How to Become a Project Manager

About Project Manager

A project manager is a person who is responsible for handling all the activities related to project management. He is responsible for planning, organizing, leading, securing, controlling and managing tasks as well as resources to achieve specific business goals. Besides this, he will be responsible for completing the project within the time decided. Every company requires a good project manager who can not only manage all activities very well but also hold the capability of managing the team. They also hire project managers to develop projects to minimize their cost and increase their revenue. Goals decided by the company can not be achieved by a single person so the project manager must be capable of making his team put equal efforts towards success. There are many bachelors and master degree program available for the project manager. Candidates who are interested in handling project deadlines can opt for a career as a project manager. The profile is not only one of the valued profile but also highly rewarding. 

Eligibility to become Project Manager

Candidates should fulfil the minimum eligibility requirements decided below

Education

Candidates applying for a job as a project manager must have cleared bachelor or master degree in management, business or any related field. He or she must hold a professional certification along with some work ex. Candidates with a post-bachelor certificate or a master's degree in project management are also eligible for this profile. However, it is recommended that these candidates collect a Project Management Professional, Certified Associate in Project Management and other credentials from the Project Management Institute.

Skills Required

It is essential that the project manager must hold relevant skills and experience to manage the project and timeline comfortably. Some of the required skills for the project manager are provided below

• critical thinking
• strong leadership skills
• analytical skills
• creative mindset
• problem-solving skills
• work ethic
• strong organizational and multitasking skills
• good communication and negotiation skills
• self-motivation
• excellent time management skill
• Accountability
• ability to monitor and control budgets

Experience

Candidates with some work experience are always preferred for this profile. All candidates are thus advised to gain some experience from startups and then target at the top companies of the country. This will not only provide the candidate with some skills but also increase their chances for selection at top-ranked companies. 

Types of Job Roles Project Manager

There are many job roles available for a Project Manager. Candidates may select any role that suits their interest and skills.

• Assistant Project Manager
• Project Analyst
• IT Project Manager
• Coordinator
• Technical Project Manager
• Product Owner
• Program Analyst
• Production Coordinator
• Program Assistant
• Associate Project Manager
• Business Project Manager
• Construction Project Manager
• Software Project Manager
• Senior Project Manager
• Project Coordinator
• Product Manager
• Information Technology (IT) Project Manager

Employment Opportunities for Project Manager

Companies from all the sector required good project managers. Some of the major areas where candidates may apply as a project manager are listed below

• IT companies
• Banking sectors
• Designing companies, 
• Trading
• Government agencies
• Financial Services
• Healthcare
• Law
• Construction and Engineering

Top Recruiting Agencies for Project Manager

Some of the major recruiting companies hiring project managers are

• Cisco
• AECOM
• Bank of America
• JPMorgan Chase
• Microsoft
• Accenture
• SAIC
• Ericsson
• Southern California Edison
• Jacobs
• Google
• Amazon
• Appririo
• Perficient
• Icon

Pay Scale/Salary of Project Manager

Salary of the project manager will depend on the experience and qualifications of the candidate. The average salary for the beginner level and expert level project managers is provided below.

Books & Study Material to Become Project Manager

Project managers should keep them updated with modern techniques and strategies. There are many books available for project managers. Some of the recommendations are provided below

• Making Things Happen by Scott Berkun
• Strategic Project Management Made Simple by Terry Schmidt
• Project Management JumpStart by Kim Heldman
• Project Management Lite by Juana Clark Craig
• Brilliant Project Management by Stephen Barker and Rob Cole
• Guide to Project Management by Paul Roberts
• Project Management by Harold Kerzner
• The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management by Eric Verzuh
• Project Management Absolute Beginner’s Guide by Gregory Horine
• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK® Guide

Pros of becoming a Project Manager

• Being a project manager, you can apply for any of the following industry from Architecture, Construction, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare, Insurance, IT, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals. Almost every company hires a good project manager to manage their products and lead the team.
• As the demand for a project manager is increasing rapidly, you will get many opportunities to choose from. This will provide you with job security at any company.
• Salary of project manager keeps increasing with experience
• A project manager gets a chance to collaborate with different kinds of people and organizations. 
• Working with different kinds of projects helps the project manager to develop his leadership skills

Cons of becoming a Project Manager

• A project manager will be responsible for everything if in case the project fails 
• A project manager generally works from more than 60 hours a week
• If in case one of your team members fails to meet the deadline, you will be responsible for the failure
• A project manager will be attending a lot of meetings on a daily basis which may affect productivity.
• Although the job of a project manager is highly paying, they will have to handle a lot of pressure and stress