills 
  • introduce you to like-minded peers 
  • refer you to further support from mentors 
  • award grant funding up to £3,000

Related sectors

You might also be interested in the following sectors: