A project manager is a job role that is responsible for the responsibility for a specific project or several projects within an organization. They are in charge of planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting the project with the use of various project management methodologies.
How to become a Project Manager
Here are the steps that you’ll be needing to pursue this type of job role.
1. Complete your education
This is a major step for becoming a project manager because it can represent your knowledge and professionalism that are essential keys to the job of a project manager. You can pursue a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in computer science, business administration, or any other related field that you are interested in.
2. Earn Certifications
Earning different kind of certifications can really help you in career field, certifications can help you learning essential skills that you need for the job in Chandigarh. Also it makes a good impression on employers.
Following are some certifications that you can pursue :
Project management professional (PMP)
If you already have experience in leading a project at a junior level in a professional environment, you can consider earning this certificate. This may help you advance your career and become a project manager. A project manager with a PMP certification may earn more than a non-credentialed professional.
Certified associate in project management (CAPM)
This is an entry-level certification for candidates who are new to the project management field. Professionals with no relevant experience in project management can earn a CAPM certification. Earning a CAPM certification can help you in getting entry-level project management jobs.
3. Gain experience
You can start your career as a member of any project management team. For example, you can work as an IT analyst or IT associate in a project management team for a few years and support the IT team. With time, you can gain more experience and knowledge about the industry and build your reputation. You can start taking managerial tasks and learn how to lead a project management team efficiently. Assist your team with innovative ideas and gain experience in initiating, planning, and executing the project. After gaining experience, you can apply for higher-level project management positions.
Duties and Responsibilities of a project manager
Project managers basically lead the team and complete the project within the time limit and the allotted budget. Companies often hire project managers to lead a team in running a marketing campaign, developing a new project or developing a computer system, depending on the industry. The daily job of a project manager may include getting involved in the hiring process, leading the team meetings and communicating with stakeholders and clients. They are also responsible for Bidding of the projects, Keeping the records of daily tasks,Completed projects. Also they can help other team members in completion of the tasks. Project managers can take responsibility for more than one project at a time, depending on their skills and experience.Project managers are also responsible for reporting current progress of the project to the upper management team as well as client.
- Planning the working schedule and assigning employees with the dedicated tasks
- looking for the potential risks that can occur during the project execution
- dividing the project planning into several sessions and leading them accordingly
- focusing on maintaining the quality and the standard of the work/projects
- motivating and helping the entire team and individual team members
- handling any sudden requirement in the project and managing changes
- working as a facilitator between the employees and the upper management
Skills to become a project manager
Here are some important skills that are needed in project manager:
Communication skills
The job of a project manager involves communicating with professionals from different departments including employees, clients and team members. A single project can involve more than one professional. A project manager keeps all of them updated with the various aspects of the project’s progress. Communication can be extremely important to managing different team members. Great communication skills can help project managers keep the team members updated with all the project information and motivate them to work towards the same goal.
Leadership skills
Leadership skills are also very important skill for the Project manager job role. Project managers use their leadership skills according to the industry, individual team members and the nature of the project. Developing great leadership skills can help project managers communicate the project goals clearly with the team. You can develop your leadership skills by learning from other leaders that inspire you.
Patience
Calm mind and behaviour is very important life skill not only in project manager job role but almost every job role.Learn to be calm under pressure and patiently manage the situations. Patience can help when communicating with clients. It can help you manage the situation in a much more efficient way. Try finding the situations that trigger you and work on how you can manage them calmly. Overcoming obstacles with patience can help project managers build endurance and confidence. It can also help project managers to develop a positive mindset for their teams’ improvement.
Cost management
Cost management skill includes Budgeting, finance, Bidding etc. Gaining cost management skills can help project managers in reviewing budgets and managing expenses. Project managers use this skill to develop and review budgets, and even to negotiate the cost of a project. Many companies prefer hiring project managers with experience in identifying high-cost allocation areas and developing changes for completing the project within a set budget.
Technical knowledge
Project managers often use different software and tools to increase the productivity of their teams. With the help of software knowledge, they streamline workflows and document the progress of each team member. Project managers can also use their technical expertise to manage resources and collaborate with different departments.
Quality management
Quality management can be very useful in managing processes during project management. Project managers can use quality management to deliver the final product according to the quality standards of the company. They ensure the project meets the level of excellence and quality that a client requires. Quality management can also help in developing effective strategies for maintaining the desired quality for future projects.
Risk management
Risk management can help project managers calculate risks for each strategy they make for the benefit of the organisation. Many companies prefer hiring project management professionals who can handle risks by analysing how their decisions and actions can affect the team and project.
Problem-solving skills
Problem-solving skills can help project managers find effective solutions to issues that may affect the project’s progress. They can research and gather relevant information to find potential solutions. With problem-solving skills, project managers can identify the pros and cons of different solutions. It can help them develop a structured approach to achieve positive results.
Average salary of a project manager
The national average salary of a project manager is ₹1,32,080 per month. There are many factors like industry, skills and experience that can affect this salary. The salary of project managers may also vary depending on the location of the job. Project managers with a master’s degree or more experience may earn higher salaries.
