What does a project manager do?

The path to becoming a project manager or ‘PM’ is rarely identical for any two people. A Bachelor’s Degree is common, but majors vary greatly. Some aspiring PMs begin their careers in non-project-management roles and then transition into the field. Some choose to earn a Master’s or graduate-level certificate, as well as industry certification; while others opt only for industry certification after gaining sufficient PM experience.

Someone once said that it takes about four seconds to become a project manager. The comment, of course, was made in jest and refers to the length of time that it takes to utter this phrase: I’m assigning you the job of managing this project.

Despite the facetiousness of the comment, there is an element of truth to it, because there is no one single prescribed path to becoming a project manager. That said, for students aspiring to enter the project management field, there is a generally accepted entry point to the career: a four-year Bachelor’s Degree.

Based on our pool of users, project managers tend to be predominately enterprising people. These professionals are ultimately responsible for the success – or the failure – of a project. They estimate costs and develop budgets. They create and implement schedules to meet deadlines. They identify resources and structure teams. They manage and mitigate risk. In short, they execute, monitor, control, and close projects. Certainly, this is among the most enterprising work that there is.

It is also interesting to note that our findings show that in addition to their enterprising nature, project managers exhibit significant artistic and investigative sensibilities. All three of these dominant characteristics are critical to take on the invariably diverse and often shifting demands of managing projects in the business world.

Project managers rank among the least happy careers. Overall they rank in the 40th percentile of careers for satisfaction scores. Please note that this number is derived from the data we have collected from our Sokanu members only.

Perhaps one factor that may drive this low happiness quotient in the field is the degree to which it is can be characterized by fluidity, by unpredictability, and even by chaos.

Because the field of project management is so wide-ranging, the characteristics and skills required to be successful as a project manager are equally eclectic:

• solid understanding of business cases and risk management processes • capacity to adapt to evolving circumstances, prioritize, and troubleshoot • proven project management and self-management skills • ability to monitor and control budgets • critical thinking ability • advanced communication and negotiation skills • capacity to handle stress and make decisions under pressure • strong interpersonal skills necessary to lead and inspire a team and delegate tasks • capacity to diplomatically resolve conflicts and disputes • ability to define situations, document data, update project plans, and draw conclusions • strong general business acumen • ability to interpret instructions regardless of their form • strong organizational and multitasking skills • creative mindset • analytical skills • accuracy and attention to detail • excellent time management skill: capacity to maintain schedules and meet deadlines • problem-solving skills • self-motivation, passion for the work, and willingness/desire to continually learn • accountability • ability to see and assess cross-organizational impacts and implications • awareness to know when it is time to pull in a subject matter expert • working knowledge of project management software

While the above competencies and personality traits form a solid foundation to be a project manager, the fact remains that every organization defines the role and the title differently. The good news for job seekers in the field is that project managers are needed in almost all industries; so if you are attracted to a specific business sector, the odds are that it presents opportunities in project management. Some projects will involve working on small teams and others will consist of very large, multidisciplinary ones. Similarly, the responsibilities of a project manager can range from budgeting and time management only to every possible operational task, or quite frankly, to anything under the sun.

Perhaps the greatest truth about the dynamic nature of project management and the wisest advice to follow in the role are found in the words of Winston Churchill: Those who plan do better than those who do not plan, even though they rarely stick to their plans.