Organizations that invest in strong project management strategies tend to save 28 times more than companies that don’t. Licensed project managers hold the entire team together. Here are some suggestions for jobs as a licensed project manager.
Think of it this way. When a diverse team of marketers, graphic designers, programmers, strategists, and developers get together, who is tracking their project toward a set completion date? Who is tracking budget spending? Who is interfacing with the client?
If you’re looking for a high-paying, high-responsibility job, project management may be the right career path for you. However, you don’t need to waste time Googling terms like “project managers (license).”
We’ve assembled a guide to help you decide on your next savvy career move. Let’s get started!
What Certifications Do Project Managers Have?
Project manager isn’t a job title that most people go to college for. Instead, it’s something that many people find through luck and experience.
If you had to manage a few small projects, you’ve gotten a small taste of what project management might be like. Serving as a project manager requires a certain temperament and skill set.
Organization, attention to detail, and strong leadership skills are all a must. You’ll be responsible for tracking, managing, and reporting on the workflow of many different people.
This job is complicated by the fact that you must rely on your team. After all, you may have no idea how long it takes to design a new website, write a one-page brochure, or do any of the tasks your team is responsible for.
Being able to soothe tempers, pursue excellent communication, and translate abstract concepts into tangible results are also important traits for any prospective project manager to have.
Basic skill with numbers and calculating with tools like Excel is also crucial. Strong communication is great, but being able to track the budget is equally important!
For unofficial one-off project management, you likely didn’t obtain any professional certifications. But if you’re looking to turn this into a career, then it’s crucial for you to obtain the proper certification.
Are You Ready to Apply?
What Qualifications Do You Need to Be a Project Manager?
The Project Management Professional Certification is the most common one available. Held by over one million professionals worldwide, it is recognized and respected.
There are a few different ways to obtain this certification. It’s important that you’ll be able to validate your educational and practical experience.
To start, you’ll need 35 hours of project management training. This means approved coursework with official learning objectives. If you would rather circumvent this requirement, you can always obtain your Certified Associate in Project Management certification.
You will also need 36 months of experience leading projects. This requirement holds true if you have a Bachelor’s Degree. If you have an associate’s degree or a high school diploma, you’ll need to obtain 60 months of experience.
The cost of the exam is $555 for non-PMI members. It costs $405 if you are a PMI member. Of course, the cost can be prohibitive for many professionals.
If this is the case for you, then we recommend asking your company if they are willing to pay for this upskilling process. In today’s competitive labor department, many employers are willing to pay for the right people to be reskilled or upskilled.
This is one of the most important certifications you can obtain as a project manager.
What Certification Is Best for Project Management?
Obtaining the above certification is crucial. Of course, there are other courses and certifications available. Coursera and LinkedIn Learning both offer courses and certifications that will help boost your career as a project manager.
When you’re looking at project manager jobs, any education will give you an edge. It’s a great way to show that you have the knowledge ready to take on project manager responsibilities.
However, it’s important to select the certification that gives you the most street cred in the project management world. As a project manager, it’s important for clients to trust you.
They are often putting thousands of dollars and their entire brand in your hands. If this project falls through, they are losing a significant portion of their time and budget allotted to reach these objectives. Depending on who signed you on, someone could lose their job if you don’t deliver on this project.
That’s why obtaining the PMP certification is worth it. The industry recognition associated with the PMP can’t be overestimated. This is a great way to demonstrate your trustworthiness to potential employers and clients.
Getting Certified
It’s also a way to learn a new skill. Switching to a new career track is hard! Having the knowledge to balance a budget, lead a team, and resolve conflict are invaluable tools to have at your disposal.
Being thrown into the deep end is no way to succeed at project management. The stakes are too high, which means that you’re subjecting yourself to unnecessary stress.
A project manager salary is nothing to sneeze at, either. Surveys show that in the United States, certification holders tend to make $30,000 more annually than non-certification holders.
Out of all the IT certifications you can hold, the PMP certification ranks 7th when it comes to a direct correlation to a higher salary in this sector.
Obtaining your certification will make you a valuable, sought-after resource in an industry that is desperate for talent. According to professional estimates, employers will need almost 90 million project managers by 2027.
Project managers will be most needed in healthcare, construction, finance, tech, construction, information, and insurance. If you have past experience in any of these industries, it will be much easier to obtain employment.
Are You Ready to Apply?
What Is A Certified Project Manager?
When it comes down to nuts and bolts, becoming a certified project manager is as simple as getting the job and obtaining the proper certification. With the right resources and knowledge, almost anyone can become a certified project manager.
However, there are a few things that differentiate poor managers from the best project managers. After all, the certification is an indicator that you can execute. It’s not a promise that you actually will.
If you want to set yourself apart, either during the interview process or during actual execution, here are some tips for you.
Act Like A Leader
People like to rest easy. They like to assume that everything is taken care of and that the people doing their jobs will do them. Of course, some people are more cynical—or savvy, depending on who you are asking.
In other words, some people won’t demonstrate concern about a project until it is already on fire. If you’re waiting for an enraged email from a stakeholder, it’s already too late.
Your company may need to eat the costs of making fixes or placating a stakeholder, whether you’re technically ‘in the wrong’ or not.
A good project manager has a sixth sense of these things. If you’re keeping your finger on the pulse of the project, you will often be able to predict issues before they happen. This is a valuable trait that will help you solve problems before they explode in your face.
It’s important to act like a leader. Leaders don’t always make decisions that are popular, but they make the decisions that are necessary.
If you’re struggling to get updates from your developer on what’s going on, don’t wait to communicate because you don’t want to bother them. Instead, hop on a call.
Part of leadership is humility. Sure, you may not understand how HTML works at all. But you need to be able to explain what’s happening to a client or stakeholder.
You may not want to ask for clarification or for something to be explained for the third time. If you’re humble enough to learn, even if something is technically outside of your wheelhouse, you will do much better as a project manager.
Overcommunicate
People don’t always focus. They don’t always read the emails that you actually send. While this is technically ‘their fault’, there’s no such concept in project management.
Either the project is on track and the client is satisfied, or they aren’t. That’s all there is to it, as many licensed project managers will tell you.
That’s why it’s important to communicate every step of the way. Regular status emails, complete with screenshots of progress tracking, budget spending, and more, will save the day.
Make sure all stakeholders are looped in. Make sure that you are communicating verbally and over emails, Slack channels, and so forth.
Are You Ready to Apply?
Licensed Project Managers
Licensed project managers are the real MVPs of any team. From obtaining project management certification to flexing project management skills, it’s a high-stakes job.
You need to be able to crunch numbers, track progress, interface well with diverse personality types, resolve conflict, lead well, communicate, and so much more. If you’re looking for a high-paying, high-stakes job, joining the ranks of licensed project managers is a great choice for you.
If you’re looking to apply for a project manager position, join us today! We’ve got you covered.
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