How can you advance your career in project management?

As more organisations are adopting technology, the delivery of goods and services is becoming more complex. Modern–day operations require extensive planning, smart business strategies and coordinated teamwork in addition to regular resources such as labour and money.

Hence, many businesses rely on project management for breaking down larger operations into smaller projects. This ensures accuracy and efficiency and saves wastage of resources by avoiding task repetition. This management approach has become integral to the operations of major organisations across industries such as construction and finance.

If you want to start your career in the field, read on to learn more about why you should consider a career in project management and skills you can gain that will advance your career.

What is project management?

Project management is the process of handling all the processes, methodology, skills, and knowledge to achieve specific objectives associated with a particular project within the allotted time and budget.

In simpler terms, project management strategies ensure that projects get delivered on time with optimum accuracy and quality. It is utilised in almost every domain in the world, from software development to the health industry.

Why should you consider a career in project management?

While anyone can pursue a career in project management, there are a few things that can give you a distinct advantage. Your career in this field can be very easy if you already have the following qualifications:

1. A bachelor’s degree in management or business;
2. A certification in project management;
3. A master’s degree in project or business management;
4. A certified associate qualification in project management;
5. Relevant work experience for a significant duration.

Obtaining a degree or working in management can help you gain certain skills to make it big in this field. You can either pursue a course to obtain the relevant skills or work in a business to gain the necessary experience.

Benefits of pursuing a career in project management

Today, there is a greater need for employees with managerial skills who can handle the problems of an agile, digital, and modern workplace. Here are a few benefits that you can look forward to when you pursue a career in project management:

1. Become a better leader: project management instils values of workplace ethics and honesty, which are regarded as crucial qualities of a manager as you will be handling a team that will look to you for motivation.
2. Improve problem-solving skills: you will learn to identify and solve various challenges in the workplace. You will also develop analytical skills that can help you crunch data to solve potential problems.
3. Improve your interpersonal skills: as a manager, you will need to communicate with different stakeholders, team members, senior management, fellow managers and more. As a result, you will improve your communication and people skills when it comes to speaking and writing.
4. Develop your technical skills: as a manager, you will also need to understand the business inside-out as this will help you mentor/coach your team members better.
5. Get better at handling shorter projects: you will learn to handle and complete short projects within a limited time-frame with limited resources. You will pick up skills such as:
   1. Writing a project plan
   2. Building a work-allocation schedule
   3. Allocating resources to team members
   4. Creating a project budget
   5. Defining and setting the project’s scope
   6. Identifying and managing associated risks
   7. Handling conflict resolutions.

What do you need to start a career in this field?

Since project management is a dynamic field, starting a career in this area requires you to carefully consider a number of factors. You must think along the following points and conduct extensive research before making a decision.

• The complete job description of a project manager;
• The skillset and subject knowledge required for becoming a project manager;
• The expected responsibilities of a project manager;
• The education and certification required to become a project manager;
• The salary package (varies based on experience);
• The challenges and problems in the field;
• The latest strategies and methodologies required for managing projects;
• The latest technologies and tools available for project managers.

You can follow the steps mentioned below to start a career in project management:

1. Talk to people: before taking on a new job, it is important to know as much as you can about the career. You can do this by interacting with professionals who have project management experience; this will be your chance to learn more about the challenges in this field and the rewards.
2. Take an online course: online courses are a time-saving approach to beginning a career in this field. You will get an introduction to the subject, gain knowledge of the basics and will understand how to cope with the challenges. These courses also tend to be cheaper than regular courses.
3. Pursue a graduate degree in the field: once you possess the basics of the subject, you can consider another qualification such as an MBA to gain advanced expertise in the field. A degree can also enhance your employability in the field. You can choose from various project management courses such as a diploma in project management.
4. Gain more certifications: as a project manager, you should keep updating your management skills. One practical way is to obtain respected certifications such as the PMP certification that will add to your expertise.

The easiest way to get a head-start in the field is to pursue a diploma in project management. If you are unsure about which diploma to pursue, the Diploma in Project Management offered by IBAT College Dublin could be ideal for you. The diploma is offered in association with the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The course provides a broad overview of the key concepts of the management process and will give you the skills required to navigate through each step of a large commercial project. To learn more about the course and advance your career in the field.