What does a standard project manager career path look like?

May 13, 2023 - 7 min read

Wrike Team

Project management has become crucial in ensuring that projects are executed on time and within budget while meeting stakeholders' expectations. Before learning more about the career path of a project manager, it is essential to understand their role in a company.

Understanding the role of a project manager

Project managers serve as a bridge between stakeholders, such as clients, team members, and executives. They need to have a firm grip on the project details and the ability to make tough decisions when required while keeping their team motivated and on track toward success.

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Key responsibilities of a project manager

A project manager must excel at creating project plans, developing and managing budgets, monitoring progress, managing potential project roadblocks, and guiding team members to succeed in their roles and responsibilities. Additionally, they lead project meetings, manage project communication, and report to senior management on project performance.

Essential skills for project management success

Successful project managers possess unique skills that blend technical, interpersonal, and leadership skills. Technical skills include risk management, budgeting, forecasting, and scheduling. Interpersonal skills require excellent communication, negotiation, and conflict management. Leadership skills involve decision-making, inspiring and motivating team members, and acting as a role model for results-driven behavior.

Educational requirements

While there are no specific educational requirements to become a project manager, obtaining a bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as business, engineering, or computer science could be beneficial.

A degree in business can provide a foundation of knowledge in areas such as finance, accounting, and management. Engineering degrees allow for expertise in design, planning, and problem-solving, while computer science degrees specialize in software development, data analysis, and information technology.

However, having a master's degree in a related field, such as project management, business administration, or engineering management, can enhance a project manager's knowledge and skills. Advanced expertise in strategic planning, leadership, and project management methodologies would make an aspiring project manager competitive during the interview stages.

Certifications

Besides formal education, certifications like the PMP or CAPM enhance project management knowledge and skills. Recognized industry-wide, they demonstrate a project manager's expertise in key areas. They can be earned from industry-recognized organizations such as the Project Management Institute.

The PMP certification, requiring years of experience, signifies a gold standard, while CAPM targets those with little or no experience and offers a basic understanding of processes and terminology.

Entry-level positions in project management

Starting as a project coordinator, assistant project manager, or junior project manager is an excellent way to learn the ropes of project management while working closely with senior project managers. These roles involve support tasks such as setting up project meetings, preparing project reports, tracking project budgets and timelines, and communicating with stakeholders.

Project coordinator

Project coordinators assist project managers in coordinating project activities with stakeholders, managing project schedules, tracking budgets, and communicating project status to stakeholders. Coordinators help ensure project deliverables are completed and are responsible for identifying potential risks and issues and working with the project team to mitigate them.

Assistant project manager

An assistant project manager takes on more responsibilities than a project coordinator. These managers supervise team members, prepare project reports, and participate in strategy sessions while still working under the guidance of a senior project manager. Assistant project managers also require excellent leadership and organizational skills and a strong understanding of project management methodologies.

Junior project manager

Junior project managers manage projects that are small in scope or less complex. They are specifically tasked with creating project plans, developing project schedules, and communicating with stakeholders under the supervision of a senior project manager.

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Mid-level project management roles

After gaining experience as an entry-level project management professional, the opportunity may arise to take on additional responsibilities via larger and more complex projects. Mid-level project managers typically lead a team of professionals to ensure that projects are meeting stakeholder expectations.

In addition to the basic responsibilities of a project manager, mid-level roles require a more in-depth understanding of project management methodologies and techniques. They need to have a strong grasp of risk mitigation, effective communication, and finance management.

Project manager

This role leads all aspects of a project, from planning to execution, controlling, and delivering. Project managers drive the project, holding all team members accountable as they work together towards a common goal. Project managers are required to create a project plan, establish project timelines, and allocate resources effectively. Effective communication is key to being a successful project manager. You must communicate with team members, stakeholders, and senior management regularly, communicating progress, issues, and successes clearly and concisely.

Senior project manager

This role involves managing complex projects that involve multiple stakeholders and teams. Senior project managers are responsible for developing overall project strategies, managing project budgets, and ensuring the project meets its objectives. Senior project managers work closely with stakeholders to keep projects running smoothly and profitably.

Program manager

Program managers coordinate and supervise multiple interdependent projects. They oversee the delivery of a program, ensuring that it meets its objectives and aligns with the overall business goals. Program managers are typically required to have experience managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Advanced project management positions

With company growth and expansion, advanced project management positions are crucial. These roles demand expertise and experience to complete projects efficiently and effectively. Here are some of the most important advanced project management positions:

Portfolio manager

Portfolio managers are responsible for overseeing all projects in a company's portfolio. They work closely with project managers and executives to develop and maintain a portfolio aligned with the company's strategic goals. The portfolio manager is responsible for ensuring that projects are completed successfully and to the required quality standards. They also manage project risks and balance the portfolio.

Director of project management

Project management directors are responsible for leading a team of project management professionals. They oversee all projects, set strategies, and align projects with the company's strategic objectives. The director of project management is responsible for developing and implementing project management policies and procedures so that the team can follow best practices and have long-term, consistent success.

Vice president of project management

A vice president of project management is responsible for overseeing all project management activities within a company. These leaders set policies, develop procedures, and lead project management teams responsible for delivering business value through successful project outcomes. Project management vice presidents are also responsible for aligning all projects with the company's strategic goals.

Advanced project management roles are critical for organizational success. They ensure projects are effectively executed and deliver real business value with their skill, experience, and expertise.

Conclusion

The career path of a project manager is dynamic, with numerous opportunities for growth and development. Entry-level positions allow for exposure to foundational project management concepts, while mid-level and advanced roles provide opportunities to lead complex projects and teams and to shape business strategy. The right combination of education, certifications, and experience paves the way for a satisfying and rewarding career in project management.

As you explore the project manager career path, consider Wrike as an essential tool to support your professional growth. Start your free trial today and adopt a powerful platform to tackle project management challenges with confidence.

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Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

Wrike Team

Occasionally we write blog posts where multiple people contribute. Since our idea of having a gladiator arena where contributors would fight to the death to win total authorship wasn’t approved by HR, this was the compromise.

#Project Managers #Project Management Advice

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If you're taking your first steps as a project manager and feel like you're in way over your head with all the terms, acronyms, and best practices, we've put together something that can help. Today we launch our online Project Management Guide for Beginners. It's a complete guide that tackles project management fundamentals and addresses it in easy-to-understand, layman's terms. In the guide, we break down the basics of project management into different sections: a basic glossary of terms; a discussion on project management methodologies; tips on team management, collaboration, risk, stakeholders, and more; even a section on the PMI and PMBOK. The guide also features a sizable collection of frequently asked questions to introduce you to basic project management concepts. We've arranged the guide to allow you to browse by the topic you're interested in, but you can also read through it sequentially for a full overview. So instead of feeling overwhelmed by all the various processes necessary to bring a project to completion, refer to our Project Management Guide for Beginners, and get a clearer picture of best practices and processes for delivering projects on time, within budget, and to exact specifications. Here's a sneak peak at the sections of the Project Management Guide. Go check it out:

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Everything You Need to Know About Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) Estimates

A rough order of magnitude estimate, also known as ROM, is an estimation of a project’s level of effort and cost to complete. ROM estimates take place early in a project life cycle and guide strategy and planning choices. In this article, you’ll learn more about ROM estimates and how they are used in project management. Plus, keep reading to discover examples and how Wrike could be used to assist in creating a template for your own rough order of magnitude. What is the rough order of magnitude? A rough order of magnitude estimate is a general estimate of a project's level of effort and cost. It's usually performed during the selection and approval stage of a project. Generally, it’s used for estimating a project budget that doesn’t have a lot of detail. Project estimating is a vital aspect of project management because it helps determine the total budget for the project and whether or not it’s feasible companywide. It also helps keep track of the project's milestones and budget at the very beginning (more on that later). A rough order of magnitude is most commonly used for project screening. ROM is typically meant to be given to executives who need a high-level overview of how much work might cost. This is especially helpful when they don’t yet have the mandate to do a deep dive into the scope and requirements of the work. Comparing the ROMs of different projects helps identify which projects should be prioritized and which ones should be shelved. It can also help uncover and prevent scope creep later on. This tool also helps decision-makers at other levels of the organization make informed choices regarding the project's complexity and costs. That information is critical for proper scope planning before project kickoff. It’s important to know that a ROM estimate is often used for information purposes at the beginning of a project and it’s suitable for use for the lifetime of the project. How to make a rough order of magnitude estimate Estimating a ROM is often thought of as an art. They are quick to make, but the trick is learning how to make them well. Those who are more experienced in coming up with these estimates may have their own way of executing this process. Regardless of how well you understand the rough order of magnitude, it is important to consider the various factors involved in developing one. These include: A guesstimate range of what resources the project will require based on the information you have on hand Opinions from experts and/or higher-ups who hold a stake in the project A variance of at least -25% to +75% Keep in mind that, when calculating ROM, the goal is to provide a rough estimate that is largely accurate even if it’s not necessarily convenient for your plans. By this, we mean you may find it tempting to choose figures on the more conservative side in order to achieve a more desirable outcome. Unfortunately, using inaccurate stats defeats the entire point of creating the estimation in the first place. Great research can help illuminate areas of your rough order of magnitude estimate where it may be tempting to let bias enter into the equation. All that being said, a ROM estimate's variance is not significant enough to deter you from creating one. A ROM estimate provides a starting point for moving forward in much the same way a budget estimate is also used to determine your base. For example, instead of just presenting single-point estimates, managers should present budgets as a range. Remember: the estimate is derived from the available information. If information is missing, you’ll have to make do with what you do know for sure and move forward from there. In fact, you can expect to improve the estimate as the project moves forward. During the planning and implementation phases, the requirements and information will be refined. As you go along, you’ll learn through trial and error what the reality of the project actually is. Rough order of magnitude techniques One technique for creating a rough order of magnitude estimate is known as a definitive estimate. A definitive estimate is a technique that involves estimating an individual project phase or task's level of effort. Planning with this information upfront makes it easier to plot out workloads on visual charts while keeping your team on the same page. This step typically takes a number of hours to complete, but it is a successful way to get an accurate idea of the time and cost of any project. Other popular techniques and procedures for estimating costs include PERT time estimation, COCOMO, and function point analysis. Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) PERT charts are used to plan out tasks that will take a certain amount of time to complete. They can also be used to coordinate team members. Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO)COCOMO is a regression model that can be used for estimating the various factors involved in tech and software project management. It is typically used for estimating the size, effort, cost, and quality of a project. Function Point Analysis (FPA)Function Point Analysis is a method of estimating a company's clear business significance. It helps in the evaluation, management, and control of software development. When estimating ROM, it is best to try and estimate in buckets of time and costs. Doing so helps minimize the number of, well, numbers that are required to provide a complete and accurate estimate. Rough order of magnitude examples There are two ways to think about estimating ROM. You can create effort ranges or buckets with approximate figures that any task can fit into. Alternatively, you can use historical data to guide decision-making. Here are some hypothetical rough order of magnitude examples: Creating buckets In this example, a project manager will define effort ranges such as small, medium, and large. Within each range is a total number of hours, personnel, and/or budget needed for tasks that fall in that category. For example, a small bucket may indicate that a task will take two to four hours and is relatively simple or affordable to complete. It all depends on the specific project. Here is a very simple example. Let's say you're considering eating a sandwich for lunch. You know that tasks such as spreading peanut butter and jelly onto two slices of bread would fall into the small category — low effort, low time, and perhaps even a single knife instead of two. However, if you noticed that you're currently out of bread and you know it would take 20 minutes to drive to the store, that task would fall into the medium category because it would take considerably more resources to complete when compared to the spreading task. Historical data Historical data means pulling information from past projects. These projects may have similar tasks, goals, or outlines. This information is good to have on hand in your project management solution. You can use data from projects that didn't go as well as you'd hoped in order to refrain from repeating his mistakes. You can also use data from projects that went above expectations to see where you can replicate those choices here. Let’s continue with our sandwich example. You may have found that in the past when you were craving peanut butter and jelly, it was worth it to you to make the drive. In fact, it also allowed you to run several other errands (a.k.a. projects) at the grocery store. Based on this historical data, you may find that, despite the effort involved, the payoff was worth it in the end. So choosing this path again will be profitable. First-hand experience First-hand experience refers to how experienced the person creating the rough order of magnitude is in this particular field, project type, or as a project manager in general. An expert who understands project management will likely come up with a more accurate ROM than someone on their first day of work. First-hand experience is valuable because you have plenty of anecdotal evidence to back up your estimations from other related projects. It's also helpful because it allows planners to be intuitive about the process and consider the people involved. For example, you may find that a particular supplier often experiences delays. Although the supplier representative promises otherwise, you've seen it happen time and time again. Knowing this, you can factor that into your rough order of magnitude. Now we’ve come full circle with our peanut butter and jelly project. You may have learned from first-hand experience that, despite your intense craving for it, these sandwiches aren't actually worth it for you. You may even have regretted eating them right after you finished and wished you’d opted for a turkey sandwich instead. Knowing this, you may draft an estimate that confirms the amount of resources and effort needed will not have the ROI expected and it would be better to not move forward with it after all. This information isn’t something you can necessarily track with a report. It’s simply a memory of what you’ve experienced in the past. Using this knowledge will help you make better, more informed decisions in your ROM with information you can’t find elsewhere. How to use ROM in project management Project estimation techniques help managers identify the most critical elements of a project and provide them with accurate estimates. These techniques can also be used to plan for resource allocation. It is important that you have an estimate in place before you start a project. Without an estimate, you may not know how long it will take or what resources will be needed. Cost is often one of the most challenging constraints in project management. Having enough money to complete the project is one of the most critical factors in managing it. Creating a ROM will help you understand whether or not it’s financially viable before you even begin. Another key component of a project is time. Having the ability to determine the duration of the work and when specific tasks will take place is very important to project planning. By estimating your project schedule, you can arrange for the people and resources that you need when they are needed. It also allows you to set expectations for the clients. You can create a rough order of magnitude for any project. But there are several project management situations in which it may be necessary to come up with a ballpark idea of what resources will be needed: Larger than normal projects where you will need to provide more detailed information about the project Projects that involve teams across different countries where there may be varying costs and exchange rates Projects that are customized to the client or unique to your team where the product or service is innovative and the scope of the project is being managed through Agile project management methods Even if your project doesn’t fall into one of these categories, a ROM can be used to determine whether or not it’s viable. This is helpful when you’ve got limited resources and more than one project to choose between. Using Wrike to create a rough order of magnitude template Wrike is a project management tool that streamlines the process of organizing, creating, and coordinating a rough order of magnitude. First, start by checking for any historical data from relevant projects you’ve successfully completed. All Wrike users have access to their own detailed project reports. If you have historical data, you can go straight to a more detailed cost figure. It will give you a more accurate and detailed estimate. If you don’t, continue creating your ROM. Then, start breaking the big components of the project down into smaller pieces. Some planners use the top-down approach or the bottom-up approach, both of which can be accomplished with the help of Wrike. A top-down estimating technique breaks down a project into discrete phases and tasks. This method works by estimating the overall time for the project, as well as the phases and work tasks that will be completed within that time frame. If a client tells you that the project has to be done in six months, a top-up approach allows you to estimate how much time you can dedicate to each activity within the project. A bottom-up estimate is a technique that works by estimating multiple tasks and aspects of a project. This step-by-step process combines the various estimates into one final project estimate. In project management, orders of magnitude are typically referred to as broad-brush categorizations of sizes. So use a range when adding in timelines for individual phases and expenses. Tip: don’t forget about project costs spent preparing the ROM and the project management itself. This will take up about 20% of your estimated total time allotted to the project. Next, go above and beyond by using Wrike to calculate risk. Project risk is a set of events that could significantly affect the quality or schedule of a project. It can be triggered by various factors such as unforeseen delays, budget cuts, and legal issues. By estimating the risks involved in a project, you can plan for how those risks will affect the project and develop a risk management strategy later on if you feel that the ROM is convincing enough to adopt the project. Tip: If you’re stuck, talk to your finance department to see if they can help you get a better idea of what things cost. Finally, consider what project planning may look like. Project planning for Agile projects is usually done in phases, with estimates being created initially before the beginning of the sprint. These estimates are then updated during the sprint. Estimation can also happen during a sprint retrospective, where you update the backlog based on the outcomes of the previous sprints. It can also be done during the sprint planning session. The project team is responsible for estimating projects and managing the estimates. They are also involved in the development of the project's documents and databases. Having one central hub for all project estimates makes it easier to organize and communicate your vision and ROM results. As you progress through the project, you should start to produce smaller ranges for accuracy. Over time you will reach a cap for each category that is both realistic and attainable. As the project details become more detailed, the accuracy of the ROM estimates decreases until they are no longer accurate. In conclusion The more data you have about your project, the better it is to draft current project estimates. A project estimation tool can help you build up estimates and track against actuals. It can also help you improve your estimates by recording errors and lessons learned. Discover how Wrike can help you improve your planning and execution with our free trial.

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What does a standard project manager career path look like?

Understanding the role of a project manager

Key responsibilities of a project manager

Essential skills for project management success