How to become the youngest Chartered Project Professional

Craig Scott, 26, is, as of September 2019, the youngest Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) in the world. His achievement has actually been a project four and a half years in the making, after he read an article about the youngest Registered Project Professional (RPP), Mike Wallace, who was 29 at the time. “It definitely was an inspiring story. So I thought, right, I've got to do something.”

Scott, who is currently seconded to Eurofighter from BAE Systems, made a plan to achieve the breadth and depth of knowledge and experience needed in order to meet his goal – read his full story in the Project archive (🔒). Here, Scott shares his tips for young project professionals on how to fast-track your way to Chartered status:

Keep a record of your experience

“Make a note of what you've done in each of your roles and organisations,” he says. “Keep track of it because you've done more than you think.”

Identify the gaps

When reviewing your experience, map it against the requirements for achieving ChPP status. What do you need to do to get closer to reaching that status?

“Just think: have I done enough to deliver on those competencies, [and meet] those requirements for Chartership? How do I get that breadth of experience, but also that depth? And definitely push for your own choice of roles. You might have to fight for what you want to do next. Really manage those stakeholders that can influence your career.”

Learn from others

“Have a look at what other young people that have been successful have done, but also don't neglect the experience of people with 30 years under their belts. Ask them how they got to where they are today and how you can drive your own career progression and development early on.”

Be upfront about your goals

Scott told everyone on the BAE project team, his line manager and other key stakeholders what he was trying to achieve. “I definitely looked at who had the most influence on my career and I approached them and outlined what I wanted to do. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But I wouldn't have got there without the support from those people.”

Find some sponsors

If you’re seeking to become Chartered, you’ll need two sponsors to vouch for you. Seek out potential sponsors in your organisation, seek their advice and mentoring.

“I went for somebody that's seen what I've done over the last 10 years in a number of different roles. I engage with him regularly. He's senior within his own career, not qualified with the Association for Project Management (APM), but I think that APM are looking at making him an honorary fellow. The other is a lady that has had a lot of influence on my career. She was one of the first cohort to receive Chartership after transferring from RPP. It’s two very different career paths that they both had, but equally as influential on my career. Look at the different routes that people have been successful within their career and look after those relationships with them.”

Craig is now keen for his story to be used to inspire other young project professionals to pursue their goals. “The story on Mike really inspired me. I want to do the same for others.”

Further resources