Project management qualifications

[Shelledwarrior]

My DD is graduating this summer (fingers crossed) with a science degree and a year’s work experience in regulatory affairs with one of the huge pharmaceutical companies. She’s interested in adding a project management qualification as she thinks it’s a good fit for industry and her existing experience.
I’m hoping someone might be able to advise us what qualification do employers actually respect and what types of jobs she might be suitable for.
I’m a boring civil and just don’t have any experience in this area. Thanks!

PMI is recognised industry wide

My husbands a project manager and they do Prince at his place. Although he's head of his department with no pm qualification.

APM. It's the chartered body. But a little project experience does help to put the learning in context.

PRINCE2 Agile and APM are popular where I work but I agree with a previous poster - it might be better to get a bit of workplace experience to apply to the theoretical learning of a qualification.

Thanks for the responses. The uni careers dept recommended PRINCE, we’ll have a look at the others. I agree with the experience comments, nothing quite like it no matter what the industry!

Prince is typically a public sector methodology.

there was an extensive thread on this topic a few weeks ago which covered advantages / disadvantages of each exam which might be useful to search for.

Thanks for that recommendation. Can you help me with what search words to use as I can’t seem to find the thread you refer to and it sounds really interesting.

This one maybe

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/work/4701516-calling-all-project-managers

Prince2 became commercially popular before the APM grew to what it is today. Either are perfectly acceptable and the frameworks they teach aren't dissimilar.

If she wants a career in project management then go APM as she can work toward chartered status.

Both courses cost about the same price.

I've seen Prince 2 advertised as home learning etc, not done it. I did APM and it was a week in-person training programme, with homework and a 3 hour exam at the end. It was bloody hard and I'd been a PM for a couple of years before I did it. In a way it'd be good for her to get it out of the way while she has no commitments.

Agile was easier.

But you need to put both into practice as soon as you've done them or the principles get forgotten.

Her best bet is to try to get some sort of project role in the industry she wants to go into and get the company to pay. APM and Agile weren't cheap (but the free lunches were great.)

I've just moved into project management and have to do Prince2, it was a 'desirable' of the job but they didn't ask about it at interview.
It's a very interesting field to get into with very good earning potential, I agree that she needs something she can 'spin' as experience.

For context I work for a university.

I'd pay no attention to a project management qualification when I'm recruiting, and even though our team are required to manage projects there is little appreciation of an off-the-shelf PM product. The experience, problem solving, relationship & organisational skills, and subject knowledge matter so much more. She'd be better off getting out there and getting some subject knowledge.

Her best bet is to try to get some sort of project role in the industry she wants to go into and get the company to pay.

This

Any reputable company will want people to be trained in whatever PM methodology they use. There will be no difference in the principles across different methodologies. The training is a good place to meet colleagues and network

It is essential to have real world experience alongside any training / qualifications.

To summarise, get the job first then get booked in the departments PM methodology. All the best.