Project Management Jobs
Here you will find out what you want to know about different jobs in project management, including:
- What kind of project management jobs are out there?
- What can you expect from a typical project management job description?
- What do you need to do to get a job in project management?
What Industries Do Project Managers Work In?
Each project has a unique purpose and goal defined by the industry or sector it relates to. Because of this, project management jobs are usually integrated into other industries.
Almost all industries make use of project managers. However, the industries where this profession is by far the largest and most profitable are:
- Construction
- IT or Computer Engineering
- Architecture
- Engineering
- Technology
- Business
These are all industries that rely on the effective execution of large-scale and expensive projects. Other industries that also habitually employ project managers are:
- Entertainment
- Marketing and Advertising
- Finance
And don’t forget about governmental departments or international organisations such as the United Nations, who run major projects all over the world!
Here Are Another 4 Interesting Areas Project Managers Can Work In
When you think about a career in project management, it’s likely that your mind immediately jumps to the obvious options – such as IT, construction, or business project management. But there are other interesting options for you to consider as well. Here are 4 examples:
- Defence: This is a big industry around the world, even in South Africa. Countries pour a lot of money into military and defence projects, as well as into military technology development.
- Sustainability: Big companies around the world are undertaking major projects to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
- Healthcare: Private healthcare companies are growing exponentially, often relying on expensive and large-scale projects.
- NGOs: Non-Governmental Organisations often launch international projects that need grass-root employment and management.
What Level Positions Can You Qualify For?
The most successful project managers bring more than just management skills to their jobs – they bring experience and expertise in other fields, too. You’ll often find that the best-paid project managers have qualifications in areas such as engineering or IT (depending on which field they work in) as well.
You can, however, start off with general project management training, and build experience in a specialised field as part of a project management team.
Take a look at the courses we offer that will help you start building a career in project management:
- Oxbridge Academy Skills Certificate: Principles of Project Management
- Oxbridge Academy Skills Certificate: Project Management
It is important to realise that you don’t have to hold an engineering degree to become a specialist project manager. You can use all your existing knowledge and experience to succeed in this role. For example:
- If you organised church bazaars for your community – you have experience that can help you organise expos and events.
- If you have work experience in retail – you have unique insight into what would make commercial projects succeed.
- If you worked in a call centre – you already have expertise that can help you take on corporate sales projects.
Keeping The Job
There is plenty of work in project management. However, you might struggle to find a position that suits your level of experience and training (and that comes with a salary that you want).
The highest-paying jobs are those of project directors or senior project managers. Professionals who qualify for these positions are often highly sought after by companies, because they have years of experience. Having PMP® credentials, for which you need between 3 and 5 years of lead project management experience, is also something that will allow you to easily find high-paying work.
What about entry-level jobs, then?
Entry-level jobs might be harder to find, yet there are plenty of positions available out there. You might need to start off as a junior project management assistant or project management team member, and work yourself up to a lead project management position.
The only drawback is that entry-level jobs are usually not very high-paying. But these kinds of positions reward you with invaluable experience that will allow you to one day find that perfect job.
How Does The Type Of The Company Affect The Job?
You can find work in an industry-related company as a project manager, or you can find work in a project management company that works with a variety of clients.
Though bigger companies will have more project management positions available, it is often the case that they pick only the best and brightest professionals or graduates. A great way to build experience and eventually land a high-paying job at a prestigious company is to start off working for a smaller, more modest employer.
THE COMPANY’S LOCATION
Location also influences the types of jobs available. Firstly, most of the companies offering regular employment opportunities are situated in the major cities. Johannesburg is one of Africa’s biggest business hubs and is consequently home to a lot of companies in need of project managers.
There are also international companies operating in South Africa that need local project managers, especially in construction, manufacturing, energy, and mining.
Likewise, many South African companies expand into the rest of the African continent. Project managers are then employed to supervise local projects in other African countries. Companies rapidly expanding in Africa include:
- Standard Bank
- MTN
- Shoprite
- DStv
And lastly, you can find international jobs by going overseas. There are many high-paying positions for project managers, especially in Asia and the United States of America. You will have to be an experienced project manager to secure such employment opportunities, however.
What Do You Need To Do To Get A Project Management Job?
As you can see from the two job descriptions above, there are no set prescriptions for what a project manager needs to be able to secure a job. Each company posting a job ad will decide for themselves what unique requirements they want to advertise. However, there are some general requirements that can almost always be expected of a project manager, and we can categorise these as follows:
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS
A project manager can be expected to have certain technical project management skills. These include things like:
- Knowledge of project management processes and terminology.
- Ability to plan, execute, and close projects.
- Presentation and reporting skills.
- Familiarity with project management software.
- Familiarity with project management documentation and templates.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION
Project management certification is often a requirement for senior positions, while not really a prerequisite for entry-level jobs. It is, however, especially the PMP® (Project Management Professional) certification issued by the Project Management Institute that is in high demand in this profession.
Project management certification is essentially a professional credential you receive after writing an exam set out by certain professional and industry-related organisations like the Project Management Institute.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
It is unfortunate that so many of the jobs you see advertised for project managers require over 3 years’ experience. If you are new to this profession, this might be extremely discouraging. What do you do if you don’t have experience, and you are unable to get experience because you can’t secure a job without it?
Here are 3 options:
- Get an entry-level job: Get any job that will give you relevant experience. You might not be able to work as a project manager, but maybe you will be able to work as an assistant to a project manager or as part of a project team.
- Volunteer: Volunteer to organise events. Even if you volunteer to organise a local bake-sale, you will be able to use this as experience.
- Enrol for an internship: Whether you get paid or not, enrolling for a project management internship at a company that handles projects will be great experience and might help you get a job thereafter.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT TRAINING
The first step to getting work in project management is to get the training you need to be able to do your job. You won’t be able to secure any job if you don’t at least know the fundamentals of project management.