Become a Project Manager

Answer 1

Are you a take-charge type of person? Are you a people person who likes to manage workflow, processes and staff to get projects completed timely? Then you may want to consider a career as a project manager. Project managers plan projects and ensure they are successfully completed on time and within budget. They perform a variety of duties, including resource, workflow, operation and scope planning. They review deliverables before presenting them to the client to make sure they are current and complete. They also track and report expenses, manage budgets and communicate with clients.

A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement to become a project manager. Some companies also require a Project Management Professional certification, or PMP. A PMP shows that an individual has spent the required time demonstrating a high level of project management skills. A lot of time is required for this certification - 35 hours of project management education and a minimum of three years, or 4,500 hours, of project management experience. Some programs can be taken online and completed in as little as eight weeks. It’s a worthwhile investment and surefire way to boost your income and make you more valuable to employers.

Project managers need a variety of skills in order to be successful in their field. The two most important things to have are organizational and planning skills. Other important skills include financial management, leadership, communication, business and team management, conflict resolution, problem solving and computer knowledge. Most start out as a project assistant, and with hard work and experience, move on to project coordinator and then junior project manager, and finally to project manager or senior project manager. It can take several years for one to climb the ranks.

Salaries for project managers range from $56,000 to more than $100,000 per year, depending on level of experience, location and field. Those who have at least three years of experience average around $80,000. Those who work in the government sector average $86,000, while the highest salaries are in the IT industry, with an average of $98,000. Project management is a hot field at the moment. Job growth is excellent, especially in the areas of IT and biotechnology.