Whether you want to become a project manager or are just curious about the career path, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. However, the right combination of experiences on the ground, technical expertise and a project management certification is crucial for your success. Project managers need strong leadership, problem-solving and communication skills to do the job well. They also need a good understanding of various methodologies and software tools.
Education
In many cases, you can start a career in project management without a degree. What matters most is that you have experience supervising a project from start to finish. This means that you can cite examples of your work like organizing teams, planning and scheduling tasks, assessing risks, communicating with stakeholders and assigning resources. Regardless of your industry, you can gain this experience through internships or by working as a project coordinator or analyst. You can also volunteer to lead projects for community organizations.
A bachelor’s or master’s degree in business administration, engineering or a related field can help you gain a deeper understanding of fundamental project management techniques and business strategies. Many people become project managers after starting in another field, such as marketing or healthcare. You can even major in a subject that directly relates to the type of work you want to do, such as finance or biological science.
You’ll also need strong reading and writing skills to effectively communicate with your team members. This is especially true if your job involves reading technical documents or legal jargon and turning those into briefs that everyone can understand. You’ll also need to know how to manage costs and keep a project on budget and within its scope. You can develop these soft skills through any education or training and on the job, but they are essential to becoming a great project manager.
Experience
Project managers are often the point of contact for people in departments that may not normally interact and must facilitate cohesive teamwork. For this reason, strong leadership skills are essential for the role. You’ll be interpreting the needs of one department or team to another, as well as mediating conflicts, and handling negotiations about budgets, scope and timelines. Empathy also helps you better engage with your team members, which can encourage productivity and a more rewarding business environment.
Every project has a number of stakeholders that you must keep aligned and up-to-date on progress, including team members, other departments, management and clients. This means that for work to flow, it’s important to be able to tailor your communication style and content to the audience.
Whether you’re preparing junior team members for the next stage of their careers, or improving the technical knowledge of decision-makers, a project manager needs to have the ability to transfer knowledge. This could be through a formal training session, e-learning platform or simply acting as a mentor for those around you.
The hard skills of a project manager include a penchant for order and organization; a clear understanding of what needs to be done, when and by whom; an appreciation of tools like Gantt and PERT charts that represent the project timeline; and an innate strength to manage multiple priorities, deadlines and stakeholder needs. These skills are crucial for the role, as is an awareness of the many different project management methodologies and an ability to adapt to new approaches when needed.
Networking
Project managers must have a strong network of colleagues to build their knowledge of the industry. Whether it’s through attending industry events or becoming a member of a professional organization, networking opportunities can help professionals grow their careers.
It’s also helpful to have a mentor who can guide you through your career in project management. Many organizations have a designated project manager training department to provide professional development for employees interested in advancing into these roles. Other resources for project managers include online classes, which can be especially useful if you want to learn new skills on your own time.
The decision to become a project manager may come as the result of a personal or professional experience, such as a family member or colleague who is in the field. For some, it is a conscious choice to take the lead and oversee projects from start to finish. No matter how they make the decision to enter the profession, most project managers will find that it is a rewarding and fulfilling career path.
Project managers are responsible for creating a larger plan of action to ensure the success of specific projects. They work with their team to define key deliverables, set deadlines, and identify major risks and obstacles that may impede progress. They are also tasked with ensuring that the overall project is completed within a set budget and adjusting resources to accommodate any unexpected expenses.
Certification
A formal project management certificate is an effective way to demonstrate your expertise and skills. Courses focus on key topics, such as risk assessment, budgeting, and team empowerment. They also teach how to manage projects within an organization. Some programs even provide hands-on training.
A project manager must be able to communicate the big picture of the company’s strategic goals and the part that each individual project will play in those goals. This is especially important when presenting a proposal to executives. A project manager must also be able to identify and analyze a problem, find solutions, and track the progress of the project from start to finish.
Those who are interested in becoming a project manager should seek out entry-level positions that offer the opportunity to build and develop those skills. Entry-level jobs in administration, coordinator and scheduling roles are ideal and can help prepare you for a career in project management. It is also possible to gain experience through internships and vacation work with international charities such as Enactus, Aid Camps International or VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas).
Many people become project managers because of a conscious choice to embark on this type of career path. Others have a more organic relationship with the role, such as those who manage projects as part of their job in other disciplines such as software development or marketing.
