What Skills Should Project Managers Have?
Project Managers must have well-honed soft skills. These are often customized to each project and team they work on. Skills like communication, strong leadership, organization, time management, adaptability, active listening, conflict management, and ability to handle a fast-paced environment are some of the basics a Project Manager must be prepared to employ. They’ll likely find even more soft skills to work on with each new project.
They’ll also need technical skills like a high-level knowledge of the technologies their company is using, negotiation tactics, risk management, problem-solving and troubleshooting, budgeting, technical writing, research, project management methodologies, and specific industry knowledge. They’ll likely find that depending on their industry, they’ll also need in-depth knowledge of each piece of the puzzle.
For a Project Manager in tech that might mean knowing the coding languages that their Developers are using. A Project Manager in architecture might need to know the construction industry and the methods of their general contractor well. An IT Infrastructure Project Manager would need to know as many small details about the hardware they are employing and the network technologies their team is using. Project Managers exist in nearly any field that employs teamwork and each industry will require different deep, technical knowledge. Be sure to inspect your specific industry before you apply for positions.
Learn the Skills You Need to Become a Project Manager
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Project Management
Project management is the practice of leading a team's work through planning and team management to meet a goal and deadline with a completed project.
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Project Management Certification
The most common project management certifications are awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI). These professional certifications ensure your ability to meet the demands of projects and employers by creating rigorous standards based on ongoing research. Some certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), and the PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA).
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Agile Certification
The Agile Certified Practitioner is an agile certification awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI). The PMI-ACP educates practitioners on agile approaches, skills, principles, and techniques.
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Microsoft Project
Project is a project management software product by Microsoft. It is both a desktop computer program and a cloud-based program. Project is used to track projects, assign resources to tasks, develop a project schedule, manage a project budget, and analyze workloads.