My LinkedIn feed is overwhelmed with people who have been unemployed for six months, nine months, and even more than a year.

Some have exhausted their savings. Some have opened GoFundMe accounts just to cover basic living expenses. Others are quietly trying to hold everything together while applying for hundreds of jobs and hearing nothing back.

Look at Dani.

She recently shared that she spent seven months unemployed after being laid off. During that time, she did everything job seekers are told to do: apply for jobs, stay active on LinkedIn, build relationships, refine her story, and remain connected to her professional community.

And yet, the process still took seven months.

Dani is not alone.

People with degrees, certifications, years of experience, and impressive job titles are feeling defeated by this market. In my 16 years as a project manager—and more than 10 years helping professionals build project-management careers—I have never seen this many qualified people desperately searching for their next opportunity.

So, what is really happening?

First, let me clarify something: project management is not a dying profession.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects approximately 78,200 openings for project-management specialists each year between 2024 and 2034. Employment in the field is projected to grow by 6%, which is faster than the average for all occupations. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Globally, PMI predicts that demand for project professionals could grow by as much as 64% by 2035, potentially creating a shortage of nearly 30 million qualified professionals. (Project Management Institute)

The opportunities are there.

But the way people are preparing for and pursuing those opportunities is no longer working.

Here is what I believe is happening.

1. Government cuts flooded the market with experienced professionals

The federal workforce and government-contracting industry experienced significant disruption following DOGE-related cost-cutting efforts, agency restructuring, contract cancellations, stop-work orders, and reductions in force.

According to the Government Accountability Office, nearly 378,000 federal employees separated from government service during 2025, while approximately 127,000 were hired. Every major federal agency experienced a workforce decline. (Government Accountability Office)

This did not affect only federal employees.

Government contractors, consulting firms, program offices, PMOs, and the companies supporting federal agencies were also affected by canceled or reduced contracts. Many experienced project and program managers entered the job market at the same time.

That created a sudden increase in competition—especially for traditional, nontechnical project-management and PMO positions.

The market did not run out of jobs.

The market became crowded with people pursuing the same kinds of jobs.

2. Everyone is using AI to create the same résumé

People are relying heavily on AI résumé builders.

They paste a job description into ChatGPT, Copilot, or another platform and ask it to create a résumé that matches the position.

The result?

Thousands of candidates are submitting résumés containing the same language:

• Led cross-functional teams

• Managed project timelines and budgets

• Facilitated stakeholder meetings

• Identified and mitigated risks

• Delivered projects on time and within budget

None of those statements are necessarily wrong.

But they do not tell the employer what you can actually do.

They do not explain the size of the program you managed, the business problem you solved, the systems you implemented, the obstacles you overcame, or the measurable results you produced.

AI can help you write a résumé.

It cannot automatically identify your value, position your experience, or tell your career story.

When your résumé sounds like everyone else’s résumé, you become invisible in a pile of applications.

3. People are applying online instead of building relationships

We have become so accustomed to virtual communication that many professionals no longer know how to walk into a room, introduce themselves, and build a genuine relationship.

They apply online, close the browser, and wait.

Then they repeat the process 50 or 100 more times.

They are hoping their résumé will somehow rise above hundreds—or sometimes thousands—of other applications.

That is not a complete job-search strategy.

LinkedIn is a tool. It is not a relationship.

Networking is not adding someone and immediately asking them for a referral. It is having conversations, showing interest in other people, contributing to professional communities, and allowing people to understand what you do well.

Your next opportunity may not come from a recruiter discovering your résumé.

It may come from someone saying:

“I know a person who would be perfect for this.”

The goal is not simply to know more people.

The goal is for more people to know what you can do.

4. Project managers are not diversifying their skills

Too many people describe themselves as someone who can “manage a project.”

But employers are no longer hiring project managers simply to schedule meetings, maintain a project plan, and update a risk register.

They are asking:

• Can you lead a technical implementation?

• Can you work with developers, architects, engineers, and product owners?

• Can you use Jira, Confluence, ServiceNow, Azure DevOps, or another delivery platform?

• Can you understand Agile delivery?

• Can you manage vendors and contracts?

• Can you connect project work to business outcomes?

• Can you lead change when employees resist a new system or process?

• Can you communicate with executives?

• Can you explain how your leadership will help the project succeed?

Knowing project-management terminology is no longer enough.

Employers need professionals who can apply project management inside a specific environment.

That may be IT, cybersecurity, healthcare, construction, artificial intelligence, data, financial services, federal contracting, or organizational transformation.

You do not need to become a software engineer.

But you do need enough technical, business, and industry knowledge to lead the people doing the work.

5. People do not know how to ask for help

This is one of the most uncomfortable parts of the job search.

People are afraid to ask for an introduction.

They do not want to inconvenience anyone. They worry that reaching out will make them appear desperate. They wait for someone to notice that they need help.

But people cannot support you when they do not know what you need.

You may have to say:

“I am targeting IT project-management positions. Would you be comfortable introducing me to someone in your network who works in that space?”

You may have to ask a former coworker for a recommendation.

You may have to tell your professional community that you are actively searching.

You may have to attend an event alone, introduce yourself to strangers, and have conversations that feel uncomfortable.

Being qualified is important.

Being visible, connected, and willing to ask for support is also important.

The project-management field is not full—the generic lane is crowded

That is the distinction many people are missing.

There are project-management opportunities. There is also a tremendous amount of competition from people who have similar titles, similar certifications, and nearly identical résumés.

A PMP certification can help establish your credibility, but the certification alone is not a complete career strategy.

You need the ability to:

• Earn the credential

• Apply project management in a technical environment

• Communicate your measurable value

• Position your experience for the right roles

• Build real professional relationships

• Interview with confidence

• Explain why an organization should choose you

That is exactly why I created the PMP Career Triple Stack™ Program.

This is not another class that teaches you enough information to pass an exam and then sends you back into the same job market with no direction.

The Triple Stack combines three critical areas:

PMP Certification Training + IT Project Management Career Positioning + Confidence and Communication Coaching

You will learn the project-management framework, develop the technical and career skills employers are seeking, and build the confidence to communicate your value in résumés, networking conversations, and interviews.

Because the goal is not simply to become certified.

The goal is to become the project manager employers can clearly understand, trust, and hire.

The first PMP Career Triple Stack™ cohort begins August 13, 2026.

The market may be difficult, but you do not have to continue approaching it with the same strategy that is leaving thousands of qualified people overlooked.

If interested reply to this email, and let's get you prepared to be EMPLOYED for the next 5, 10, 15, 20 years!

One program. Three career-building layers. One clearer path to your project-management career.

MJ Bianchi, 

Career Coach and Project Management Expert!