PERSONALIZED CAREER PATH RESULTS
Project Manager
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Project managers work at the intersection of planning, communication, and management to ensure a team moves towards the same goal. The Project Management Institute projects that by 2027, there will be 22 million new project management jobs worldwide. With over 3 million job postings requiring project management skills, there has never been a better time to pursue the career.
Think of project managers like orchestra conductors. It may look like they’re just waving their hands, but without these vital leaders at the helm, nothing runs smoothly. Project managers are responsible for designing project plans that their team will follow to execute work. They keep the team on track and motivated. Project managers are mainly responsible for the success or failure of a project. Good project managers get the best out of their team members. While project success may be on the manager’s shoulders, they can’t accomplish their goals without the team.
Salary potential
In the United States, a project manager makes $78,000 on average.
With 5 years of experience, you can earn $80,000.
Skills you already have that are relevant to a career in Project Management
Suggested career path
People with backgrounds similar to yours can earn an Asana Project Management Certificate and then get a project coordinator role at top companies within three (3) months of program completion. From there, you can typically get a project management role within one (1) year. Project management skills are also applicable to other types of roles in the nonprofit, education, healthcare, IT, property management, operations, and logistics sectors.
Other common pathways into Project Management
You can transition from many types of roles into project management. If you start as a project coordinator, you might be promoted to a project manager role. Associate product managers, digital marketing associates, and teachers have all transitioned to roles in project management.
This job will be the right fit for you if you are:
- Goal-oriented
- Adaptable
- Organized
- A problem solver
- A strong communicator
Top 20 companies hiring Project Managers in 2022
What do you actually do as a Project Manager
If you’re new to the field, you will begin your career as a project coordinator or project manager. Your day-to-day responsibilities will vary depending on the industry you work in but may include the following:
Gathering requirements, deliverables, and timeframes from stakeholders.
You schedule a meeting with stakeholders to collect information to create a project plan.
Developing spreadsheets, diagrams, and process maps to document needs.
You assist your manager in developing the project plan for the team to execute.
Collecting, managing, and supporting the project team as needed.
You maintain the Asana project platform for your team.
Communicating project plans, updates, and results to stakeholders and other groups to ensure alignment and proper execution.
You follow up daily with team members to make sure they are meeting key milestones.
Day-to-Day tasks as a Project Manager
Manage a team and resources
Ensure projects meet their deadlines
Maintain relationships with stakeholders
Other tools used by a Project Manager
- Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets
- Google Suite
- Asana
- Agile
Other jobs that use Project Managers
- IT Project Manager
- Program Manager
- Operations Manager
- Healthcare Coordinator
- Business Analyst
- Project Coordinator
- Associate Product Manager
Projected demand for Project Management professionals
Source: Burning Glass | Labor Insights
Project Management is an in-demand digital skill
Digital Skills are “a range of abilities to use digital devices, communication applications, and networks to access and manage information.” In essence, these skills help us communicate better, solve problems more effectively, create and share content or improve our productivity. These skills range from basic entry-level skills you need to be able to use devices (computers, mobile devices, etc) and online applications to more advanced skills that allow users to use new technologies to empower and transform. Advanced digital skills can allow companies to gain valuable insights which leads to building better products and services; transform internal processes, improve workflows, better communicate (internally and externally), or even forecast growth.
Some examples of basic digital skills include:
- Email and chat
- Using social media platforms
- Entering data
- Computer literacy
- Word processing
- Web-based research
More comprehensive skills that may require training, include:
- Digital marketing and content creation
- Customer relationship management (CRM) platform maintenance.
- Programming, web and app development
- Digital design and data visualization
- Digital business analysis
- User experience design
- Data Management
- Digital project management
- Data science
Why are digital skills needed
Technology touches every aspect of our lives, especially the way we work. For decades technology advanced faster than the workforce skills creating the digital skills gap. The pandemic accelerated digital transformation at an unprecedented rate and further increased the demand for digital skills. Every industry incorporates technology, from doctors using telehealth apps to ordering food through delivery apps. Companies are seeking digitally literate employees to use the technologies they adopt to thrive and survive in the modern economy.
By 2030, 80 percent of jobs will require digital skills, and 40 percent of today’s jobs require them, making them critical to the future of business and the workforce. Learning how to work with technology in a more meaningful way, such as using a CRM software like Salesforce, is extremely valuable to a business looking to improve its customer management relationship and better understand clients’ needs.
While the task of learning a new advanced technology may seem daunting, it can open many doors and help future-proof your career. At Pathstream, we believe that “every individual should have access to the digital skills needed to succeed in the modern economy.” We partner with leading tech companies to build and deliver digital skills career programs for people of all backgrounds who want to advance their careers.
How to develop skills to get hired as a Project Manager
Success Stories
After graduating from Howard University with a Bachelor of Arts in advertising, Toni Benn decided to travel the world teaching English in Spain and South Korea. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, she knew her traveling days would have to come to an end. She started researching opportunities to start a new career within the tech field. Ideally she wanted to find an option that wouldn’t require years of additional school or a technical background.
