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How to become a Project Manager

Project Manager

Career progression and salary expectations for a Project Manager

1

Project Administrator

| Up to £25,000
2

Project Manager

| Up to £45,000
3

Project Director

| Up to £75,000

The role of a Project Manager

If you’re obsessed with your diary and have a strong attention to detail, then becoming a Project Manager could be the perfect career move for you.

As a Project Manager, you will manage every aspect of the project from start to finish, working to a series of pre-determined goals and objectives.

Although specific responsibilities vary from industry to industry, the role of a Project Manager will include the following:

  • Executing, monitoring, controlling and closing a project
  • Creating and implementing schedules to meet deadlines
  • Cost estimation and budget development
  • Team structuring and resourcing
  • Performing quality assurance
  • Managing and mitigating risk
To become a Project Manager you will need to be able to lead a team, so superior management skills, and the ability to motivate and delegate tasks is essential. You will also be able to work well under pressure, always striving to meet the objectives of the client.

Other key skills include:

  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Excellent time management
  • Great organisational skills – scheduling, planning etc
  • A strong attention to detail
  • Exceptional communication skills
"The best part of my job is seeing a project from the initial planning stages through to its conclusion. Having responsibility for so many areas of work can seem daunting, and does require a fair amount of compromise, but I really enjoy it. All you need is the right training, and to assemble a good team around you. There’s nothing like seeing a good plan come together."

Get qualified as a Project Manager

Whilst formal qualifications aren't always required, there are a number of courses that could help you stand out to employers in the field of project management. These include professional certifications such as the PRINCE2® (Projects IN Controlled Environments) or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI), both of which will help you gain the industry specific skills and knowledge that recruiters are looking for. A degree in a related field such as project management, business administration, engineering, or computer science could also be beneficial.

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