If you are currently considering your career options, project management is definitely a field that is flourishing at present. Project managers are in high demand, and this is a job with endless possibilities. However, you may be wondering what project management actually entails.
A project manager is someone that leads a project. They have the main role when it comes to project planning, executing, controlling, monitoring, and closing. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with this role, as you will be accountable for the project scope, resources, team, and ultimately, the success or failure of the project.
Career profile: What is a Project Manager?
There are five key phases of a project that you will be responsible for if you embark on this career path: the initiation, planning, project execution, monitoring, and closing the project. These five phases intersect with ten knowledge areas, which are: stakeholder management, risk procurement, communication, human resources, quality, cost, time, scope, and integration.
The planning phase is the most comprehensive, as it includes all ten knowledge areas. You will be in charge of putting together a project management plan. You then need to define and manage scope, which involves gathering requirements and putting together a work breakdown structure (WBS). You then need to manage time by planning, defining, and developing activities and schedules, as well as planning quality requirements and costs. Your plan should also deal with communications, identifying potential risks, procurement, and planning for stakeholder expectations. And this is merely one project phase you will be in charge of!
So, how do you embark on a career in project management? Embarking on a project management apprenticeship is advised, ensuring you gain one of the recognized project management qualifications in the process. Popular qualifications include the PMI certification, PRINCE2, APM Project Fundamentals Qualification, and CAPM, amongst numerous others. Some qualifications will require prior experience, and so it is important to choose the course like online MBA program in Canada that is right for your current level.
One of the great things about embarking on a career in project management is that there are many options. You can work in virtually any industry, as every sector around the world requires project managers with different specialisations. This includes the following: government, insurance, education, manufacturing, marketing, financial, publishing, real estate, construction, engineering, software development, technology, aviation, and much more!
Finally, you will need a winning CV if you are to secure a job as a project manager. You need to pay close attention to your abilities and skills. This involves clearing articulate the certain leadership traits you bring to the table. Project management is a leadership role; so do not get too bogged down with the technical. Spend your time focusing on leadership activities and treats, which show how will you be able to guide and mentor teams, and work with stakeholder and teams to execute the initiatives of a project.
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of what the role of a project manager entails. This is certainly an exciting career, with many options in terms of where you can work and who for.
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