When most people think of the term “project manager” they picture men in hard hats walking around a construction site. In reality, project management is so much more. Project managers play an integral role in a variety of industries, from health care to aerospace, finance and tech fields to software development, there’s no limit to the opportunities available.
What Do Project Managers Do?
The role of a project manager depends on the position, but in general, you’ll be tasked with the conception, development, and completion of a particular project. This job requires individuals to be skilled in human resources with an exemplary understanding of administrative processes. You’ll become a go-to source for all questions, and may often become pulled in every direction. While pursuing your project management degree, you’ll learn about human resources, operations, organizational structure, financial analysis, and more.
Career Options
A project management degree lends itself to a host of roles. Turn your years of hard work in school into a lucrative career in one of the following jobs:
- New Product Development Manager
New product development managers deal with the ins and outs of trial and error related to product development. You’ll be tasked with overseeing the development process, helping plan marketing schemes, and commercializing the product throughout the right arenas.
A project coordinator is tasked with working under a supervising project manager. You’ll be responsible for overseeing specified facets of certain projects; this might mean supervising team members, organizing team builds and meetings, and taking care of vital materials related to the project in question. This is an entry level position that serves as a wonderful launching pad for a career as an executive-level project manager.
Are you tech savvy? Do you have an interest in computer science and all-things technology? You might consider a foray into the field of IT project management. While this sector is extremely competitive, it offers great compensation and an opportunity to help shape the future of the field. Most often, you’ll require specific skills to be considered for an information technology project management position, so you may consider pursuing an online degree in a related discipline.
Instead of tying yourself down to a single business or company, consider becoming a freelance project manager by starting your own consulting company. Many companies don’t have the budget (or the need) for a full-time project manager, and look towards consultants to handle individual projects. This allows you a measure of flexibility, and gives you more control over the types of projects you’ll encounter in your career. If you don’t have the means or desire to start your own consulting firm, you can consider joining an existing consulting group like PM Alliance.
This is just a sampling of the types of positions you can pursue with a project management degree to your name.
There are numerous ways to advance in a project management career, but the most standard way to demand better wages and find better employment opportunities is by getting credentialed or certified. Like accountants must pursue their CPA certification with certification courses on sites like
CPAReviewCourses.org, you’ll likely need to purchase supplemental study resources for your Project Management Professional Certification. Whether you pursue your PMP, PgMP, Prince2, or a mélange of multiple credentials, you’ll find that you need to these credentials in order to stay competitive among the saturated industry. The PMP credential tends to be the standard among industry professionals. Keep in mind that these credentials represent a great deal of work; you’ll likely need to invest in study and preparation materials that teach you best practices on how to pass the PMP exam, and some find they must retake the exam multiple times before they receive a passing score. The best PMP prep courses will come equipped with sample exams and numerous study resources that you’ll find invaluable. This opportunity for advancement is very enticing for multiple reasons; one, many employers are willing to foot the bill for the costs associated with the education required to attempt these exams, and two, the credential alone can open the door to higher paid positions.
If you’re considering your degree choices, or you’ve already settled on project management, consider the ways this degree can catapult your professional career.
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