A project manager is responsible in planning project timeline, overseeing and driving the project to completion, in time and within budget. He or she also needs to make sure proper documentation of all aspects of the project as they could be legal binding.
Nature of the jobThe project manager is accountable for the success or failure of a project. It is a huge responsibility, one that requires constant coordination and facilitation with the working group of the project. For example, if you work in the telecommunications industry and your company is about to spin out a new smartphone, you need to liaise and facilitate communication with the design engineers, the sourcing and procurement team, the production team, the senior management team and many others. You need to have significant interpersonal and networking skills. You need to be able to resolve conflicts and remove obstacles if they are hindering the progress of the project. Working late into the evenings are not uncommon with this role, especially when there are tight deadlines to meet.
Bear in mind that this is not an entry-level job. You need to have experience and sufficient working knowledge to be given the responsibility to manage a project. Once you have proven yourself, you can easily apply your skillset across similar industries. So job opportunities are aplenty because all projects need a project manager to manage the teams, schedules and budgets.
Career Progress: Skilled professional in a specific industry > Project manager > Senior project manager > Group project manager > Director of project management > CEO