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by Wendy Lalli
 f
you're the kind of person who likes planning things,
works well with others and isn't afraid of responsibility,
project management may be your ideal career. In
the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, project management
is described as "the discipline of defining and
achieving targets while optimizing the use of resources
(time, money, people, space, etc.)." In short, a
Project Manager (PM) is a problem-solving facilitator.
He or she is responsible for finding the most cost-efficient
and effective way to complete a specific task. This
task may be constructing a high-rise building, marketing
a new product, installing a revolutionary manufacturing
process or a thousand other small or large assignments.
Whatever the job, it's the Project Manager who drives
the work and makes things happen. Given this responsibility,
compensation is between $60,000 and $100,000. In
addition, bonuses are awarded for projects that
are completed ahead of schedule or/and under budget.
In some cases, the bonus is based on a company's
profit from the project and could actually be higher
than the salary!
According to "The History of Project Management" from www.sims.berkely.edu,
the profession really "began to take root only a few decades ago…when
businesses and other organizations began to see the benefit of organizing
work around projects." It was during the Cold War when the United
States Department of Defense first began looking for ways to maximize
efficiency and reduce the time and costs of producing new weapons,
that the idea of project management really took hold.
The Defense Department invented a model called Program Evaluation
and Review Technique or PERT to develop the Polaris
missile submarine. Coincidentally, the DuPont Corporation was developing
a similar work model—Critical Path Method or CPM.
In both of these models, goals were reached by organizing work into
"projects" that were overseen by one individual, a Project Manager.
This person builds and oversees a team from different disciplines,
integrating their efforts to achieve maximum results for the lowest
possible cost. Today, PERT and CPM are the standard tools of traditional
project management.
Project Managers in every industry are expected to be familiar with these tools and others that enable goals to be set; schedules to be constructed; and time, effort and costs to be accounted for. Dianne Scott, a recruiter serving several service industries such as marketing, insurance and finance, calculates that 10 to 15 percent of her placement assignments each year are for Project Managers. "I place candidates in many different arenas from high-tech companies to advertising agencies. But whatever industry they work in, good Project Managers are detail-oriented, live by the clock and are confident enough in their own judgment to stand their ground both with the bosses they report to and the people they manage."
As Scott's remarks indicate, the expertise needed to manage projects in one field may differ from another, but the essence of the job remains the same. So if the qualifications for managing a construction project includes being a civil engineer, while a similar position in marketing demands an MBA, candidates for both jobs still must be strong leaders, able to develop and follow a schedule, think analytically and interact well with all kinds of people.
This universality of project management skill sets represents a very important advantage enjoyed by few other professions. In our volatile economy, industries can be born and disappear within a few years. (Remember the dot.com boom and bust?) So being able to do the same job in different fields allows Project Managers a certain measure of security.
Over the past 30 years, there has been an attempt to standardize the
requirements for being recognized as a qualified Project Manager.
The Project Management Institute® (PMI), the largest and best
known of the associations serving the profession, offers a program
that tests the knowledge of applicants and officially certifies those
who pass as Project Management Professionals or PMPs. This certification
is becoming of greater importance as more and more corporations are
making it a requirement for employment or promotion.
If you wish to pursue a career in project management, you could begin by applying for an entry-level position as a Project Coordinator or Project Scheduler. Both are largely administrative support roles but enable job holders to learn how the work is done from the ground up. Schedulers are paid between $30,000 and $45,000 while the pay for Coordinators goes up to $50,000. The next rung on the ladder is Assistant Project Manager. Although the title seems to imply close interaction with the PM, more likely than not, your job will be managing a particular part of the overall project. You will then meet with and report to the Project Manager on a regular basis. Compensation for this position is between $40,000 and $60,000.
While many Project Managers work their way up through the ranks, a few begin by managing projects for a smaller company or even on their own as an entrepreneur. Then, they make a lateral move to a larger company in the same or in a related industry.
If you've never actually studied traditional project management tools and techniques, you might consider enrolling in an online educational program. You'll be able to study even if you're working full time, and the fees are generally more affordable than going to school on campus. As an added bonus, taking online courses may be regarded by potential employers as proof that you're not only learning the principals of effective project management, but practicing them as well.
One last piece of advice comes from Janine Mojica, author of "Become
a Great Project Manager" (www.webgirls.com):
"This is not a job for people with thin skin. You must be tough, you
must keep at it. It's not an easy job but when you see your project
completed on time, you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment."
Wendy Lalli is a career counselor who writes frequently for the Chicago Tribune and business publications. Her advice column, "Dear Lalli" is a regular feature in the Daily Southtown and Star newspapers in Chicago. Before making a transition to a career coach three years ago, Wendy was a business-to-business copywriter for more than 15 years.
Article Bibliography
Mojica, J. (2004, December). Become a Great
Project Manager. Career Advice. Retrieved on December 11, 2004, from
Webgirls International. www.webgrrls.com/career/advice/projectmanage.phtml
(2004, December). Career Overview, Requirements, Career Tracks. Project
Management. Retrieved on December 12, 2004, from WetFeet. http://www.wetfeet.com/asp/careerprofiles_overview.asp?careerpk=30
(2004, December). Project Management. Retrieved on December 12, 2004,
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management
Norton, D. (2002, February). Prepare for a management career through
project management. Monster Finance. Retrieved on December 5, 2004,
from Monster.com http://finance.monster.com/articles/mbasalaries/
Sisk, T. (2004, December). The History of Project Management. Retrieved
on December 12, 2004, from Microsoft web site http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/courses/is208/s02/History-of-PM.htm
Wideman, M. (2004, December). Starting with the Pyramids. Retrieved
on December 12, 2004, from The Future of Project Management http://www.maxwideman.com/papers/future/pyramids.htm
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