Project Management Career

The project management profession is not a very popular choice among kids and young adults. However, the project management profession is growing exponentially worldwide, and becoming the epicenter of the business operation of any company.

By the way, have you ever thought about how to become a project manager? well

Becoming a project manager is not an easy task. In fact every day more and more people are trying hard to become a project manager.

Sensing this new industry trend, now more and more institutions of higher education are offering courses covering its processes.

If you are intrigued to know what does a project manager do, then you would need to understand the two types of project management. That is Traditional project manager & Professional project manager.

What is “Traditional Project Manager” or “Accidental Project Manager”?

Traditional Project Manager is basically originated within the organization based on the in-depth knowledge of that particular domain area. This type of project manager is usually very good at domain expertise and possesses a good understanding of the project management processes specific to that industry.
However, in absence of a deep understanding of the project management process and knowledge, managing projects can be a difficult and less efficient endeavor for them. Also, they cannot be employed in different industries or even other types of projects.

Usually, the traditional project manager is an accidental project manager(PM) with some significant amount of experience. These professionals find themselves working as project managers—without ever having applied for the position.

They want to believe that they have been doing a good job. And they may have been—but that does not mean that there is no room for improvement. There is always room for improvement and Introspection which takes time and a willingness to change. The changes are not always easy for people or organizations even once you see a better way.

Their journey starts with focuses on technical disciplines exclusively, with little intra and inter-functional interaction. At the beginning of their careers, typically people don’t intend to become project managers. They start out doing something else like engineering, marketing, sales, healthcare work, and after acquiring subject matter expertise and leadership skills, they are promoted into the role of project manager. Sometimes accidental project managers accept their new responsibilities enthusiastically and several times they are found reluctant to expand their role.

Whether enthusiastic or not, so-called accidental project managers find themselves with a list of new responsibilities as part of their workload which more efficient and quicker working style.

As their carrier in an organization grows and their skill matures (skill project manager), they get involved more in intra and extra-functional interactions. Further, when they are fully mature in technical skills they experience wide-cross functional interaction and management processes. This basically helps them to mature in management skills, developing leadership skills to better management and coordination.

While these managers had the technical expertise for the position, they lacked any formal project management training. And adding worst to it that often organizations believe people with technical expertise know how to formally manage a project.

The biggest hurdle for traditional project managers is to clarify about moving from delivering a technical solution to managing a project and accepting that there may be a better way of doing things.

Accidental project managers are often able to achieve a technically perfect result that is often not aligned with project goals. They may not meet the budget or timeline constraint or another project performance indicator.

The trick is finding a good balance between old and new job responsibilities. Accidental project managers are still in a technical field, getting projects delivered but managing different aspects, such as project selection and funding priorities.

In their new role, however, these employees will need to start considering the big picture. That includes leading others, designing collaboration processes, and understanding how the project fits into the larger organizational goals.

Accidental PM know that they are doing the project for ‘someone,’ but they don’t have a clear understanding concept of sponsor and other stakeholders. Usually, they are not sure about, how this project fits in with Company objectives and customer goals.

Accidental Project Manager is an evergreen career?

. can doThe trend of an accidental PM is going to stay here. Even though professional project management continues to gain in popularity at organizations, this trend of the accidental PM not going to fade away soon.

The trend may not increase in numbers when an organization formalizes project management as a core competency but these accidental project managers will continue to head up small efforts. They can transition more easily into the Professional PM role and learn about the position.

The accidental PM plays a critical role especially in technology & engineering firms that utilize project management and have professional PMs established for projects. Accidental PMs are more likely to hit their stride and stay in the race when it comes to an organization’s internal project management.

Also, in countries where there are education programs established and universities that offer project management programs, there is a higher likelihood that the career of a PM is a planned rather than accidental one.

Organizations need to train their resources appropriately to ensure they are creating professional Project Managers, not of the “accidental” variety. Companies can also benefit from the establishment of a PMO (Project management office). PMO would play the role of a resource to reach out to accidental project managers and assist them.

PMOs of any organization should also be involved in educating accidental PMs on their new responsibilities and how to carry them out. To do so, project management processes should be integrated into the company culture.

if you wonder a what project manager can do or not? please watch the below video.

What is a Professional Project Manager?

A Professional PM is a certified project manager, who can work in a variety of industries and project types. Due to his core competency in Project Management, a professional project manager understands the project processes and requirements. With core knowledge of Project Management & a basic understanding of the business operation, a professional PM can easily integrate the project process with business goals and objectives.

A Professional PM understands that knowing how to deliver the result is only important if the result supports the requirements and business needs. A Professional PM knows to find the sponsor and get requirements in writing, and hold sponsors accountable for the final decisions on things. And they also know to make a list of stakeholders and project charter.

Project professionals need to work to create an environment where accidental PMs can recognize the change in their role and openly seek assistance.

Once you have educated yourself through a suitable degree or certification course, the next step is to garner as much “in the field” experience as possible. Keep going, get as many projects under your belt as possible.

Remember, Experience is paramount.

Your accomplishments with measurable results and ability to translate your experience into any industry will help you shine in the project management industry.

When seeking educational opportunities inside the organization, start with the project management office (PMO) of your firm. If there isn’t one, see what lessons learned have been documented by other experienced project managers.

And if you still find anything, then hit the online course and program for further enhancement of your project management skills. Mainly, you will need to focus on three areas People Management, Project Management Processes, and Project Management tools.

Professional Project Manager who sticks with the career path may find themselves becoming more visible and more influential within their organization and as a result, their stars can rise faster than those of managers who remain in purely operational roles.

Conclusion

If you read any project manager job description, you would realise that Traditional Project Manager originated within the organization based on in-depth knowledge of the particular domain area. They are very good at domain expertise and have a basic understanding of the project management process. Due to his core competency in Project Management, a professional project manager easily integrates the project process with business goals and objectives.