What is a project manager? a career guide (2023)

What is a project manager? a career guide

What is a project manager?

A project manager is a professional who organizes, plans and executes projects while working within constraints such as budgets and schedules. Project managers lead entire teams, set project goals, communicate with stakeholders, and see a project through to completion. Whether running a marketing campaign, constructing a building, designing a computer system, or launching a new product, the project manager is responsible for the success or failure of the project.

Project manager role is in demand in almost every industry. Let's take a closer look at what project managers do, why you should consider a project management career, and how to get started.

What does a project manager do? tasks and responsibilities

Typically, a project is divided into five distinct phases: initiating, planning, executing, and completing.

Throughout the lifecycle of a project, the project manager is responsible for:

• Defining the scope of the project

• stay on schedule

• Plan the cost of a project and follow a budget

• Manage project resources (including teams and workers)

• Project progress documentation.

• Communication with stakeholders

• assess risks

• Problems solution

  (Video) Steps in a Project Manager Career Path

• Leading Quality Assurance

The wide variety of tasks means that no two workdays (or two projects) are ever the same. On any given day, you can interview and hire new talent, manage team meetings, reallocate resources to cover unexpected expenses, or update stakeholders on project progress.

Learn more about the project lifecycle in this video.

Basic project management skills.

In this role, you will make a significant contribution to a company's success. While many professional and technical skills are part of effective project management, honing these five skills can help you lay the groundwork for success in this area:

• Guide:You lead a team to achieve a goal.

• Communication:You are often the first line ofCommunicationfor team members, suppliers, stakeholders and customers.

• Organization:The ability to prioritize and multitask keeps projects running smoothly.

• Critical thinking:Critical analysis and assessment of a situation helps to prevent problems before they arise.

• Sense of humor:Approaching a project with a positive attitude can relieve stress and energize your team.

Project management can be a challenging career, but you'll never face these challenges alone. They often work collaboratively with team members, using software or online tools specifically designed to streamline the process. Specific project management software depends on the project or company, but often includes the ability to track time and budgets, create plans and reports, manage invoices, and share calendars across multiple teams.

Keep reading: 11 essential project management skills

Project management methods.

As you learn more about project planning, you may encounter terms such asAgile, Scrum or Waterfall. They refer to different methods, a set of guiding principles or strategies for managing a project. Common approaches and methods include:

• Agile

• Delgado

• waterfall

• toil

• Kanban

• XP (extreme programming)

• six sigma

Choosing a method (or combination of methods) is one of the first decisions you make as a project manager. Which one you choose depends on the industry and the type of project.

For example, if you work with software development, you might choose to use agile techniques. Scrum, an agile management approach, uses daily team meetings and short "sprints" (eg, 30 days) to develop projects quickly and efficiently. Developed by Toyota in the 1970s, the Lean method aims to maximize value and minimize waste. It is still commonly used in the manufacturing industry.

Keep reading: 12 Project Management Methods: Your Guide

Why Pursue a Project Management Career?

Almost all companies have projects. This means that almost every company can use a project manager.

Whether your interest is in construction, architecture, fashion, design, computer science, robotics, or something else entirely, chances are you could use project management skills in your career. And because it's such a diverse career, you can use these transferable skills to enhance your CV no matter where your career takes you.

Keep reading: How to become a project manager: 5 steps

How much do project managers earn?

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), the median annual salary for a project manager across all industries in the United States is $115,000 [1]. Most project managers earn between $93,000 and $140,000, with sectors such as consulting, resources, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverage offering the highest compensation.[2].

Project Management: Career Perspectives

According to PMI's Job Growth and Talent Gap report, employers will need to fill approximately 2.2 million new project management-oriented jobs each year through 2027 [3]. Job seekers with a mix of managerial and technical skills will be in demand for years to come.

Industries such as healthcare, manufacturing and construction, information and publishing services, finance and insurance, and professional and management services are expected to see the most growth in project-oriented roles, according to the PMI report.

qualification project manager

Project management is diverse and you will find that qualifications often vary by industry and company. When looking at what you need to build a career in project management, there are two main areas to consider: education and certification.

University education

A bachelor's degree is typically the minimum requirement to become a project manager, with 68% of professionals holding a bachelor's degree and 14% holding a master's [4]. Many project managers have degrees in business administration,computer Science, or an industry-related area. While not always a strict requirement, a degree can help you develop the leadership skills needed for the job. Some companies may be looking for candidates with a college degree, such asMaster in Business Administration(MBA)Master in Administration Sciences(HSH).

certifications

Whether you're a college graduate or looking to start a new career in project management, a professional certificate or certification can help you enhance your resume and make you more attractive to hiring managers.

• Project Management Professional (PMP):If you already have a few years of project experience in a professional environment, you can continue your career with the PMP certificate from the Project Management Institute (PMI). HeUCI Project Management Professional Certificatemeets the pedagogical requirements for the PMP exam. By earning this certificate, you will prepare to pass the exam and receive a university-issued certificate for your resume. learn more aboutHow to Get the PMP Certification.

• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM):If you are just starting out in project management, the CAPM is a basic project management certification, also administered by PMI. Designed for those with no formal project management experience, it can help pave the way for many entry-level project management positions. To readmore about CAPM certification.

Career paths in project management.

Landing your first job is just the beginning. As you hone your skills and complete projects, you'll find new ways to advance. Here's a look at the hierarchy of project management roles. Please note that these may vary from organization to organization:

Entry into project management.

Choosing a career as a project manager can open doors in many industries. If you're ready to take the next steps towards this new career, learn more about how to get aprofessional certificatelike themProfessional Google Project Management Assessmentvia Coursera.