Project management is usually a career that people fall into accidentally. Many professionals start as engineers, developers, or designers, but as their job advances, their role morphs into that of a project manager. While that is one way someone can become a project manager, they can start their career with aspirations of becoming a project manager. After all, it’s 2023, and every organization in every industry needs a project manager to handle the details of the project and ensure that it runs smoothly.
Project management has been growing in India as a career option. Not only does it offer a great salary, but it gives you more variety than any other career option. While work might seem stressful for a project manager, it is rewarding. Also, starting a career in project management is great.
Roles and Responsibilities of a Project Manager
A professional responsible for making critical decisions about a project and assembling the right team is known as a project manager. From creating a proper project plan to ensuring that the project is on the right track, all of it is the responsibility of a project manager.
Let’s look at the daily responsibilities of every project manager:
- Planning a project from the beginning and executing it with all the hurdles that come in the way. The plan should be directed from start to finish by the project manager.
- A successful project will be delivered on time to the client. Calculating the time it could take for the project, finishing and assigning tasks to the team according to that.
- Assessing all the risks involved in a project and considering the team member’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Ensuring that the project meets the quality requirements of the client and the customers and there are no errors on the user end of the product or service.
- Creating a comprehensive report, keeping track of all the actions taken during the project, and providing a technical analysis of the project.
These are only some of the primary responsibilities of a project manager; depending on the level of experience and the requirement of a project, the duties tend to change from project to project.
Skills Required to Become a Project Manager
A project manager in an organization is one of the most skilled people on the team. They are responsible for looking after the entire project and handling a team. This means, at the least, they need these essential skills:
Collaborative Skills
If you want your project to succeed with minimal troubles, you must collaborate with various departments. A project manager must ensure that everyone can work together smoothly and that there is no miscommunication among team members.
Leadership Qualities
Putting together a team also requires you to lead that team. From guiding the members to understanding your teams’ troubles, all become part of your responsibility when you decide to lead a project as a project manager.
Organizational Skills
Another soft skill that is a must in a project manager is being organized. Maintaining accurate data is beneficial to keep track of the project and comes in handy when you have to answer the management or clients regarding any part of the project.
Project Roadmapping
Every project is based on a timeline; accordingly, the organization’s resources are contributed to that project. Therefore, creating a proper roadmap that takes an onlooker on a thorough project journey is an important skill to have. It also ensures that the project meets all the deadlines and stays within the timeline.
Knowledge of Tools
There are various project management tools available today that an organization expects the project manager to be skilled in. In addition, tools like Gantt charts and Kanban boards make the job easier.
5 Reasons Why You Should Become a Project Manager
Project management has become a very in-demand career in 2023. An official PMI study reported that by 2027 the demand for project managers would grow so much that employers will need 87.7 million individuals in this profession. And if you have the necessary skills, you must consider going down this career path.
Here are the top reasons why you should become a project manager:
Plenty Job Opportunities
As a project manager, you will always have job options. Every industry needs a project manager from IT to Finance, so you will also have a wide range of choices in choosing an industry.
Big Salary
According to Indeed, building a career in project management in the United States will get you a salary of $83,827 per year.
Easy Career
Starting your career as a project manager is more accessible than most people think. After getting the proper training, you start working as a project coordinator, and as your knowledge increases, so does your position, finally taking you to the senior project manager position.
Make an Impact
This is the perfect career for you if you want to bring positive change to your organization and your industry. Project managers are in charge of massive projects on multiple levels. Plus, they can be very influential to their teams and the industry.
Collaboration and Networking
Depending on the project, a project manager gets to work with multiple professionals from various industries, which gives them tremendous opportunities to build a strong professional network.
Conclusion
If you are serious about becoming a project manager, consider doing the PMP certification. Plenty of courses will help you prepare for the certification and develop your skills for the role.
