Starting a Career in Project Management

By definition, projects are outside the normal course of business operations. Businesses use projects to foster innovation and stay relevant in a competitive market. Projects also drive change and business strategy. 

The Project Management Institute (PMI) states the case clearly: “All strategic change in an organization happens through project and program management.” In the PMI “Pulse of the Profession” report, a direct correlation is clear between project management leaders with strong skills and the success of projects. 

Effective project managers are some of the most important people in the building, no matter the location or industry. They keep projects tethered to reality - on time, within budget and focused on the original outcome that aligns with business goals. 

Project managers fight against “scope creep” - a project that slowly expands beyond its original perimeters – such as costly changes, delays in production and the misuse of talent on a project team. It is little wonder that PMI projects that the project management-oriented labor force will grow 33 percent worldwide by 2027. That is nearly 22 million new jobs.

Professionals who complete management and business leadership training gain skills that prepare them for a career in project management. Most of those who enter the field have some type of business background and can pursue the designation of Project Management Professional (PMP^(R)) from PMI. 

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What Do Project Managers Do?

One of the interesting aspects of project management is that no two projects are the same. Project managers can oversee construction of a building, the rolling out of a marketing campaign and the design and development of a new product.

While there are major differences in each project, most have fundamental similarities when it comes to project management. Duties typically fall into the following four categories, all of which are building blocks to project management success.

‍Planning: Project managers look at all the variables of a project. What tasks need to be done? What order should tasks be done? Who will handle which task? 

Organizing: Project managers recruit the right people to the team and ensure they have the tools needed to succeed. They also create a detailed plan for the project that keeps everyone organized.

Leading: Project managers need the same leadership skills taught to business administrators and managers, including communication and the ability to resolve conflicts. They also motivate team members and hold them accountable.

Controlling: Project managers have control over a project, ensuring that it moves forward as scheduled. That involves providing support for team members, quickly removing any obstacles, and tracking overall costs and progress. 

How Can You Become a Project Manager?

A bachelor’s degree is generally not necessary to become a project manager, but it does help project managers to meet the standards required to earn certain certifications. Graduate students further benefit from the skills and knowledge learned in project management, strategy, and leadership programs.

Successful project managers also develop expertise in process improvement methodologies such as Agile and Waterfall. 

Many also can transfer the experience they have gained in the business world into project management. Some may already have led projects themselves and understand project challenges and some of the methods used to conquer them

PMI makes it easy to see how your knowledge stacks up against what you need to know. All the fundamental knowledge needed in project management is collected in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). The book evolves as the standards for project management change.

Certifications are significant in project management. Examples of certification exams offered through PMI include:

Project Management Professional (PMP): Considered the gold standard for certification of project managers. 

Program Management Professional (PgMP): This focuses on handling multiple, complex projects simultaneously.

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM): This designation shows a firm grasp of the fundamental terminology, knowledge and processes involved with effective project management.

PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA): This designation demonstrates expertise in business analysis.

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP): This certification is for those who use Agile approaches such as Scrum, XP, Lean and Kanban.

PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP): This designation shows expertise in assessing and identifying project risks and developing plans to mitigate them.

PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP): This designation shows expertise in developing and maintaining project schedules.

Completing project management education, as well as earning project management certification, and maintaining professional and personal schedules can seem daunting. Anna Thornton, a project manager who earned PMP certification, told PMI that her success depended on approaching the challenge with a project manager attitude.

She said that she set up a workable study schedule. “By following my plan and attacking progress in a spreadsheet, I never had to think about what was next on my list of things to do or how I’d spend my spare time studying.”

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