A project manager is in charge of managing, planning, and organising the completion of a specific project or projects for an organisation. They are in charge of an entire project and are ultimately responsible for its success or failure. What does a project manager do?
Job Profile
Project managers are primarily responsible for the coordination and completion of projects on time, within budget, and within scope. They do this within the confines of a company’s goals and vision.
Project managers can find work in pretty much any industry but the sectors that make use of them the most include:
- Healthcare
- Construction
- IT
- HR and
- Marketing
Is project management a good job?
Project management is considered to be a good career and has the potential to lead to high salaries and plenty of variety at work. Plus, according to PMI, the project management-oriented labour force is expected to grow by 33% through 2027.
Responsibilities
Project managers are in charge of determining and defining the scope of a project and its objectives. They then coordinate with team members to make sure that all parties are on track with project requirements, deadlines, and schedules.
They lead project planning sessions, prepare budgets based on the scope of work and resource requirements, and manage project progress by adapting work as required.
These managers manage relationships with clients and shareholders and are responsible for submitting project deliverables on time and ensuring that they meet the required standards.
They prepare status reports by gathering and analysing relevant information and also optimise and improve processes where necessary. They also obtain customer acceptance of project deliverables and measure project performance to identify areas for improvement.
What does a project manager do?
- Determine and define the scope of a project scope and its objectives
- Coordinate with team members to make sure that all parties are on track with project requirements, deadlines, and schedules
- Lead project planning sessions
- Prepare budgets based on the scope of work and resource requirements
- Manage project progress by adapting work as required
- Manage relationships with clients and shareholders
- Submit project deliverables on time
- Ensure project deliverables meet the required standards
- Prepare status reports by gathering and analysing relevant information
- Optimise and improve processes where necessary
- Obtain customer acceptance of project deliverables
- Measure project performance to identify areas for improvement
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Skills
Project managers have a strong understanding of formal project management methodologies and have a proven ability to solve problems creatively. They have the ability to lead project teams of various sizes and are familiar with project management software tools, methodologies, and best practises.
These managers also have a strong understanding of ERP implementation and a strong sense of commercial and business awareness.
They are creative, analytically sharp and have the ability to develop strong working relationships. They also possess strong communication skills and have the ability to stick to time constraints.
What are the skills of a project manager?
- Strong understanding of formal project management methodologies
- Proven ability to solve problems creatively
- Ability to lead project teams of various sizes
- Familiarity with project management software tools, methodologies, and best practises
- Strong understanding of ERP implementation
- Strong sense of commercial and business awareness
- Exceptionally creative
- Strong analytical skills
- Ability to develop strong working relationships
- Good communication skills
- Ability to stick to time constraints
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Background
What qualifications do you need to become a project manager?
To work as a project manager, you’ll need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree. This can be in Business, Computer Science, Management, or any related field.
You should ideally also have a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Other courses can also help benefit your career and boost your chances of being hired. Check out options for these down below:
- Google Project Management: Professional Certificate
- The Project Management Course: Beginner to PROject Manager
- Project Management & Other Tools for Career Development Specialization
- Agile Project Management
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Salary
The salary of a project manager depends primarily on what industry they’re working in. A junior project manager can earn up to $57,000 whereas a senior manager can earn up to $138,000 per year. The average salary of a project manager is $89,000 per year.
In Germany, the salary range is €48,000-€95,000 whereas in the UK, the range is £29,000- £73,000.
How much do project managers earn?
| Junior | $57,000 |
| Average | $89,000 |
| Senior | $138,000 |
Salary range of project managers:
| US | $57,000-$138,000 |
| Germany | €48,000-€95,000 |
| UK | £29,000-£73,000 |
How much do freelance project managers earn?
| Average rate Project Managers (2022) | $91/hr |
On average, freelance Project Managers charge $91/hour (freelancermap’s price and rate index in September 2022).
Freelance rates in Project Management range between $51 and $111 for the majority of freelancers.
Considering a freelance rate of $91/hour, a freelancer would charge $728/day for an 8-hour working day.
