What is Project Management? PMP Certification and Scope

1. What is a Project?
2. Broadening Term Project Management?
3. Who is a Project Manager?
4. Why Choose Project Management as a Career?
5. Pros & Cons Of Being A Project Manager
6. Qualifications Of A Project Manager
7. Courses & Certification
8. Project Management Job Roles
9. Project Management Salaries
10. Project Management Skills
11. Project Management Tools
12. Project Management Common Career Path
13. Tips To Get A Job In Project Management
14. Popular Project Management Blogs
15. Popular Must Read Project Management Books
16. Popular YouTube Videos & Channels
17. Project Management Forums
18. Project Management Webinars
19. Project Management Interview Questions
20. Top Companies To Follow

“We have a big project on our hands”, a sentence which makes all the difference in a workplace. A synonym for growth, motivation & goal setting.

All it takes for most individuals is one big project to skyrocket their careers to all new high.

In this career guide, we shall give you a complete overview of a career in Project Management, growth in this sector, Opportunities, career path to choose from.

Let's take a step towards a shining career ahead of you.

What is a Project?

Let's simplify the term, a project is simply a unique & goal-oriented task temporarily worked upon for a pre-determined period & with well-defined resources.

A project, in general, is variable and can be altered from time to time to get desired results.

Broadening Term Project Management?

Project Management can be well defined as a 360-degree circle of the workflow.

The starting point is drafting a well-thought plan of action, effective usage of project management tools, up & until desired results are achieved in the most cost-resource efficient manner.

Who is a Project Manager?

A Project manager is a think tank behind planning, execution & controlling of projects which he/she is working on.

Some of the main responsibilities of a Project Manager are as follows:

• Find scalable ideas that amplify the substantial progress of the whole project.
• Should lead from the front. An ideal Project Manager shall have the power to motivate.
• Drafting of timelines to finalize work on time.
• Should be the communication bridge between stakeholders.
• Should know where to spend & how.
• One of the major responsibility of a Product Manager is Procurement, acquiring the best quotations for the best quality is a skill which can’t be taught.
• Time to time project review to maintain a steady pace.

Apart from well-defined job roles for a project manager, a project manager also needs to be a multitasker, passion-driven professional, who can efficiently work towards the completion of a project and also motivates themselves to give maximum productivity.

Why Choose Project Management as a Career?

Scope

The scope for project management is vast. According to a report published by the Project Management Institute (PMI), India is the fastest-growing market for Project Management-oriented employment.

An estimate shows that India would require more than 70 lakh project managers in the next 10 years.

Manufacturing, construction, IT, Insurance & finance, all these sectors are growing at an astounding rate, thus creating a need for project managers like never before.

Big market giants are now investing in big projects across the length & breadth of India, thus scope for project management jobs is not going to dry down anytime soon.

A skilled, highly experienced, certified project manager shall never get off demand. Skilled professionals with the right experience backing them can expect at least double the entry-level salary.

Demand

India is one of the fastest-growing GDPs in the world, thus making it an investment haven for investors around the world.

Every new project presents more project management job opportunities along with lucrative perks.

Following are some numbers that promise significant opportunities for project managers now and in the future:

• The Project Management Institute (PMI) expects 22 million new project management job openings until the year 2027.

• As per reports, India shall have more than 218 lakh project management jobs in the next 10 years just behind China.

Pros & Cons Of Being A Project Manager

Qualifications Of A Project Manager

To become a Project Manager, you would be required to meet the following eligibility criteria.

• Bachelors Degree: To start a career as a project manager you need to have at least a Bachelors's Degree in Business Management or depending on your fields of interest, such as Marketing, Engineering or Computer Science.

• Project Management Certificate Programs: The eruption of Project Management jobs in the country has led to many universities & colleges to introduce project management programs, which most of them can be availed online.

These courses add to your credentials and thus give you an edge over others.

• Communication Skills: One of the most important aspects of the project management job is taking all stakeholders on board before starting a project.

This requires flawless communication skills to make sure the transition is smooth.

To have better chances of getting hired as a project manager in a reputed firm, the above-mentioned eligibility criteria should be well met.

In addition to that, if an aspirant desires to get a project management certificate through an association such as “Project Management Professional”, He/she needs to meet specific education requirements, prefixed experience followed by passing a written exam.

Courses & Certification

PMP Certification:

PMP Certification also known as project management certification is a must to kickstart your career.

Apart from a graduate degree, here is a list of some specific certification courses which help to boost your career as a Project Manager.

1. Website: Project Management Institute
   Course: PMP:Project Management Professional
   Price: Online Exam- $405 for PMI members; $555 for non-members.
   Format: Online

2. Website: Project Management Institute
   Course: CAPM: Certified Associate in Project Management
   Price: Members-$225;non-members-$300
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: 23 Hours

3. Website: The Scrum Alliance
   Course: CSM: Certified ScrumMaster
   Price: $995 to $1,395 (Approx)
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: 2 Days

4. Website: Comptia
   Course: CompTIA Project+ certification
   Price: $285
   Format: Online

5. Website: ILX Group
   Course: PRINCE2 Certification
   Price: $300
   Format: Online

6. Website: American Academy Of Project Management
   Course: MPM: Master Project Manager
   Price: $300
   Format: Online

7. Website: EC-Council
   Course: PMITS: Project Management in IT Security
   Price: $250
   Format: Online

8. Website: EC-Council
   Course: CPMP: Certified Project Management Practitioner
   Price: $199
   Format: Online
   Duration: 3 days

9. Website: Global Asociation For Quality Management
   Course: Associate in Project Management
   Price: $300
   Format: Online

Project Management Jobs In India

Here is a list of Project Management Jobs In India.

Project Management Job Roles

While there can be many roles which can be attained broadly in the forte of project management, it's expected from a project manager to have a knack of all the basic knowledge of the above areas, with specialization in a certain field.

Project Management Salaries

Salary packages can vary depending upon the organization, skillset & experience of the Candidate.

Project Management Skills

Have a look at the typical skills required to have a successful career in Project Management:

Core Skills:

| Skill | Details|
| ------------- |---------------|---
| Technologically Sound | Technological proficiency in software such as MS Project, Trello, etc.
| Managing Stakeholders |Ability to reach out & be in touch with clients, team members, managers, to update objectives of the project.
| Time Management | Project Management is all about getting work done in a predetermined time frame.
| Budgeting | An effective method to reduce cost by optimizing work hours & carefully work on cutting down expenses.
| Knowledge of Policies | Ability to know about govt rules, laws, other regulatory to make sure the project doesn’t violate any norm

Soft Skills:

Leadership, Negotiation Power, Critical Thinking, Task Management

Project Management Tools

Some of the common tools used in Project Management have been mentioned below:

Project Management Common Career Path

Here are some common paths that can make your way to start a career in Project Management.

Career Path 1:

Complete your graduation-----Get an online professional project management certificate----Start following popular blogs on project management----Get an internship ----- Get a job & become a project manager.

Career Path 2:

Complete your Graduation--- Get your masters degree in management--- Get an online project management certification---- Start following popular blogs on project management----Apply for an internship---Get a full-time job as a Senior Project Manager

Note: The above career paths are just examples of common career paths. There is no fixed career path to start a career in project management. The career steps can vary as per the background, interests, and skills of the individual.

Tips To Get A Job In Project Management

1)Insights

Before you take a leap of faith towards building your career, make sure you are well versed with the details of work pressure, growth, job responsibilities of a project manager.

2)Acquire skills

Start following project management dedicated blogs, inculcating ethos required in a project manager in your personal life.

Gain all the experience you can before taking a big leap towards becoming a project manager.

Try using free project management tools that can be found online to brush up your knowledge.

3)Get online certifications

These days a lot of good colleges and universities provide online project management certificates which indeed help as stepping blocks to kickstart a successful career in project management.

Some of these certification courses are: PMITS: Project Management in IT Security, CAPM: Certified Associate in Project Management, etc

4)Get an internship

While you on your path of acquiring theoretical knowledge, it is also important to have a taste of practicality too.

Apply for an internship & make sure you get hands-on experience.

Popular Project Management Blogs

Here is a list of popular project management blogs:

1. ProjectManagement.com
2. Brad Egeland’s Blog
3. TaskQue Blog
4. Ron Rosenhead Blog
5. Project Times
6. The Project Management Hut
7. Guerrilla Project Management
8. A Girl’s Guide to Project Management

Popular Must Read Project Management Books

Here is a list of popular Project Management books:

1. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK® Guide (Sixth Edition)
2. Project Management Absolute Beginner’s Guide
3. The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management
4. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling
5. Guide to Project Management: Getting it right and achieving lasting benefit
6. Brilliant Project Management: What the best project managers know, do and say
7. Project Management Lite: Just Enough to Get the Job Done…Nothing More
8. Project Management JumpStart
9. Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management

Popular YouTube Videos & Channels

Here is a list of popular Project Management Channels you must follow:

1. ProjectManager.com
2. Project Management Tutorials
3. Project Management Institute
4. Ahmed Ali
5. Chris Croft
6. Association for Project Management
7. International Institute for Learning
8. Adept Knowledge

Project Management Forums

Some of the popular Project Management forums are:

1. All PM Forum
2. Planning Planet Forum
3. PM Forum
4. Project Management Blog
5. Project Managers

Project Management Webinars

Here is the list of most popular Project Management Webinars:

1. Projectmanagement.com
2. Project Times
3. Project In Sight
4. Project Management Webinars

Project Management Interview Questions

Its always a great idea to be one step ahead while you applying for jobs, So here are some common project Management questions asked during interviews

Project Financial Analyst
HR Interview Questions & Answers

Top Companies To Follow

Here is a list of all the companies which have earned quite a tremendous reputation in the field of Project Management.

1. DLF
2. Larsen &Toubro
3. Shapoorji Pallonji
4. NCC
5. JMC Products
6. Dilip Buildcon
7. Power Mech Projects

For a more detailed list of companies, take a look at company pages .

Project Management promises a great career with immense growth, not only on a domestic level but globally too. The right state of mind & better guidance shall surely make the way more clear

The above overview of information shall give you a detailed idea about a career option in Project Management & how to go about it.

Let's hope this marks a perfect beginning for a splendid career to come.

Good Luck!