When it comes to successful companies, the role of the project manager is an essential position, and this trend continues on its upward trajectory.
In This Article:
Job Responsibilities of Project Managers
Career Progression and Growth Opportunities
Navigating the Application and Hiring Process
Salary, Compensation, and Long-Term Growth Potential
When it comes to successful companies, the role of the project manager is an essential position, and this trend continues on its upward trajectory.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, project management roles are growing at 7% per year—which is faster than average. And it’s not only a growing field, but a varied one that offers opportunities to specialize and pursue a variety of business needs. In tech, for example, project manager jobs involve many different aspects of tech work, such as product engineering, leading efforts to create new software solutions, scale IT processes, switch back-end systems, and more.
Looking for tips as you pursue a career in project management? This guide will equip you for success. (Check out our Career Seekers listings for the latest featured jobs in project management.)
<h2 id="responsibilities">Job Responsibilities of Project Managers</h2>
Project coordination and management requires a commitment and ability to juggle many details, tasks, and people to ensure that a project is successfully carried through to the finish line. To do well in this role, whether you are in tech, IT, or any other industry, you’ll need to have strong skills in planning, organization, communication across all levels of an organization, client management, and a keen sense of relationship building because many people will be involved in completing the project.
You’ll also benefit from a detail-oriented, responsible approach to your everyday tasks, which will include budget management, allocation of company resources, time and deliverables for multiple projects. The ability to spot potential challenges and address them successfully is also a key skill for junior and senior project managers alike.
Here's a closer look at the tasks required in project management jobs:
Planning and Organizing Projects
Regardless of the industry, project managers take charge of individual projects to ensure that those projects go as planned. In this role as project coordinator, you will take responsibility for planning and keeping various company undertakings on schedule. You’ll organize tasks from project launch to completion, which means a detail-oriented approach will be vital. Project management can also include defining the scope of work, the deliverables required, milestones, and deadlines.
Stakeholder Communication and Management
Because organizational projects can span across numerous departments, there will be many people to coordinate with. You’ll need to communicate about all your assigned projects to everyone who needs to be kept in the loop. Timely updates and informative responses to questions will be essential—and you’ll share this information with all who need to know, such as team members, project sponsors, company executives, clients, and other stakeholders who have an interest in the undertaking’s success.
Resource Allocation and Budgeting
As a product, project, or program manager, you’ll oversee the resources that are allocated to accomplish the mission—which includes the assigned personnel and any materials and supplies required to do the work. It will be your responsibility to track these resources and ensure they stay on time and on budget. You will manage current expenses, forecast future costs, and make budgetary adjustments to keep everything moving forward.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation
With any project, there are challenges that lay ahead. As a project management specialist, your role requires that you identify risks and find ways to lessen their potential impact, so that the project can be successfully completed. Forward thinking and critical analysis will help you to identify trouble spots, manage risks as they occur, and create contingency plans. You’ll also ensure that the work being done meets the necessary standards of quality for maximum success.
<h2 id="growth">Career Progression and Growth Opportunities</h2>
Project coordination offers a significant path for growing with a company, as well as opportunities to rise into higher management openings. It’s possible to work your way up from entry-level positions such as team lead, project scheduler, and project coordinator all the way up to senior project manager, senior program manager, product manager, and even director of program management. There are many ways to advance to more responsibilities and higher salaries.
For those interested in transitioning from the role of project manager into program management, it pays to continue to develop skills that lead to success at the executive level. You’ll do well if you are adaptable to shifting conditions and can make good decisions when needs and risks change. Problem-solving and successfully working with people to get projects back on track quickly are advantageous skills to possess. Develop your leadership skills, and look for ways to bring added value to your organization.
<h2 id="hiring">Navigating the Application and Hiring Process</h2>
As you prepare to search for project management jobs, focus your resume and interview preparations on key elements of the role you’re seeking. Review job descriptions for keywords, especially ones where you can highlight your successful project oversight in handling all the details that bring an undertaking to life—such as budget, scope, planning, deadlines, timelines, risk management, resource allocation, and milestones. These terms will help your resume make it through applicant tracking systems.
Be sure to highlight your achievements and be specific about your big wins. Mention metrics and outcomes, with statistics and numbers to back up your accomplishments. Include the size of the budgets and the size of the teams you’ve overseen. And also include any specific areas of expertise, certifications, education, and other experience that will help you stand out.
In interviews, be ready to discuss business case examples of successful project oversight, as well as how you handled hurdles, managed risks, and communicated tough messages with key stakeholders.
<h2 id="salary">Salary, Compensation, and Long-Term Growth Potential</h2>
Depending on the industry in which you work, project management opportunities can yield impressive salaries. In the tech field, for example, IT project managers earn six figures, making an average of $120,000 per year, with opportunities in industries as varied as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, government, energy, construction, and more.
Pursue Certifications and Higher-Education Degrees
Because the role involves significant skills in planning, organizing, and keeping projects successfully on track, on time and on budget, you’re likely to make more than average as you continue to build your skills and your history of success. Those who attain a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification make on average up to $25,000 more than those who don’t. And there are other credentials worth pursuing as well, in methods such as Agile and Scrum, or industry-specific tools such as CompTIA Project+ for IT project managers.
College education also plays a role in salary and career paths, as project managers with master’s degrees and higher tend to make more than those with simply a bachelor’s degree. Earning an MBA is a plus for those who desire to excel in project management, as the leadership skills and business acumen you learn will set you up for higher-level positions as an executive team member or a director of project management.
Grow Your Career in Project Management through the inTulsa Talent Network
The opportunities for growing a thriving career in project management abound. It’s ideal for those with a drive to accomplish detailed undertakings, an ability to communicate well, and savviness for managing resources—and it is in high demand in industries of every kind. And since the skills of project management can be transferred just about anywhere you’d like to work, it’s great for career flexibility too.
Ready for a career in Program Management in Tulsa? Sign up for the inTulsa Talent Network! When you create an account and upload your resume, you get access to all the latest job opportunities and can set up custom job alerts!
