Education Required for Project Management Jobs
Project management career salary potential is often directly tied to the educational achievements of the individual. Certification is desirable for those interested in the highest paying and most challenging areas of project management. Project management jobs in international settings usually prefer individuals with certification in project management and a strong background in the industry involved. Project management in construction, IT, telecommunications, software development and more are possible career paths.
Certification for project managers varies but the most basic is the Project Management Professional title. The PMP is recognized all over the world and may be ideal for the individual seeking project management jobs in international companies. A four-year bachelor degree and 35 hours of education in project management as well as 4500 hours of direct project management experience is normally required to be eligible to apply for Certification.
Individuals who have received a high school diploma and have accrued 7500 direct project management experience as well as 35 hours of project management credits may also be eligible to apply for certification. In construction often, project managers are individuals who possess construction skills as well as work experience in construction and experience is sometimes substituted for education.
Jobs in Project Management Possible Career Paths
Jobs in project management usually require work experience and training in the industry. This is because few individuals know how to follow the rules for software development project management unless they understand the steps in the software development process, how large a project might be and what possible problems could be encountered during development. This applies to IT, telecommunications and even manufacturing projects equally.
Any area of project management requires the manager to first understand the scope of the project, the equipment and personnel needed to accomplish the project and then to develop strategies and timelines for successful completion of the project. This applies to IT, telecommunications, construction and industrial project management. These are highly paid jobs but they often require a thorough knowledge of the industry from the project manager's perspective as well as the practical perspective on the production end. Project management career salary averages are around 100k with a senior project manager in IT receiving the highest average pay and a general project manager on average receiving just under 100k per year.
The smooth progression of a project starts with the planning stages. One of the prime rules of project management is to get a grasp of how large, small, or detailed a project is. The project manager may consult with many professionals in various fields before even beginning to develop the project plan.
There are very frequently project management jobs in international settings for all technology related project management professionals as well s for construction project managers. The project management career salary potential for international managers is often a little higher than those of U.S. based managers.
Project Management Jobs Duties
The job of a project manager starts with designing the project. Designing the project, meeting the deadlines, estimating the budgets, assuring that materials and personnel are available, reporting to CEOs, directors or investors, anticipating and dealing with potential problems and assuring that the project is one time and on budget are part of the job description of a project manager. The reason these professionals are usually required to have experience in the industry is that the most successful project managers are able not only to deal with problems as they arise, but anticipate and avoid them before they occur. Often this talent comes from direct experience and knowledge of the industry. This all-important talent for foreseeing and planning for obstacles and delays is why some very successful project managers are those with many years experience in a field.
Almost every industry can require project managers. Anytime there is a project whose scope is large enough to require someone to oversee all the details, ensure the materials necessary are on hand, assure the right people with the right skills arrive on time then there exists an opportunity for a project manager to find a job. Success in previous projects may well account for salary increases more than education after a certain point. Investors and companies want qualified individuals who have a record of success since many projects involve millions of dollars in investment.
Very frequently project managers are employed on a consultant basis and some maybe employed by consulting firms. Project manager jobs in international companies may require frequent travel abroad and this should be balanced against the project manager career salary increase offered by international work. If you are ready to begin your career as a project manager and realize your full potential there is no time like now and you can find job listings with www.ProjectManagementCrossing.com. Sign up for your FREE trial today and find that perfect job!