How to become a project manager?

Are you a natural leader who knows how to motivate others, communicate your ideas and organize projects to make those ideas come to life? Then a becoming project manager may be the right career path for you. Discover what type of world you’d be in if you decide to be a project manager with the information provided in this guide.

What is the purpose of having a project manager in a company?

From construction to finance, project managers are needed in countless types of companies. A project manager is responsible for keeping projects organized in the company. A project manager is also responsible for delegating roles and tasks to other members on a project along with watching over a project to ensure it progresses smoothly.

What personality traits and skills are needed to be a successful project manager? 

In order to be a project manager, a critical skill to have is that of the organization. A project manager must have various organizational strategies that can be used for numerous projects. If you are considering becoming a project manager, you should have a knack for organization and planning as these are important skills to have for a project management career. 

Communication is also a crucial skill to have as a project manager. Since project managers are responsible for providing details of a project to other team members, being a good communicator is a key trait for a project manager. 

Other personality traits and skills a project manager should have included:

• Time and task management
• Leadership
• Ability to interact with others comfortably 
• Having the ability to perform all roles associated with the project in order to take over if needed to ensure project continuity
• Being able to work under pressure 
• Being able to manage at least several individuals participating in a project

What are examples of a project manager’s duties? 

In simple terms, a project manager is in charge of a project’s success. Basic responsibilities for a project manager include:

• Planning projects and executing them 
• Managing teams and removing any difficulties the teams face
• Assisting with gathering resources for the project 
• Ensuring that all delegated assignments and projects are being completed and progressing well 
• Creating a reasonable budget for each project

Depending on which type of project manager you decide to be, tasks can vary for each project manager. For example, an IT project manager may be responsible for providing technical assistance to clients or consulting with them on other product-related matters.

What do I need to do to become a project manager?

In order to become a project manager, you must acquire at least a bachelor’s degree in business management; however, you can also get a bachelor’s degree in a specific area, such as marketing, engineering or computer science, depending on what type of project manager you would like to become, such as IT project manager or engineering project manager. 

Some colleges and universities also have project management or organizational management programs that you can participate in. You can continue your education and build up your credentials after acquiring your bachelor’s degree by participating in a program that offers a project management certificate. Some project management certificate programs are also available online, and credits received in a certificate program can be used for graduate-level project management programs depending on the school and program. 

You can also get a certificate through an association such as Project Management Professional. In order to receive credentials through an association, you need to meet specific education and experience requirements along with passing a written exam.

What is the salary and career outlook for a project manager?

depending on the project manager’s experience and the type of project manager, salaries can vary; however, a starting salary for a project manager is around $45,000 and can go up to approximately $125,000. According to Education Portal, the career outlook for a project manager will increase by 15.7 million project management jobs between 2010 to 2020. 

To learn more about becoming a project manager, you can read about the career of Rachel Pace, a project manager for Office Depot, at Salary.com.

References: topmanagementdegrees, Salary.com Brentwood Open Learning College