The project management profession offers a wide range of job opportunities. The question is, what are the requirements to become a Project Manager ? We can gain some of the qualifications by taking project management training, courses, or a certification. However, most of the time, project managers still need to have a bachelor’s degree to manage their responsibilities in their sector. For example, I’m working as an Automotive Program Manager, and my job requires technical knowledge, automotive experience, an engineering degree, and PMP (Project Management Professional) certification. Besides these skills, I continuously learn the specific product and customer requirements related to my current job, and also, I still work on my project management skills.
Sector knowledge and program management skills are equally important. Some of the vital program management skills are; defining the project, planning it from start to end, mapping out a timeline, executing and monitoring each phase, communicating with stakeholders, and solving any issues that may arise throughout the project. You see, knowing our process and product are critical when we define, execute, and monitor our programs. On the other hand, to be able to lead a team, we need to have good organization, communication, conflict management, leadership, and problem-solving skills. These skills may seem very basic, but they are critical to have a successful program.
The good news is that most of the program management skills are transferable to other jobs, companies, even different sectors. Taking PM training is not only helpful for program managers but also helps other professions. The value of this training and selecting program management as a career is that the knowledge you gained can help you to do your job better and also give you a chance to try other opportunities as well. I have a colleague who used to work as an IT program manager. He has been with our company and applying his program management skills to a new industry. He sometimes blends his IT knowledge of his work. We can even use our knowledge for our personal life see it’s benefits.
Overall, there are many values of project management as a career. It offers many job opportunities from different sectors. Regardless of the industry, we work for, we use similar program management tools and steps.
I’m a Project Manager with a deep passion for both professional and personal growth. Designing and building the next generation of vehicles is incredibly rewarding, but it comes with its challenges—especially for someone as emotionally invested as I am!