“I am currently working for an established financial services provider within the project team and am looking for a fresh challenge. The problem I am facing is that of targeting my CV for the market as the vast majority of work that I carry out is in support of a Portfolio as opposed to a Programme, yet the roles I am coming across are primarily in traditional PMOs. Can you help?” – T, Bristol Thanks for your question – the first thing I should say is that it sounds like you are working within a very mature project organisation which is certainly not something that should faze you in terms of looking for new opportunities. We have seen over the past couple of years and are continuing to see, a growth in the demand for Portfolio Offices and an altogether more strategic view of Programmes and Projects that are carried out within an organisation. My guess is that if you are working within a Portfolio environment you will be carrying out some or more of the following activities; helping to establish frameworks for projects / programmes in line with financial and strategic requirements, helping to establish gate reviews for potential projects / programmes, following on from this taking an active role in the decision process in relation to activating new projects / programmes, creating mechanisms for areas such as capacity planning and resource planning across the wider portfolio? These skills are in some ways one step up from those found in a Programme Management Office or Project Office but they are still part of the whole PMO umbrella when all is said and done. I’m also going to assume that you still have duties that fall into the traditional PMO camp too – areas like reporting, planning, risk, change, issues

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Q&A Project Management Careers – Portfolio Office