You May be a Project Manager and Not Even Know it Yet
August 8th, 2023
Many of us project manage things in our daily lives without even realizing it. Take for example a birthday party. First you might want to figure out how many people are coming so you can work out what venue would be appropriate for the event. Then you might want to consider other things like the time of year to determine whether it can be inside or outside, the cost to those you’re inviting so it’s affordable for everyone, and how you’re going to get the word out (evite, email, social media, or a combination of all the above if your audience uses different modes of communication).
This is just a simple example. But Jamal El Ali, a Chang School Instructor for the past decade and the Academic Coordinator for the Certificate in Project Management, illustrates in the above example how many of us have been project managers at one time or another. When it comes to the workplace, similar principles apply. This article will explore the discipline of project management and how people can hone their project management skills to complement their existing career or job prospects.
What Is Project Management?
Project management is a discipline that enables us to complete things more effectively and increases our chances of succeeding in actually completing whatever we set out to do.
“The definition of project management in simple terms is that it just makes life so much more…beautiful,” says Jamal.
Some people practice project management without even knowing it, he adds.
“They are disciplined, organized, and when they tell you they’re going to deliver a piece by noon tomorrow, they do. You invite them to a meeting – they show up on time, they listen, they talk and take notes.”
But for those who want to complement their existing career or job prospects, our Certificate in Project Management can help you build on your existing skills and stand out to employers. Some people might already have a degree in another discipline before pursuing post-secondary education in project management. For example, if you’re a civil or mechanical engineer and interested in being more on the management side rather than the technical side, then project management will help you differentiate your abilities, skills, and potential.
Should You Pursue Project Management Certification?
Another reason to pursue education in project management is to become certified, which most employers require, Jamal points out. The Certificate in Project Management prepares learners for writing the exam for PMI’s Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® and Project Management Professional (PMP)® credentials.
“If you ask yourself the questions, ‘As a project manager, do I need to be certified or not? Do I need to go to school to learn it or not?’ The answer is, yes – you have to learn it because think about a musician that plays by ear but also goes to school and learns music theory.”
He went on to say that by obtaining the certification it shows that you learned the right way to be a project manager, and know how to avoid mistakes and inefficient processes.
“When you apply for a job or you are in an organization and show that you have this certification, you’re showing that you’re dedicated, committed, and have studied it. Getting a PMP certification empowers you more because there are many companies on the market that want people with that skill and software that goes through applications will pick up the PMP keyword and put you in the pile of potential candidates for the job over others that don’t have that,” says Jamal.
Having said that, he adds that some companies will also look at experience alone but having the certification is better than not.
What Are The Job Titles You Can Expect As Project Manager?
While different organizations might use different names, Jamal says there’s a general rule when it comes to position titles in project management. For example, entry level positions would be project coordinator, progressing to junior project manager and then senior project manager before reaching project management director.
However, the role of a project manager often extends beyond that skillset. For example if someone is working as a project manager in the pharmaceutical industry or software development, then they need to be familiar with how that industry works but do not need to be a pharmacist or coder themselves.
“You as a project manager are not even supposed to touch anything in the project – you’re managing and leading the people to do the work in the project to get it completed on time and according to the brief in order for it to succeed,” says Jamal.