What Does a Project Manager Do?
Do you have a knack for being organised? Do you love leading and motivating others? Are you good at communicating your ideas and seeing them come to fruition? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above, then you might make a great Project Manager.
What is a Career in Project Management like?
In a nutshell, project management is simply the process of getting work projects completed on time and within budget. While it may sound simple, a great project manager requires a variety of specialised skills and knowledge including the ability to plan, organise, communicate effectively, delegate, and mediate. To succeed, you will also need to have an in-depth knowledge of the particular industry in which you are working.
Other key attributes of good project managers include being able to liaise with a variety of different people, work under pressure, and ability to manage others. Not everyone sets out to become a project manager; instead people often ‘fall into’ the role. If this is the case for you, you will also benefit from a number of part-time, online and correspondence courses in project management that are available.
What Qualifications do I Need?
There are a variety of project management courses available. Whether you study project management online, in class, full-time or part-time, you will learn key skills that you can apply anywhere. These include:
- Leadership skills
- Communication skills
- Time management
- Problem solving
- Budget management.
A great place to start is the Certificate IV in Project Management Practice. This course can be taken in-class or through online study and will teach you how to estimate and develop a budget, undertake risk assessment, deal with contracts and plan a project.
The Diploma of Project Management will take your project management studies to the next level. With this nationally recognised qualification, you will learn how to plan, coordinate and evaluate projects across any industry. The course, designed to meet current industry demands, will give you the skills to manage other people, as well as win new business projects.
The Advanced Diploma of Project Management is aimed at those already managing project portfolios, or multiple projects of significance. This course of study will allow you to further develop your skills in communication, teamwork, problem-solving, planning and organisation, self-management and learning and technology skills. You will gain the skills needed to successfully direct projects across differing industries.
As you gain further experience in your project management career, you may wish to undertake the Graduate Diploma in Project Management or the Graduate Certificate in Project Management, where you will hone your skills even further, allowing you to project manage across any industry, business or government institution.
The Master of Project Management will set you apart from the rest and provide you with finely tuned skills in planning, implementation, risk management, collaboration, critical and analytical thinking, and evaluation. This degree will also allow you to focus your study towards one or more areas of specialisation, or to focus on an emerging field of study.
“Other key attributes of good project managers include being able to liaise with a variety of different people, work under pressure, and ability to manage others”
Where Will it Take me?
The Project Management industry is currently booming in Australia with almost half of employers planning to develop permanent project management roles. Over the past 10 years, the number of project manager jobs has more than doubled.
Even better, project managers can be employed in wide variety of industries including construction, health care, finance, education, and IT. You will also find employment in private organisations and government institutions.
With more businesses requiring projects to be completed quickly and successfully, your career as a project manager is assured, when you gain the right practical skills and knowledge. Furthermore, if you are highly skilled and can design, implement and manage complex projects, you may find yourself working anywhere in Australia or around the world.
So why not check out the great variety of in-class and online project management courses, and get your career off to a flying start.