Explore What Project Manager Is

What is a project manager? Check out this guide to learn about the role, the daily responsibilities, the technical and soft skills required to become one, the different project management tools, and much more.

A Project Manager role may be pretty complicated to understand, as it requires a managerial-level mastery over technical and soft skills. Today, this blog will help uncover any doubts you may have previously had.    

What is a Project Manager?

A project manager is a professional who takes charge of the overall planning and execution of a particular project. He/she works closely with the upper management of an organisation to make sure that the scope and schedule of a project are in the right direction.

What does a Project Manager do?

The responsibilities of a project manager are very much aligned with the overall project management life cycle. You will know this better when you take beginner-level Project Management Courses.

PMI (Project Management Institute) that is the official provider of PMP Courses, refers to project managers as the ‘Change Agents’ who use their best skills and tools to make a project successful. So to give a clear understanding of the job roles of a project manager, we have bifurcated the roles on the basis of the project development life cycle:

Understanding the Project Management Life Cycle

The project management life cycle is the process through which a project goes and it starts from project inception to close. As per PMI, project management life cycle is referred to as the ‘process group’. The job roles of project managers based on the following stages are:

Step 1 Initiation: Determine the nature and scope of the project and perform the feasibility check. It is the project manager’s responsibility to find the answers to the following questions:

1. What is the importance of the project and which goal is aligned to it?
2. Which problems will this project resolve?
3. What are the expected outcomes of the project and KPIs?
4. On which assumptions the project will work?
5. Which tasks will go out of the project scope?
6. Check the project acceptance and conduct feasibility check.

Generally in big companies, the above tasks are majorly performed by a program or a portfolio manager. But when a project manager is set responsible for a project, s/he definitely looks to find the answers for these questions. 

Step 2 Planning: Project managers make a thorough plan which highlights the time, cost, and resources to be required in the project. Apart from this, they are also involved in planning for the following activities:

1. Making an integrated project plan
2. Determine the project cost, quality, timeliness, etc. 
3. Risk identification and mitigation strategies
4. Outline key deliverables and project milestones
5. Set a project communications plan

Step 3 Execution: Project management team actually starts working on the project as per the decided plan and constantly monitors and controls the project. The execution process is the most challenging step and thus it involves effectively managing the following elements:

1. Time, Cost, and Quality
2. Change management
3. Risk management
4. Procurement and Issue management
5. Acceptance management

Step 4 Closure: It involves the end of the project and at this stage, the project managers perform all the project closure activities and review it with the team. Other activities involved are:

1. Measuring project’s benefits and objectives
2. Compare the actual project cost with a planned budget
3. Highlight project milestones and document the processes for future requirements

Apart from this a project manager is also responsible for

1. Protecting the team from distractions
2. Helping in issue resolution (in case of any blockers)
3. Managing any changes in the project
4. Continuously monitoring the project
5. Hiring and managing key resources (both financial and human resources)
6. Selecting right project management frameworks and methodologies
7. Maintaining and publishing project reporting

Naturally, there are frameworks and best practices that are designed to help project managers develop a comprehensive approach towards a project. These approaches are a collection of processes, methods, and tools that facilitate in project management and execution:

1. Product-based planning (a structured approach like PRINCE2 Methodology)
2. Process-based management (OPM3 and CMM models)
3. Project production management (a strategic approach)
4. Phased approach (waterfall or traditional model)
5. Lean project management (data-driven approach)
6. Iterative and incremental project management (a change-driven approach like agile management)
7. Critical chain project management (based on the theory of constraints)

Also Read: Learn 6 In-Demand Project Management Skills [Courses, Certifications, and Books]

A Day in the Life of a Project Manager

A majority of the time, project managers are involved in two tasks -

1. Coordination
2. Control 

The first thing every project manager does in the morning is checking project management KPIs (typically by using a project management software). And s/he performs the following tasks:

1. Project progress
2. Update risks
3. Delegate issues
4. Prepare To-Do list for the day
5. Check for any customer issues or client-side requirements
6. Have a stand-up meet with the team
7. Attend scrum meetings
8. Attend scrum meetings to check the progress of the project and compare it with the deadlines and budgets
9. Connect with Business Analyst for project document review
10. Meet with multiple teams depending upon the project progress; like with the Project Management Office (PMO) team, Infrastructure-security and IT team, Architecture team, Product team, and Program manager

Apart from a hectic workday, project managers also ensure to do the following tasks:

1. Check the latest news and trends
2. Respond to emails and set next day calendar
3. Study for advanced project management certifications
4. Learn new project management tools or task management software

What Skills a Project Manager Must Have?

Here are a combination of technical and soft skills of a project manager. 

Technical skills of project manager

1. Project Lifecycle Management
2. Agile Software
3. Scrum Management
4. Meeting Facilitation
5. Kanban
6. Forecasting
7. Lean Thinking
8. Performance Tracking
9. Budgeting
10. Project Scheduling
11. Planning
12. Task estimation
13. Document Development
14. Reporting and Visualization
15. PRINCE2 methodology
16. Business analysis

Soft skills of project manager

1. Communication
2. Collaboration
3. Time Management
4. Critical Thinking
5. Creative Thinking
6. Decision Making
7. Problem Solving
8. Risk Assessment
9. Negotiation
10. Research ability
11. Conflict handling
12. Leadership
13. Productive

Tools and Software project managers must learn

1. Gantt Chart
2. PERT Chart
3. Work Breakdown Structure
4. Trello
5. JIRA
6. Kanban Tool
7. Kissflow Project
8. Airtable
9. Asana
10. Clarizen
11. Basecamp
12. Workzone
13. Zoho Projects
14. Wrike
15. Monday.com
16. Proofhub
17. FunctionFox
18. Insightly

Why Project Management is a Good Career Option?    

The following reasons make project management a bright career option 

1. As per PMI, by 2027, employers will need 87.7 million individuals working in project management-oriented roles       
2. 71 percent of global organizations now have a project management office
3. Offices are moving virtual hence managing a project will require expert’s help
4. Companies will need experts having strong project management skills due to the rise in agility
5. 80% of “high-performing” projects are directed by a certified Project Manager
6. 65% of organizations have a high alignment to strategic goals
7. 83% of executive leaders understand the value of project management
8. Multiple industries require project managers with relevant skills which make gives a chance to pursue interests

What are the career advantages of becoming a project manager?

The job of a project manager is a very demanding one but there are a lot of perks that one can enjoy. Some of the advantages in terms of career are: 

1. The work associated with project management gives professionals an opportunity to meet new people and grow their network.
2. Meeting different people and working with them can also be beneficial for professional development as one can learn a lot of new things.
3. As a project manager, one can learn about time management, which is essential for the success of a project. This ability to manage time efficiently can play an important part in both professional and personal lives.
4. A project manager has to apply his/her analytical skills whenever a project requires and provide quick solutions to problems. This enhances one creative abilities and enables one to make swift decisions.
5. Most of the project managers are fairly compensated and enjoy a lot of benefits. The growth path is also clear and they can get good opportunities to move to a better profile.

Also Read: PMP vs Scrum – Which is Better for You?

Who Can Become A Project Manager?

Everyone in their professional journey has an experience of managing a project (with or without Project management title). And this is where most of the accidental project managers start the journey of becoming a project manager. So there are no definite eligibility criteria for becoming a project manager, however, professionals who look for a full-fledged career in project manager take up dedicated project management training and certificates. Generally, the following professionals take project management certifications:

1. Project Executives
2. Associate/Assistant Project Managers
3. Project Managers
4. Team Leads/Team Leaders
5. Process Managers
6. Software Developers

Must Read: Top Project Coordinator Interview Questions and Answers

How to Become a Project Manager?

To become a project manager, it is advised to have the following qualifications:

1. Graduation degree in any domain
2. Project management certification training like PMP (Project Management Professional) certificate
3. Experience in project management or any related domain
4. Optional: Master’s degree in project management or any related management discipline

No Prior Knowledge

When you are a complete fresher but still like something related to coordination, project management could be a good career option for you. In the initial phase, the following career tips can help:

1. Get familiar with the project management role
2. Identify your strengths and weakness based on the project management skills
3. Take up a foundational project management course to understand the subject
4. Develop familiarity with project tracking and reporting tools (pro tip: master one tool before moving to the next one, even if the first tool is Microsoft excel)

Basic Knowledge

When you are starting out in the project management career, a lot of learning will happen on the job. It is always a good idea to master the following basics before you take up any special Project Management frameworks, certifications:

1. Take up a job as a project-coordinator and groom project management skills
2. Work on time management skills as project managers must be able to set priorities and assign deadlines
3. Understand the success metrics that define good quality execution on a project
4. Make a list of unforeseen obstacles and risks involved in the project (as this is the time to learn from other’s experience)
5. You can pick up free courses and certifications on project management

Intermediate Knowledge

With experience and on-the-job training, you must now be well versed with project management and what the role demands of a project manager. Now it’s time to work on the following things:

1. Have a strong understanding of the following project management knowledge areas like:
2. Project scope management
3. Planning, directing, and managing a project
4. Performing integrated change control
5. Project resource planning and management
6. Learn project management methodologies like:
7. Agile approach
8. Kanban
9. Waterfall
10. Scrum
11. Six Sigma
12. Scrumban (the hybrid approach)
13. Take up advanced project management certification programs to grow in the domain 

Advanced Knowledge

To move on to the leadership roles and become a successful project manager or a portfolio manager you must work on the following things:

1. Track and draw insights on projects, priorities, tracking, deadlines, etc. 
2. Find ways to maximize the team’s efficiency
3. Work on cost management
4. Improve quality by conducting quality planning, assurance, and quality control
5. Control and manage communication with top management
6. Focus on risk identification and plan out mitigation
7. Effectively delegate, collaborate, and automate

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What is the eligibility of a project manager?

There is no fixed eligibility to become a project manager. However, a large percentage of project managers across different industries are certified in one or the other popular certifications like PMP and PRINCE2. Project managers should have a good knowledge of project management and have handled project responsibilities before.

What do recruiters look for in the candidature of a project manager?

Recruiters usually look at the following areas while hiring a project manager:

• Prior experience -  It is desirable to have worked on projects to be hired as a project manager. However, if you do not have all the required skills, then you can go for a professional course in project management. Some of the transferable skills like team management, clear communication, and analytical skills, problem-solving skills can improve your chances of getting a job. 
• Key skills - Project management, cost estimation, project planning, Agile, Scrum Master, PMP, Prince2 and project execution.

Also Read: Top Project Management Interview Questions and Answers