There is a global talent shortage in project management and it is enormous.
PMI predicts the world will need around 88 million people in project management roles by 2027.
Demand is rising.
Supply is nowhere near enough.
And here is what I see happening across our profession.
Instead of hiring project managers at the proper rate, many companies are quietly filling that gap with assistants.
Because you can do it.
Because you always have.
Because your instinct for detail and your ability to work with people are exactly the skills needed for Project Management.
The new Global Skills Matrix data shows that over 60% of assistants now do project management as a core part of their role.
More than half the profession has already stepped into this space without the title or the salary that goes with it.
So what does project management actually look like for an assistant?
It often looks exactly like your normal day.
Coordinating people toward a deadline.
Breaking work into tasks so nothing falls through the cracks.
Managing preparation across several teams.
Chasing updates.
Keeping momentum alive.
Seeing risks early and smoothing them quietly.
Building timelines for events, travel, board cycles and operational projects.
Communicating changes clearly so no one is blindsided.
Tracking budgets.
Bridging gaps between teams.
Guiding work from idea to completion.
If you gave that list to any hiring manager and removed the word ‘assistant’ they would label it project management.
Because that is exactly what it is.
The only difference is that assistants have absorbed these responsibilities quietly, gradually and without the title. The work crept in by stealth and you handled it because you could. Because you always do.
But the skill set is the same as a project manager.
The outcomes are the same.
The impact is the same.
The responsibility is the same.
The only thing that is different is the recognition and the salary band.
You are filling a global talent gap and you are working at project manager level while being paid at assistant level.
You deserve recognition for the work you already deliver.
You deserve a title that reflects your responsibilities.
You deserve the salary that matches your impact.
This is why now is the moment to get certified.
Not to become something different, but to align your credentials with the level at which you already operate.
To protect your value.
To stop being the quiet, inexpensive answer to a worldwide shortage.
To step into a career path that honours your skill.
Certification is not a nice to have.
It is your seat at the table.
It is your safeguard.
It is the moment you stop being the hidden solution and start being recognised as the professional you truly are.
