Project Management As A Future Career Choice

When seeking a career that will be both rewarding and satisfying, often the main concern is whether or not there are jobs available for the occupation of choice.  While some jobs will provide financial remuneration, they may not provide the satisfaction that people seek.  Project Management skills are transferable, which means that they can be utilised in a variety of industries, from event management to building construction.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) research “Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017–2027” indicates that the demand for Project Managers is growing faster than a demand for workers in other occupations.  This talent gap represents a risk to organisations in general, due to project managers being important contributors to productivity of the organisation as a whole.

Students who are qualified in project management are always in demand.  The future outlook up to 2027 from this report shows that in order to support business development, qualified project managers will be needed to plan and provision the work required.

As a career, Project Management can be both complex and rewarding.  On a day-to-day basis, the job involves planning, organising, securing, controlling, leading, and managing resources and tasks to achieve specific business goals.

In addition, a project manager will also address issues such as how the work will be completed, the process of reporting, skill sets that are required for the project, the assigned budget, the time frame and schedule for the project and all its tasks and managing the team and organisation culture.

The practice of juggling multiple schedules, projects and tasks can be very complex, confusing and difficult and is a big part of the Project Manager’s skill set.  Taking the correct training and experience will help prospective Project Managers to learn the skills required to handle such challenges.

As the demand continues to grow, the PMI expects that there will be around 22 million new job openings available to Project Managers for the next ten years. In addition, the salary offered to Project Managers can be highly competitive, with the national average entry-level project manager salary at around $88,235 per year. (as at 31 Oct. 18)

With all that in mind, Project Management is a career that is worth considering.

How To Become A Qualified Project Manager

Take an accredited course to achieve a Certificate or Diploma

Search for a mentor-ship, internship or volunteer position to gain valuable skills within a professional environment

Manage projects of your own design, to gain experience

Example Job Roles for Qualified Project Managers

Project Officer

Project Manager

Scrum Master

Project Leader

Head of Planning

Head of Project Management

Project Facilitator

Planner

Operations Manager

Project Management Supervisor

Project Strategist

Resource Manager

References:

https://www.min.team/blog/what-do-you-go-by-job-titles-in-project-management

PMI (2017). Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017–2027.