Prince2 (yes I’m qualified) is very UK centric and almost only ever USED in public sector environments. HOWEVER, numerous banks and other larger organisation routinely request it when advertising for contract or permanent Project Managers. It is rarely USED in these environments, as most banks etc have their own similar but slightly more relaxed structure process for project delivery. In this respect PRINCE2 becomes a label that says you understand structured PM methods.I have rarely heard of management consultants being required to have it by their clients – when you are paying 1500 a day for a PM it’s a lot more important that they have delivered similar sized projects before, than that they have a piece of paper. There are two further issues worth considering: often stupid under-trained, tick-the-box recruitment agents (I do not mean all agents) slavishly write down verbatim what their clients says they need and then reject excellent candidates because they do not tick the PRINCE2 box, as such a lot of contractors take the course just to make sure they are never rejected for not having it. Conversely attaining PRINCE2 is 99% never going to help you break into project management if you have no experience. It is more likely that you would manage a few small projects without it (or perhaps have the foundation certificate only) and then consolidate and formalise your experience by taking the Practitioner course.
