10 Skills needed for Project Management jobs

Ever wondered what is Project Management? Well wonder no more, this article will help you get a better idea of what Project Management is, the importance of Project Management and what you should expect to do at Project Management jobs.

What to expect in Project Management?

Project Management is the application of specific knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to manage the delivery, timeline, quality and budget of building a project. A project is by definition temporary, there is a beginning and an ending time.

As a result of its temporary nature, dates must be set to ensure that a project finishes within an acceptable time. In order to have a proper ending date that can, realistically be met, a Project Manager is required to set a scope defining the project and the resources required to complete the project and managing the resources and budget required to complete the project.

As you can see Project Management is a relatively technical role that requires an individual who is good at planning.

The importance of Project Management is self-evident. If a project does not have a Project Manager the project will have no clear direction, timelines will not be met and budgets will be thrown out. Another important thing about Project Management jobs is that, particularly in software companies, they help determine what features need to be built.

Employees in this field are the link between management, clients and the development. The importance of Project Management acting as this link is that it gives the software developers access to information regarding what the clients want.

The Project Manager also handles the communication between management and the technical team to ensure that there is a clear understanding between management and the technical team.

Project Manager job description

The Project Manager job description gives you a good idea of what you can expect to do as a Project Manager on a day-to-day basis.

As a Project Manager you can expect to carry out the preparation of business cases to justify investing in said project, leading and motivating project delivery teams, managing the budget of a project, maintaining communication with the relevant stakeholders involved in the project, securing agreement with the relevant stakeholders, identifying and managing risks that arise or may arise in the execution of the project and capturing the project’s requirements and ensuring the project is delivered in a timeous and acceptable manner.

 

With most Project Management jobs you will have a lot of responsibility as this is ultimately a management job. You will lead and manage project teams. This role will come with the necessary authority and responsibility you can expect from managing a team.

In addition to this authority you will also have the responsibility of keeping your team motivated. This might seem like an easy thing to do, but if you are working with a team of more than one person you will have to deal with different personalities. Each person will be driven by different things and you will need to help everyone in the team to act in unison.

Project Management Skills

As you can see from the Project Manager job description, this is a very broad role that requires a diverse skillset. If you are interested in finding Project Management vacancies and getting a job in this field, here is a breakdown of ten skills you will need to succeed as a manager.

Leadership

You will have to lead teams. This means that you will have to be a good leader with enough leadership skills to ensure your team successfully completes each project you are working on. This is probably the most important skill you will need to have and it will drive up your Project Management salary.

Cost Control

Another skill that will drive up your Project Management salary is the ability to control costs. Keeping your budget under check is one of the most important skills you need to have to ensure that your project’s budget stays within the boundaries of the budget set by your company or client.

Risk Management

In Project Management risks will always arise. In this field one must be able to manage risks well and ensure that they do not derail the progress of the project.

Critical Thinking

A good manager must be a critical thinker who is able to solve problems in a reasonable way.

Communication

It is very important to be a good communicator as a Project Manager. Many Project Management vacancies will explicitly list good communication as a vital skill necessary to succeed in a career in Project Management.

Task Management

You will need to be able to manage tasks as a Project Manager in order to prioritise the most important tasks.

Time Management

You will have to have good time management skills. This is necessary to ensure that you and team do not waste time on non-important tasks.

Coaching

In this field you will dabble as a career coach, helping people within your team by keeping them motivated and ensuring they understand what needs to be done.

Writing

A lot of Project Management vacancies will require that you must be good at writing scopes that clearly describe the project and the requirements necessary to complete each project you work on.

Quick Thinker

You must be a quick thinker. Sometimes you will encounter problems that are unique and require unique solutions. These problems will have to be solved through your ability to think on the spot.

Courses and Work Environment

In order to get a job as a Project Manager and the Project Manager salary that does wonders to your bank account, there are a few Project Management courses you can take. There are Project Management courses available in Boston City Campus and Damelin and other short Project Management courses at Universities such as CPUT.

If you prefer learning online, you can also find a few Project Management courses online. Institutions such as GetSmarter offer introductory and foundation Project Management courses online. Completing these courses will help you get a job in Project Management that push up your Project Manager salary.

This is certainly an enjoyable career option for people looking at working in flexible work environments. If you are interested in working in Project Management you can find Project Management jobs on Job Mail.