What Does a Project Manager Do?

Building, leading and motivating project teams.

Identifying project scopes, budgets, deliverables, schedules and plans for implementation.

Coordinating the internal and external resources needed to conform to the scope, schedule and budget of the project, including development of relationships with third-party resources, vendors or contractors who provide various services or supply materials.

Cultivating relationships with project stakeholders and keeping them informed as to the progress of the project.

Reporting project outcomes, risks or setbacks through appropriate management channels and managing issues.

Organization: Strong organizational skills are elemental here, allowing project managers to ensure that the processes required for successful project completion are running smoothly. In complex projects, the ability to organize information, people and resources, as well as prioritize tasks is crucial.

Communication: Project managers need to be effective communicators. This skill is essential to help them communicate effectively with team members, stakeholders and third-party resources such as vendors and contractors. Project managers are regularly called upon to produce reports and presentations to management, investors or other groups, and strong communication skills are needed to complete these tasks.

Leadership: Successful project managers possess the strong leadership skills required to oversee tasks, unify and motivate team members, and lead by example to align team goals with those of their organization.

Time management: Project managers must have the ability to create project timelines that reflect the timeframes for certain tasks to be completed and consider tasks that can be performed concurrently vs. those that can only be performed consecutively.

Budget management: Anyone who’s heard the expression “time is money” knows that budgeting goes hand-in-hand with time management. Tracking all project costs in spreadsheets, identifying where costs are being overrun and determining how to keep things “in the black” are all ways in which project managers create and manage project budgets.

Negotiation: To align team members or stakeholders with project goals or resolve conflicts, the project manager must take on the role of a negotiator. This skill can be particularly useful in negotiating pricing, payment, delivery or other terms with suppliers, or in discussions with clients or other stakeholders.

Problem-solving: Project management and problem-solving are almost synonymous. An effective project manager has the ability to gather all information associated with a particular problem and use a structured approach to find a solution that gets things back on track.

Master’s in Project Management

Master’s in Business Administration with a Project Management Specialization

Master’s in Information Systems Management with a Project Management Specialization

Master’s in Network and Communications Management with a Project Management Specialization

Certified Associate of Project Management (CAPM): Intended to be a first-step project management certification, the CAPM verifies your aptitude in the fundamentals of project management, the role of project managers, the project management environment, procurement, communication and other aspects of the discipline.

Project Management Professional (PMP): Passing the 180-question exam required for this certification verifies skills in 3 key areas – people, process and business environment. Holders of this credential have the skills to effectively lead and motivate project teams, use predictive, agile and hybrid approaches to determine the best way to manage a project and highlight the impact of a successful project on strategic and organizational goals.

PMI-RMP (Risk Management): The PMI-RMP certification focuses on risk management as an essential facet of organizational activities and is intended to position its credential holders to identify problems before they occur, assess project risks, mitigate threats, maximize results and meet deadlines.

PMI-PBA (Business Analysis): The PMI-PBA credential verifies skills in the areas of business analysis and project requirements gathering, which are critical components of successful project completion.

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP): Created for practitioners of the Agile project management approach, a methodology that uses short cycles or sprints to develop a product or service, this certification formally recognizes knowledge of Agile principles and skill with Agile techniques.

Networking opportunities: While working in an internship, it’s likely that you will work alongside people who could provide strong professional references. This includes team members and others at the company where you’re interning but could also be extended to professionals in adjacent organizations. Introduce yourself to as many of them as you can and stay in touch after completing your internship by connecting on social media.

Career development: An internship may provide on-the-job training that will add to your skills and help you stand out when prospective employers review your resume. Project managers work in many different industries. If you’re not sure what field you’d like to pursue, completing internships in a few different industries might give you the real-world experience to help you decide which is best for you.

Compensation: Businesses occasionally offer paid internships that will compensate you for your time while you’re gaining experience and contacts. Even if unpaid, an internship can help you gain the training and experience you need to pursue a paid position.

Project coordinator: In this entry-level position, the project coordinator serves as an administrative assistant, generating and distributing reports to the project team and stakeholders and functioning as an assistant to the management team.

Project scheduler: Typically hired for large-scale projects, the project scheduler uses project scheduling software and other project management software and tools.

Assistant project manager: Assistant project managers sometimes directly assist the project manager but are frequently assigned specific tasks to manage. They will meet regularly with the project manager to report on progress and discuss issues that have arisen.

Project manager: The project manager is responsible for bringing projects to a successful conclusion. They stand alone in running projects or lead management teams. They will often delegate tasks to assistant project managers, oversee budgets and schedules and report to stakeholders.

Senior project manager: Typically found in larger organizations, the individual in this position is responsible for running multiple projects. In this capacity, they are sometimes referred to as program managers.