The specific job of a project manager can vary from industry to industry, but it is possible to put together a project manager job description that will prepare job candidates for a career in any situation. In industries such as contracting, the role of the project manager is very prominent. In a field such as software development, the project manager acts as a valuable resource for the completion of any project.

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The General Responsibilities of a Project Manager

Project managers are detail-oriented professionals who are responsible for assembling the resources necessary to complete a project by its deadline. You will find a project manager job description in fields such as engineering, contracting, software development, IT support and design, architecture and telecommunications.

A project manager is responsible for hiring personnel, establishing material inventory needs, renting equipment, establishing strong communications with the project owner, coordinating all aspects of project operations and making sure that each work team understands their jobs. The success or failure of a project is directly tied to the actions of the project manager.

Education and Certification Requirements of a Project Manager

Educational certificates ranging from a high school diploma to a Master’s degree are available in the field of project management. Many employers require at least a bachelor’s degree in project management before they will hire a candidate, and it also helps to have an educational background in your specific industry.

The Project Management Institute(PMI) is the primary certifying body for professionals in project management. As a general rule, it is important for project professionals to satisfy the project manager certification requirement if they want to move up in their industry.

To qualify to take the certification test and meet the project manager certification requirement, a candidate needs at least a Bachelor’s degree and some type of field experience. There are other smaller certifying bodies in the field of project management, but certification from PMI is considered to be the most prestigious in the industry.

Potential Project Manager Earnings

As of November 2017, the median salary for a project manager in any industry in the United States is $70.905.00 per year. This project manager salary expectation includes a low end of $62,030.00 per year and a high end of $82,692.00 per year. It is possible to find project manager positions with lower and higher salaries, but these represent the national medians.

A project manager’s salary expectation depends on factors such as their educational background, job experience, the industry they work in and their accomplishments. Many project managers follow a career path that starts at an entry-level supervisory position and goes through assistant project manager jobs to help establish a successful track record.

A project manager position requires good leadership skills, a strong knowledge of the industry, and extremely good mathematical skills. Project management software is also a critical part of any project management position as most companies integrate their project management software into the rest of their operations platform. Any prospective project manager will want to take the time to become intimately familiar with the most popular forms of project management software if they want to increase their chances of advancing their career.

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