Who is a Project Manager and what does he do?

Someone who controls work processes, builds a team, monitors deadlines and achieves goals. We talk about the Project Manager.

Contents: 

• The Role of the Project Manager in the Team
• Responsibilities of the Project Manager
• About the skills and key qualities of a Project Manager
• What salary can a Project Manager expect?
• How to become a project manager
• The best way to improve your skills
• Advantages of the project manager profession
• What are the prospects for the project manager profession?

The role of the Project Manager in the team

Project management is the key to the implementation and development of IT products within certain time and budget frameworks. This is the work of an entire team, led by a competent leader.

The project manager plays several roles at once:

• a friend, sociable and adaptable to different situations, conditions and people
• A psychologist who knows how to find an approach and influence each employee, using formal and informal management methods.
• A strict boss who builds relationships in the company and controls employees.
• "solver" that team members turn to in non-standard situations.

A project manager must understand and meet the needs of the team and customers. Planning and achieving goals depend on him. A project manager must anticipate developments in advance and create dozens of Plan Bs. Therefore, a PM must be flexible - thanks to this trait, the company's problems are solved.

Project Manager Responsibilities

Companies have different requirements for their employees, so let's outline the main functions of a project manager in the work process. This specialist:

• generates ideas and develops new concepts
• Plans project implementation paths.
• Controls and manages resources - time, finances, information.
• Forms a team and builds communication with it.
• Monitors each stage of the project.
• Monitors time management and adherence to deadlines.
• Prepares reports on the work done.
• Analyzes the results obtained.
• Communicates with customers and resolves disputes, protecting the interests of his company.
• Works on project documentation, updating it in accordance with the new conditions.
• Reports problems to company management so that action can be taken to resolve them.
• Collects and processes feedback, which is used to improve employee performance.
• conducts useful trainings and seminars for the team, improving its level of preparation and interaction within the team.

A project manager motivates the team and themselves. A leader who competently prioritizes the project and skillfully resolves issues will always be respected by colleagues. A PM should be able to use this and develop relationships within the team in a businesslike manner.

The quality of project management is measured by key performance indicators - KPIs. These are numerical data that measure the degree of goal achievement and the efficiency of employees. By monitoring performance indicators, a project manager provides recommendations for optimizing work, warns of possible errors or risks, and holds meetings with the team to stimulate activity and discuss current tasks.

About the skills and key qualities of a Project Manager

Knowledge in the field of management is not enough to become a professional. Well-developed communication skills, stress resistance, the ability to think strategically and take justified risks are important. A project manager is a multitasking specialist whose work is based on communication. Experienced managers are characterized by the ability to interact and find an approach to people both verbally and in writing.

Project management combines various tasks. There is no set of specific skills that PMs must possess. The project itself and its goals determine the area of ​​expertise required, whether it's programming, marketing, web design, or testing.

A project manager must first research the field in order to assign tasks to the team. Experience in a specific area is a big plus. This will help find the best solutions and get comprehensive data from employees to achieve results.

Among the general skills, a project manager should:

• understand the fundamentals of business
• be willing to learn new areas to implement specific projects
• have strong leadership qualities and be open to communication.
• be self-controlled and able to think critically.
• be financially literate.
• be able to negotiate with employees and customers
• be able to analyze the information received
• quickly resolve issues under pressure or in stressful situations
• Think creatively
• Possess organizational and oratorical skills
• Be able to manage time
• be able to draw up plans and reports for the project.
• be able to use modern computer programs and mobile applications.

These skills will not make you a professional project manager. But, possessing them and having the desire to constantly develop, you can realize yourself and get ahead of your competitors in the field of project management. Linky van der Merwe, founder of Virtual Project Consulting in South Africa, advises developing key skills, attending events and courses, reading and conducting your own research, and setting goals.

What salary can a Project Manager expect?

This profession is in demand in the Belarusian market – local and foreign companies publish dozens of vacancies for project managers. Salary depends on the employee’s experience, skills, and competencies, as well as the conditions and requirements of a specific organization. Entry-level specialists can find work for 350 USD per month, while more experienced ones can expect 700-3,500 USD. For example, in Minsk, the Maxbitsolution company offers an income of 3,500 USD per month to a project manager with one to three years of experience. And in Vitebsk, a PM can expect a salary from 350 to 1000 USD.

Employers generally require candidates to complete the following tasks:

• maintain and improve existing projects
• Study the market and competitors, the product and user experience.
• Collect and analyze business requirements.
• Transform company goals into specific tasks.
• Interact with the development, testing, marketing, analytics, and support teams.
• Create technical specifications for team members.
• Check the product for compliance with specified goals and requirements.

According to hh.ru, new vacancies for project managers regularly open up in Russia and Belarus. New companies and products appear, and accordingly, the demand for PM will only grow. Salaries will remain roughly the same, although some fluctuations are possible.

How to Become a Project Manager

If you want to start a career in project management, make sure your personal qualities match the profession.

To understand the specifics, find developing specialists, ask them questions, or ask for an internship. Check out the success stories of famous project managers and read about their projects. We recommend Denis Pushkin, PM of the Skyeng online English school. He manages the company's processes, is involved in planning, and monitors the team's work. Denis is distinguished by his professionalism and passion for his work. He regularly communicates with the school's teachers and students to identify problems and find ways to improve the quality of the educational process.

Nino Taska, PM of Google, joined the company in 2013. By that time, she already had extensive experience in project management. In her work, Nino is constantly improving, looking for new project management methods to complete tasks on time and meet the high standards of Google.

To gain specific skills, you can take paid online courses. There, you'll learn about the project management profession, study the theory, and try solving specific project problems. The experience you gain will give you an understanding of whether you're suited to working in this field and whether you can handle the tasks assigned to a specialist. Such courses are now offered by online academies and educational platforms.

You won't be able to enter the profession if you don't have a basic understanding of marketing principles and can't establish the processes required in this field. It's important to be able to think creatively and find unconventional solutions for working on serious projects.

When looking for a job, make a list of what's important to you—conditions, schedule, salary, requirements, and what you don't accept. Only then look for a suitable offer.

Being a project manager is not a way to make quick money. The profession requires constant development and hard work. You should start your career in a company where you can gain experience and begin to develop as a professional.

The best way to improve your skills

To build a career as a PM, it is important to find an experienced and competent mentor. Project management blogger and author Elizabeth Harrin believes that a mentor, tutor, and curator are the best way to improve your skills. In her opinion, personal support and training from an experienced specialist is much more effective than reading books and attending conferences.

Thanks to a teacher, you can develop personal qualities, acquire useful skills, and gain experience. A specialist will help analyze your actions and understand how to competently apply knowledge in project implementation.

If you can find a mentor who will teach you and share their experience, you can build a successful career. You will master effective methods and processes, learn effective project management practices and techniques. A mentor will point out mistakes made, help you analyze them, and avoid repeating them in the future.

Finding a teacher who is happy to share their own experience in project implementation is not an easy task. However, if you want to achieve success, you can't do without communicating with professionals.

Advantages of the project manager profession

A project manager has his own advantages that distinguish him from other professions:

• Income from 1000 to 4000 USD. Successful employment will allow you to live in prosperity. A project manager can work for several companies and manage several projects at once. Remember that the better your portfolio, the higher your salary can be.
• Continuous development. To remain a sought-after specialist, a project manager must follow trends, new technologies, develop and implement projects based on innovations.
• Variety of work. A project manager can work in various fields – from IT and pharmaceuticals to construction, finance and marketing.
• Opportunity to travel. A project manager's job often involves international business trips at the company's expense. Even long-distance trips within the same country will bring new experiences and acquaintances, including those useful for career development.
• Working with different people and companies. During the project, a project manager interacts with various specialists – developers, designers, testers and sales managers. Thanks to this, the PM acquires new skills and improves their own qualifications.

In addition, the project manager learns to manage not only work projects, but also their own life. The acquired skills, communication skills, and developed personal qualities will teach you how to manage your time wisely, maintain calm in difficult situations, and quickly solve problems.

What are the prospects for the project manager profession?

Belarusian companies actively use project management in their activities - the IT, construction, marketing, and finance sectors need qualified employees. However, to become a successful project manager, you need to have certain skills and knowledge. It's important to be able to plan and organize work, analyze risks and make decisions, communicate with different people, and work in a team.

A project manager is like the captain of a ship. They make decisions, quickly navigate unforeseen situations, and resolve conflicts to keep the ship afloat. The PM is responsible for the team and its actions, as well as for managing the time, resources, and energy of employees. And ultimately, for the final result of the work.