By Meghan Dovick, President, NPSMA. Edited by AI
April 2, 2025
This week, members of NPSMA leadership, led by Marcel Blais, had the opportunity to meet with our Workforce Advisory Council (WAC), a group of dedicated industry professionals and PSM alumni who generously shared their perspectives on today’s evolving employment landscape. Their insights reaffirmed what many of us in the NPSMA community have been feeling: while the value of the PSM degree remains strong, the path to employment is evolving—and our programs must continue to adapt.
Several themes stood out. First, communication and relationship-building matter more than ever. With increased automation in hiring processes, it’s the human element—storytelling, interpersonal communication, and initiative—that makes candidates stand out. Networking and professional mentorship emerged as critical strategies, both as skills students need to develop and as components programs should consider as foundational elements of their curricula.
The job market is also evolving. While some sectors like biotech are contracting, others like engineering, semiconductors, data analytics, and finance are expanding. Regardless of industry sector, all are specific about return-to-office expectations and emphasize flexibility in where and how employees work.
Finally, the need for applied, real-world training continues to grow. Our WAC members emphasized the importance of graduates being able to speak to their experiences—how they’ve worked on teams, applied knowledge to solve problems, or learned new tools quickly. Structured mentorship, internships, and exposure to industry examples can all help bridge that gap.
I’m grateful to our WAC members for offering these candid perspectives. As we move forward, NPSMA will continue to support NPSMA-affiliated programs and further refine how we prepare PSM students—not just for today’s job market but for the “workforce of the future”.
