What Is an IT Project Manager? And How to Become One

They are also highly sought after because of their specialised skills. According to Statista, 47% of companies employ multiple Project Managers, and 35% employ only one. This shows that companies are realising their need to manage projects better. This comprehensive blog will help you understand How to Become a Project Manager and learn about their roles, qualifications, skills, & salary.

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Also, staffing the roles on the project, problem-solving things that come up, data center management. It could be within the company or it could be somewhere outsourced by a third-party vendor. ” And it really depends on your organization, and it really depends on the type of projects you work on. Not every project is managed using the Agile or Scrum methodology, so you may not need it. So again, they have an interest in becoming a project manager for the IT part of the project. You can develop skills by taking courses specific to a subject, studying for a certification or practicing them in the workplace.

What Does a Project Manager Do? How to Become One, Salary, Skills.

Earning a PM certification is intended to advance your career as a project manager. Career advancement can mean better job opportunities, increased pay, greater job security, and enhanced job satisfaction. Take initiatives, drive projects forward, and effectively communicate with team members and stakeholders, ensuring their details and expectations are well-documented in the Stakeholder register. Showcase your ability to deliver successful projects within budget, on time, and with the desired outcomes. Highlight your achievements and the positive impact you have on projects, as this will establish you as a competent and results-oriented Project Manager.

Develop project management skills.

• Learn about how you can advance your career if you’re interested in project management.
• The full compensation package for a project manager depends on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s experience and geographic location.
• Take initiatives, drive projects forward, and effectively communicate with team members and stakeholders, ensuring their details and expectations are well-documented in the Stakeholder register.
• If you have managed schedules, led teams, developed Gantt charts, and worked through the full project life-cycle, then you may be in a position to apply for project manager roles.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for a project management specialist is $95,370 per year, 60% higher than the average national salary of $59,428. Throughout the project lifecycle, assistant project managers provide support in a variety of ways, at the discretion of the project manager. Project management software helps teams collaborate, stay organized, and track their progress over the lifecycle of a project. As a Project Manager, you’ll likely use a project management software on a daily basis to collaborate software quality assurance (QA) analyst with your team, so it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with one or more of these software packages. But you don’t have to come from a tech background to land a Project Manager role at a tech company.

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Working alongside experienced Project Managers will teach you about project planning, resource allocation, risk management, and stakeholder communication. To learn more about the certification, you can visit the official PMI website here. One of the most popular certifications for project management professionals, it is specifically aimed at people who already have prior project management experience. Your manager may help you get started by having you shadow a more experienced project manager, or encourage you to take courses. Eventually, they may assign you a project to manage full-time with their guidance.

Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals. Make sure you don’t miss out on learning from leading industry specialists and project professionals. While Scrum Masters can be project managers and project managers can be Scrum Masters, the two terms cannot be used interchangeably. Master of Project Academy is one of the top providers of project management certification exam prep, with students in over 180 countries and an average first-time pass rate of 99.6% in the certification exams. Project managers must possess leadership skills to properly guide the teams they oversee, understanding that each unique project requires a different leadership style.

• After completing a PDU, you’ll report PDUs online and pay a renewal fee.
• In that case, you know exactly what you need to focus on to gain the experience you need to become a more well-rounded project manager.
• Project management specialists in the U.S. earn a median annual salary of $98,580, according to the U.S.
• It has no prerequisites but encourages you to complete an e-course to prepare for the exam.
• Training is always helpful for IT positions, especially if you lack real-world experience.

• You can train for this exam either through structured coursework or on your own.
• You can also find more resume writing tips, portfolio guidance, and interview prep support at our Career Center.
• Project management certification can open doors and expand your options regarding where you work, the industry in which you work, and your roles and responsibilities.
• With this course, you’ll learn how to use the latest project management tools and techniques, and how to deliver a project on budget, on scope, and on time.
• Create your own gap analysis to see which commonly mentioned skills and qualifications you have and which ones you still need to work on.
• A degree at this level would also suit you if you already have a degree in a non-PM subject, but want to change your career direction to project management.
• The PMP certification exam consists of 180 multiple-choice questions, which, if answered correctly, demonstrate your project management expertise to future employers.

I’ve been in the industry for a time now,  leading and guiding aspiring project managers. Here are a few different project management certifications that you can apply for. Rather than getting an expensive project management certification (that often isn’t worth as much to hiring managers as experience anyway), see if you can volunteer to manage an upcoming project.

Generally, project management is both a challenging and rewarding career. As a project manager, you will manage resources, track timelines, and ensure successful project outcomes. This role also enhances your leadership skills and helps you deliver projects on Project Manager job time and within budget.