How to Get Started
as a Project Manager

Being a project manager requires more than just organizational skills. You must set milestones and timeframes for projects, delegate tasks to your team, write and analyze reports, and more. If you’re eyeing this lucrative career, here are the skills and educational background necessary to land your first job.

A project manager is responsible for managing a project from the beginning concepts to its final delivery. They handle all the project’s components, including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, controlling, and finally closing the project.

They need excellent interpersonal skills, conflict resolution capabilities, time management skills, prioritization, and organization skills. Having some data science and coding experience can set you apart from other applicants.

Part of your project management job may include more than simply overseeing company projects and colleagues. While you may use elements of data science in specific projects, you may also use data science to identify the company’s strengths and weaknesses in workflow, employee contribution, and overall company growth.

Part of your project management job is analyzing data and assisting in crucial decisions that impact not only the project you’re working on, but the company at large. Therefore, learning data science can make you an effective and efficient project manager.

Becoming a project manager will take you anywhere between three months to five years, depending on your education level, years of experience, and career goals. If you’re jumping into the job market straight from high school, enrolling in college is the most common pathway. A standard bachelor’s degree program takes four years to complete.

If you have a decent amount of work experience, you can opt for a project management certificate. These certificates take about 10 weeks to complete, depending on which institution you attend. If you are already established at a specific company or in a position to become a project manager soon, a certification is the best way to advance your career.

Where you study for a project management course will largely depend on your career goals. If you’re already employed or simply want to strengthen your resume, an online course or certification would be an excellent option for you. However, if you have the time, money, and resources for college, a degree is your best bet.

A degree in project management is vital if you want to land an entry-level job. Although it’s not necessary to have a college degree, it will give you an advantage if you do. Besides education, building a portfolio of projects you have participated in and details regarding your role can be a great way to showcase your talents to potential employers.

Entry-level project managers should understand project management processes and the basics of project management. Additionally, companies often provide entry-level project managers with relevant job training.

According to Payscale, the average salary for a general project manager is $75,167. The top 10 percent of earners in this position make $114,000 per year. Information technology project managers have an average annual salary of $898,494 and a top 10 percent salary of $128,000. Salary can differ depending on factors like education, skills, and experience.

Project management is a diverse field of responsibilities. However, most duties center around managing a project and all people involved. Common responsibilities are listed below.

During this stage, you will do some groundwork to help determine if the project is worth pursuing. You will read the client requirements, come up with the project management process, write the common goal, and come up with a feasibility study. You will also make a case to justify the project’s need and highlight the value it offers to the company or client.

This is where you will draft the full scope of a project and prepare all project documentation. You will take an in-depth analysis of the project, noting its objectives, deliverables, and any potential risks. At this stage, you’ll communicate with stakeholders. You will also outline the individual and team tasks of the entire project, delegating appropriate tasks to the appropriate team member.

The execution stage involves completing the tasks outlined in the planning stage. You’ll check on colleagues while they’re working, ask them questions about their progress, and help out wherever needed. You must hit the project’s key milestones quickly while setting realistic goals for your team members. If applicable, you must also stay within the project’s pre-defined budget.

As an aspiring project manager, you will be expected to monitor and control the project and ensure your team meets critical milestones. In addition, you will maintain regular communication between the group and stakeholders, evaluate the project performance, check if project goals are being met, and ensure quality control.

Closing a project means viewing the results of the project and comparing them to the initial objectives. You’ll check over documents and presentations to ensure that everything is optimal before closing out your project. You will also complete all remaining administrative tasks, such as reallocating internal resources and archiving records.

Project management involves managing people and resources, making it crucial that you have the right skills. To be a successful project manager, you need both soft and hard skills.

A project management certification is granted by a third-party institution, not a school. Having a certification shows prospective employers that you know how to use project management tools and project management methodologies.

Project management is a rewarding career that allows you to make a difference in a company. According to Project Management Institute’s projections, the project management industry should increase 33 percent by 2027, resulting in 22 million new project management jobs.