Project managers oversee projects from beginning to end. As part of this journey, they manage various aspects of a project, including planning, budgeting, scheduling, resourcing, tracking, etc. Projects can happen in any industry ranging from construction to IT to engineering. Though the individual team-member skillset may vary based on industry and project type, the overall roles or responsibilities of project managers do not differ significantly.
Education and Qualifications
Though there are no strict educational requirements to become a project manager, a bachelor’s degree in business or equivalent will be helpful. Some industries prefer a degree related to the industry. For example, for the construction industry, civil engineering is suggested. Similarly, IT project managers with computer or software backgrounds will thrive well amongst hardware/software engineers. In addition to a bachelor’s degree, a certificate in project management is highly recommended; some of the most popular certifications are the Certified Associate in Project Management, the Project Management Professional, or the Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) Certification.
Responsibilities and a Day in the Life
Most project managers work a regular schedule of 8 hours a day and five days a week. But like any other profession, hours could vary based on many factors, specifically during the last phase of the project to meet the timeline.Â
Though daily responsibilities vary based on many factors; some of the common ones are include the following:
- Defining a project’s scope, identifying stakeholders
- Gathering all the requirements and expectations
- Defining a project plan, budget, schedule, and resource-requirement
- Building relationships with all stakeholders, including customers
- Assembling internal and external project resources for various activities
- Communicating project details with multiple stakeholders.
- Identifying and escalating issues to management as needed
- Managing projects according to the scope, schedule, and budget
- Applying industry “best-practices” and standards
- Tracking project progress against schedule, cost, etc., and taking corrective actions to streamline and maximize deliverables.
- Managing project risks and document changes
- Managing contracts with vendors and suppliers
- Constantly communicating progress with all stakeholders and customers
- Making sure all deliverables are completed on time within the scope and budget.
- Obtaining customer acceptance of project deliverables.
- Managing customer satisfaction
- Documenting lessons learned
Other Necessary Skills
- Leadership and organizational skills
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Documentation skills
- Strong Presentation skills
- Decision-making skills
- Strong working knowledge of project management tools like MS Projects and MS Office.
Salary
Salary could vary based on industry, company, experience, location, etc. According to BLS, the median salary is about $95K. Â
Job Growth
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were about…
- 781K jobs in 2021
- The job outlook from 2021 to 2031 is 7% which is at par with the average job growth.
- Employment change 56K (2021 to 31)
Summary
If you are someone who finds the following characteristics appealing, you can consider being a project manager as your future career:
- Taking ownership of projects end-to-end
- Working with large matrix organizations without any direct reports
- Constantly monitoring various aspects (such as budget, schedule, etc.) of a project and keeping them under control.
