Project Manager is responsible for skilled grouping workers into teams, building and creating team plans, and facilitating the execution of all projects. Its objective is to achieve company goals.
The specific duties and roles of each project manager depend, to a large extent, on the company in which they work and the industry in which they operate.
Usually, a project manager begins his career in management at a consulting firm. This company provides training in management methodology,
These individuals start as part of a team working under the project manager and work their way up to management positions.
To be successful, project managers must have excellent communication and motivational skills, enjoy working with others while maintaining a leadership role, pay attention to detail and organize.
Intro to Project Managers
A project manager is responsible for organizing, planning, and executing a project based on a budget and schedule.
The project manager is also responsible for leading the team, setting goals, communicating with stakeholders, and completing the project from start to finish.
The primary project management principles include planning, organizing, securing, controlling, directing, and managing resources and tasks to achieve specific business goals.
The project manager determines the strategy for starting the project, evaluates and understands the project requirements, analyzes and brings in the required professionals, and monitors the progress of the work.
Project Managers Qualification
To be eligible for a Project Manager role, it is important to have certain personality traits that align with the responsibilities of the position.
These traits include the ability to empathize with others, a modest and humble attitude, the ability to assert authority when necessary, a practical and logical approach, foresight and the ability to plan ahead, strong organizational skills, and a focus on meeting the needs of clients.
Before investing time and resources into obtaining certifications, it is important to consider whether or not you possess these traits and if the role of a Project Manager aligns with your interests and strengths.
1. Bachelor’s Degree
The primary project management principles include planning, organizing, securing, controlling, directing, and managing resources and tasks to achieve specific business goals.
The project manager determines the strategy for starting the project, evaluates and understands the project requirements, analyzes and brings in the required professionals, and monitors the progress of the work.
2. Essential Skills
It’s worth mentioning that a Project Manager role is multifaceted and requires a combination of technical, leadership, and management skills. Therefore, it’s important to have a good understanding of the project management process, methodologies and tools.
- Strong project management skills including the ability to manage and oversee the quality, scope, cost, and time aspects of a project.
- Business acumen, including the ability to understand project finances, profitability, and budgeting.
- Leadership skills, including effective communication (both verbal and written), conflict resolution, and decision-making.
- Team-building skills, such as the ability to motivate and lead a team, encourage collaboration and communication, and maintain high team morale.
Additionally, having industry-specific knowledge, such as in construction, IT, healthcare, or any other industry, can be an advantage.
3. Get Certified
Certification plays a vital role in building a career as a project manager. Because no formal education explicitly discusses project management, certification is a “middle way” to show qualified and recognized qualifications.
In fact, several well-known project management certifications, such as Project Management Professional (PMP) held by the Project Management Institute, have been recognized worldwide and indeed provide a lot of plus points for you if you participate.
Attending the certification will give you in-depth knowledge and skills to lead and direct project teams and limit schedules, budgets, and resources.
Some of the free project manager certifications that you can take before moving on to paid certificates include:
- Google Project Management – Hosted by Google via Coursera.
- Introduction to Project Management – Hosted by the University of Adelaide via Edx.
- Become a Project Manager – Hosted by LinkedIn Learning.
4. Formal and Informal Training
It’s common for businesses to select experienced and well-educated individuals to lead their projects and for recruiters to look for candidates with these qualifications.
There are generally two paths to becoming a qualified project manager. One option is to pursue a formal education, such as a university or college degree, or enroll in a certification course. This can provide a structured and traditional learning experience.
Alternatively, some companies offer internal programs that allow for advancement into project management roles, or provide opportunities for mentoring and hands-on learning. Another option is to gain experience through volunteering or taking on similar responsibilities in your current role.
5. Experience
Breaking into the field of project management can be daunting, especially for those new to the discipline. However, there are several ways to gain entry and start building experience.
One way to start is by volunteering in various settings. This includes both within and outside of your current place of employment. Another option is to seek out internships, which can lead to full-time job opportunities.
Participating in a co-op program is also a great way to gain experience and build a portfolio of work. Finally, applying for entry-level or advanced-level positions in project management can also be a way to start your career in the field.
Project Manager Careerpaths
Entry Level
To start a career, you should climb the career ladder gradually. That is, create a project manager position at the entry-level first.
Typically, entry-level positions are filled with titles such as:
- Project Coordinator
- Project operations
- Associate project manager
- Junior project manager
- Operations Associate
- Administrative associate
1. Project Coordinator
A project coordinator is responsible for ensuring the daily activities of each division. This task helps a project manager to make sure details are correctly done.
2. Associate project manager
If you are starting a career, try to find an associate project manager job vacancy. An assistant project manager’s job is mainly to handle specific teams with job descriptions that are almost the same as project managers in general or not as much as the duties of a project manager. The team’s scope handled by an associate is smaller than that of a PM.
3. Project manager
Several companies open job vacancies directly to become project managers without going through the associate stage. Of course, the level and specifications are higher than being an associate.
Examples of specifications that are mainly applied, namely a minimum of education or work experience. A project manager has the whole duty to control and ensure that the project is booming according to the targets conveyed by stakeholders.
4. Project director
The following project manager’s career path is project director. The difference with a project manager at the previous level is the number of projects handled.
The project director will be responsible for several projects at once. Apart from that, it is undoubtedly seen from their work experience he has longer than a novice PM.