Biggest Challenges Faced By A Project Manager At An International Development NGO
Alexandra's biggest challenge is balancing project management with business development in a small organization, requiring "a bit of a mind shift," while simultaneously navigating career progression within the constraints of the organization's size. This situation presents an opportunity to expand skills but also necessitates proactive upskilling to advance their project management career.
Project Management, Career Development, Overcoming Challenges, Workplace Challenges, Business Development
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alexandra Banning
Project/Program Manager
NGO/International Trade and Development Office
UC Santa Barbara
N/A
Communications
Government & Public Sector, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Operations and Project Management
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Balancing project management with business development in a small organization
2. The need for continuous upskilling and career progression in a limited growth environment
3. Navigating the dual demands of managing existing projects and acquiring new ones
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
There are two challenges that come to mind. One is related to the job itself. Our organization is pretty small, so I have to manage existing projects, like the signed contracts, and also support business development and acquire new clients and projects.
These are two different tasks to balance, which requires a bit of a mind shift. It's nice to be able to expand my skills, though.
On top of that, the challenge isn't necessarily within my role, but figuring out where I go next. Because the organization is small and I've excelled in this role, there's only so far up to go.
So, I'm trying to navigate how I can continue to upskill and level up my project management and management skills when the project sizes remain about the same.