Effective Project Management is efficient and time-bound

Project Management is meant to complete a complex project in a cost-effective manner and on time. From planning to hiring resources to delegating tasks and delivering the final product, project managers have to handle multiple tasks. In India, the field of Project Management has come into limelight as a full-time career only in the last few years. 

 

Earlier, people on a project team used to ease on to the role of project management as they moved ‘up’ in their career roles. However, with increasing complexity of projects, larger investments, and the trend of hiring resources across the world, project management now has several specializations, such as project scheduling, project risk management, and program management (meant for senior project managers who can handle multiple projects at a time).

 

How to make a career in Project Management?

 

Project Management Institute (PMI) certifications are widely respected worldwide. One has to clear rigorous multiple-choice examination to become certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP). The aspirant also needs to meet specific educational and professional requirements to be eligible for the exam.

 

There are five PMI Project Management certifications that one can opt for:

 

• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Program Management Professional (PgMP)
• PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)SM
• PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
• PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)

 

PMP certifications are extremely popular in IT professionals as they are often deployed in projects from the first day of their jobs. Skilled managers are very much in demand in corporate scenarios where remote project management is needed. In fact, IBM has a Project Management Center of Excellence to specifically train professionals in the field.

 

Other certifications in the field are offered by:

 

• PRINCE2, which can help you net a job in the UK or Europe
• Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), ideal for those who want to work in the software industry)

 

 

Eligibility requirements

 

Certification Name	Eligibility
Project Management Professional (PMP) Note: Needs to be renewed every three years.	3 year project management experience is required
Certified Associate in Project Management	A graduate with 3500 hours of project scheduling experience can appear for the exam
Prince2 Foundation	Students can prepare for the exam at home or attend a three-day classroom session for it. The exam can be taken in any British Council
Prince2 Practitioner	Only Prince2 Foundation holders can appear for it
CompTIA Project+	One time exam that can be taken in any Prometric Center.

Career prospects for a Project Management Professional

 

Students and professionals of information technology (IT) field with project management skills are in high demand – in the IT industry as well as in other industries. Banks and financial institutions often hire project managers with IT skills to implement bank automation projects. Similarly, other industries too need project managers with IT skills to manage their IT-related functions effectively.

 

Software industry to infrastructure firms to manufacturing plants – all hire project managers to manage employees, vendors, processes, clients and quality assurance of products.

 

Other interesting reads:

 

- What to Expect from Project Management Courses

- Project Management training institutes in India