An individual who is organized and efficient may often choose to become a project manager. A project manager is pretty much what its name implies. It’s a professional who creates a project and “manages” it to ensure it’s completed as planned. Project managers have very important roles in small and large companies. Here is some information on how to become a project manager as well as career information.
What is a Project Manager?
A project manager is a trained professional who plans, coordinates and oversees a project in an organization. Although the projects are often computer-related projects, that’s not always the case because project managers are in charge of projects in various fields, including computer and information systems, engineering, finance and construction, among others. Project managers are used in various types of companies.
The project manager delegates tasks and roles to different members of the project team while also overseeing it to make sure it runs smoothly and is completed on schedule. A project manager must be organizational, responsible and must have excellent communication skills so he or she is able to relay what needs to be done to the rest of the team. Although the duties of a project manager will depend on the company and type of project, the duties of a project member generally include the following.
- Planning and executing a project
- Putting together and managing a team
- Delegating team members to specific duties
- Helping to obtain resources for the project
- Creating a budget for the project
- Ensuring it’s progressing on schedule
How to Become a Project Manager
To become a project manager, the individual should have some formal training. In most cases, this should be at least a bachelor’s degree in business management, although bachelor’s degrees in engineering, computer science or marketing may also work well for the aspiring project manager. Various colleges and universities offer bachelor and master’s degrees in project management.
Some also offer certificates, seminars and individual courses in this field. Students can also take some project management courses online. Depending on the school, a student may take certificate programs and use the credits towards graduate programs in project management. Course topics in a project management program include statistical analysis, construction science, decision science, engineering and information technology.
Project managers who meet the education and work experience requirements can also obtain certification through agencies like the Project Management Institute by passing an exam. To be successful at this career, the candidate should be able to manage several individuals, work under pressure, interact well with others and perform all duties of the task in case he or she would need to take over the project.
Career Outlook
Project management skills are high in demand, and this field continues to grow. There are expected to be about 700,000 new project management jobs in the U.S. by the year 2020. Salary.com indicates that project manager wages range from $70,000 to $140,000 or more as of May 2018. Education, geographic location and years of experience all play a role in determining the project manager’s salary.
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Working as a project manager can be very stimulating and exciting work because it’s up the project manager to see his or her plans come to fruition. It’s also a great career goal for the individual just starting a career in business. Choosing to become a project manager can be an excellent choice for an ambitious and creative individual.