Let’s start with the absolute basics by defining what a project is. A project is an initiative which usually includes a set of unique deliverables. It’s also a brief pursuit with a defined beginning and an end. The simplest way to explain this is a project is a series of tasks that one must complete to reach the desired outcome. Getting that desired outcome takes collaboration and careful planning, keeping the project on track and under budget. Here is where project management comes into the picture.

Project management is vital to the success of all kinds of projects, both big and small.

Why is project management an essential part of an organisation, and how is it vital to a project’s success?

Project management is indispensable to businesses because it helps ensure that a project delivers the expected outcomes, both on time and within budget. 

You may have been managing projects every day without even knowing it.

Let’s start with a simple exercise. Let’s think about some of the various tasks that you’ve completed in your life. Maybe you planned a birthday party or your wedding or opened a bank account. Perhaps you moved from one city to another, or perhaps you’re the family member who, somehow, every year, is tasked with organising the annual family reunion. It sounds unbelievable that you’ve been developing all kinds of skills through these tasks. These skills will help you become a successful project manager for any organisation or your own business.

Let’s take it further and walk you through a real-life project management example.

Imagine a school that signs a deal with a telehealth company to have a doctor on call and make sure students don’t have to miss school for simple health issues, like headaches or fevers. They would want to complete the technology implementation by the end of the school year. Successful implementation will enable students to interact with the doctor through smartphones, tablets, or computers while at school. 

Integrating technology into the school’s SOPs and procedures is the project. It’s got a clear outcome or end goal and start and end date.

So, how do we manage this project? 

The above project has several tasks, and each one has to be carefully planned out and tracked or managed for the project to be completed. For example, you can organise training sessions for teachers to get them better acquainted with the technology, procedures and policies. You can budget for computers, tablets, and other necessary equipment to carry out virtual checkups. You will have to maintain strong communication with doctors, the telehealth company, school staff members, etc.

To successfully launch the product in the school, all of the above action items are essential to be completed on time.

That is project management. 

It seems pretty essential to an organisation’s success, right? 

Companies have now realised that project management can save them lots of money and time. 

Organisations, both private and government, worldwide waste trillions of dollars due to poor project management. Poor project management can lead to 48% of projects missing delivery dates, 43% missing budget targets, and 31% failing to meet an organisation’s goals.

The most remarkable thing about project management is that it spans many industries, company types, and verticals, and it doesn’t require technical knowledge or deep expertise for entry-level roles. This also means that any job or life experience you’ve gained will help you build those skills to become successful in a project management career.

There’s a great need across industries for organised, action-oriented, diligent, and strategic people. Does any of these qualities feel relatable? If the answer is yes, then Project Management could be a great career choice.
In most companies, a Project Manager is required to draft project plans and timelines, manage budgets and stakeholders’ expectations, and meet the needs of the people involved in the project.

Companies can use different Project Management methodologies like Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Lean, Kanban, etc. Companies also use various SaaS tools like Asana, Wrike, Teamwork to manage project tasks and deliverables.

Project management job categories and typical roles to look for in your next job search

Entry-level roles in project management

Entry-level project management positions are an excellent opportunity to get your foot in the door and learn how an organisation operates and manages projects. You can learn valuable lessons from these experiences to accelerate your growth in project management. Here are some general entry-level project management positions you’ll find online:

• Junior Project Manager: Performs all or some aspects of being a project manager alongside a more experienced Project Manager.
• Project Administrator: Responsible for managing administrative tasks like documentation, meetings, etc. and assisting the rest of the project team with other administrative tasks surrounding a project. 
• Project/Program Assistant: Supports team members working on a project and offers administrative support. May perform research or create training documents along with other jobs as assigned by program leaders.
• Project/Program Coordinator: Participates in day to day hands-on project work and administrative tasks. Works under a project manager to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget and serve as an interface between different teams and managers.
• Project Support Specialist: Provides assistance to project manager and team members. Also provides technical support and conducts team training.

Traditional project management roles

Once you have gained some experience in entry-level positions, you can explore traditional project management roles, such as:

• Project Manager: Responsible for initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and closing a project. They can also be identified by their industry-specific titles like IT project manager, construction project manager, or engineering project manager, which utilise transferable skills among different industries.
• Project Analyst: Provides support through data analysis and helps the team move a project along by sharing information and contributing to strategy development and performance management. 
• Project Leader/Director: Sets the project’s direction by driving core decision-making and stakeholder management. Usually a subject matter expert of the product or deliverables. 
• Project Controller: Primarily responsible for project planning. A typical job title in the engineering and construction industries.
• Technical Project Manager: Responsible for conducting project planning and managing identified goals within a company. Ensures that projects are completed per the desired specifications within a defined budget and time frame.
• Project Management Office (PMO) Analyst: Manages multiple complex projects to ensure timely completion to the highest quality. 

Program and Portfolio Management roles

Project managers are responsible for managing projects’ day-to-day activities, shepherding projects from inception to completion, and guiding their team along the way. Project managers have to apply the proper techniques, tools, and processes to complete the project successfully, on time, and within the budget. 

A program manager position can be a natural next step in your career after successfully carrying out projects. While a project is one single-focused endeavour, a program is a collection of projects.

A program manager is responsible for handling multiple projects simultaneously. 

Getting some experience implementing programs as a program manager can eventually make you an excellent fit for senior positions, such as a senior program manager or portfolio manager. A portfolio is a collection of projects and programs across an entire organisation. A Portfolio manager can be responsible for portfolios of projects or programs for one client. You’ll move up the ladder from project manager to program manager to portfolio manager in a typical career progression.

Even though project, program, and portfolio managers hold different types and levels of responsibility, they are all essential project managers.

• Program managers: Manages a group of projects that are related or similar. They support individual project managers and lead a program with solid attention to strategy to ensure long-term organisational goals are met.
• Portfolio managers: Manage a group of programs within the same organisation. They coordinate various programs to ensure they are on track to meet the strategic initiatives at an organisational level. They have strong prioritisation and delegation skills.

Operational Management roles  

In operational management roles, you will be collaborating with several different departments and learning how they operate. Operational management positions allow you to collaborate with peers and executives from diverse business sectors, giving you a better understanding of what each business unit accomplishes daily.
Some operational management positions you’ll find online include

• Operations Analyst: Manages and coordinates research, evaluates workflows, develops business practices, and makes recommendations for project and company improvements. 
• Operations Manager: Makes strategic data-driven decisions and ensures that action plans are implemented based on financial, schedule, and resource data. 
• Chief Operating Officer: In charge of monitoring a company’s administrative and operational tasks on a day-to-day basis.

Agile roles

Here are a couple of job roles that you may see online that are related to the Agile methodology:

• Scrum Master: The Scrum team is coordinated and guided by this person. Knowledgeable about the Agile framework and Scrum and the ideals and principles of Scrum. May also be listed as a Technical Program Manager or Technical Project Manager.
• Product Owner: Sets the direction of product development and tracks progress. A product owner is skilled in making data-driven decisions and comfortable working with technical and non-technical team members. 

Industry-specific management roles

When looking for project management jobs, you may come across titles like “engineering project manager” or “construction project manager.” Remember that you can transfer skills from one industry to another. For example, you may have worked as a software developer but want to pursue a career in project management.

Key takeaway

Project management can be an exciting career path with a lot of potential!

With each step forward in your career, you position yourself to be a valuable contributor to any organisation. We’ve discussed a variety of possible job titles for you to look into as you begin your search for project management positions. You have acquired transferable skills regardless of the industry you currently work. Transferable skills are abilities that can be applied to various jobs and career paths. Your transferable skills will most likely be helpful in project management roles in a variety of other industries.
Hopefully, you now have a better sense of what a project is, what project management is, why project management is an integral part of every company, and how it’s vital to a project’s success.