Project management is a very hot career path, with millions of new project management jobs expected to be created by 2030 in countries across the globe. An important aspect of receiving professional project management training to set yourself up for a career change is learning what kinds of fields and industries that training will help you find work in. Each industry will have different requirements and expectations for prospective employees, and you should consider these expectations when you start your training. This is true for students who have an idea of what kind of work they want to do and for students who aren’t yet sure what path they want to take after learning Project Management skills.

What is Project Management?

Project management describes the process of managing the successful completion of a project. A Project Manager guides a project through the different stages of what is known as “The Project LifeCycle,” which comprises five stages: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. A Project Manager’s most important goal is ensuring a project is completed on time and under budget.

A Project Manager is responsible for creating a project plan to establish project goals and deadlines, delegating tasks to team members, motivating team members to meet deadlines, risk management, communicating with upper management, and resource management. Experts in Project Management estimate that around 90% of a Project Manager’s time is spent communicating. Soft skills such as communication, leadership, time management, and budgeting are required in Project Management. 

Project management as a field is defined by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) created by the Project Management Institute (PMI), which outlines best practices, methodologies, and processes for professional Project Managers. Aspiring Project Managers will want to seek out training in PMBOK as well as experience in managing real-world projects. 

Project management is a hot career path that is expected to add over 22 million jobs by 2027. In addition to this booming job growth, Project Managers earn lucrative, six-figure salaries. The average salary for a Project Manager is around $115,000 annually. That’s more than double the national average across all occupations. 

Read more about what project management is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Project Management Skills?

There are no limits on what can be done with project management skills. Project management is a versatile career path, as Project Managers are needed in every industry and in various roles. You could continue to work in the same industry even after completing your training in Project Management. 

Some Project Managers work for companies on specific projects or as part of a project team. Some Project Managers work as freelancers or consultants who assist clients on specific projects.

Project management is a very hot career path because the Project Management Institute (PMI) predicts that , by 2027, Project Management job availability will increase by 33%. A significant number of Senior Project Managers are expected to retire, leading to even more job openings for those with training in Project Management. 

Many of the essential skills in project management are soft skills, including communication, leadership, management ability, time management, delegation, conflict resolution, and multitasking. Project management experts estimate that around 90% of a Project Manager’s time is spent communicating. Aspiring Project Managers should have impeccable communication skills and well-developed leadership skills. 

Project managers often specialize in a particular industry, such as IT, healthcare, or construction. Skills already acquired in these industries could be combined with project management training for a new career within your industry. 

Common Industries That Use Project Management

With project management as a job field growing at such a fast rate, you can expect to see project management positions being added in every industry. However, some industries are expected to have higher levels of growth than others. 

Some of the industries which are expected to add the most project management jobs by 2030 include construction and manufacturing, information and publishing, finance, management and professional services, and utilities. For some of these industries, these new jobs show a significant increase in interest in hiring people with project management skills. For example, construction is expected to massively expand in terms of project management jobs by 2030, while utilities will continue to keep pace.

Construction & Manufacturing

Construction and manufacturing are expected to add more new project management jobs than any other industry. The Project Management Institute (PMI) predicts that there will be a massive spike in project management roles in the construction and manufacturing industry by 2030. They predict that this will represent a growth rate of around 15% for an industry that was already open to hiring Project Managers.

Some of these project management roles will be more traditional, such as Construction Project Manager, Site Engineer, and General Contractor. Some of these roles will be driven by more current trends, such as a Construction Sustainability Consultant who uses project management skills to manage the environmental impact of a construction project. 

Information & Publishing

Project management roles within the Information and Publishing sector are expected to increase by more than 15%. Much of this growth is being driven by the digital transformation of the publishing and media industries. 

Project Managers who work in these industries will often manage content and social media marketing strategies. For example, they might oversee the YouTube channel, blogs, social media accounts, and podcasts of a particular organization. 

Suppose you’re interested in working as a Project Manager in the Information & Publishing industry. In that case, you’ll need additional skills, such as storytelling, production, digital and social media marketing, and knowledge of SEO.

Finance 

Project management roles in the finance industry are expected to increase by more than 15% by 2030. Reports indicate that many of these Project Managers will be responsible for managing long-term operations at larger banks and financial institutions. With a shifting and sometimes volatile economy, the flexibility of project management skills can be critical. 

It is highly recommended that people interested in working in project management in the finance sector have extremely strong backgrounds in budgeting, accounting, business analysis, and finance. Many Project Managers in the finance industry are set on a career path toward becoming Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) at major corporations. 

Management & Professional Services

Of the 25 million new project management jobs that will be created by 2030, more than 60% will be in the Management & Professional Services industry. The Project Management Institute (PMI) predicts that Management & Professional Services will have a growth rate of around 12%. This should be unsurprising given that management skills are critical for a Project Manager. 

Some of the typical responsibilities of a Project Manager in these industries include meeting client expectations, resource management, task completion and meeting deadlines, creating project plans, and managing active projects. Some of the types of organizations that a Project Manager in this industry might work for include consulting, government services, legal services, and management training. 

Learn Project Management Skills with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop is a coding, design, and business school based in NYC. They offer courses on various topics, including project management courses and bootcamps, both live online and at their state-of-the-art campus in Midtown Manhattan. All of their classes feature small class sizes and are taught by instructors who are experts in their industry. PMP-Certified professional Project Managers teach all their project management courses. Graduates can retake their course for up to one year for free to continue developing their knowledge and refresh their skills. 

Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp provides hands-on instruction in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) theories and methodologies needed to get hired as an entry-level Project Manager. Students receive hands-on, project-based training in topics that include the five phases of project management, creating project proposals, and working with a project team. Graduates receive a verified digital certificate of completion to help them get hired as entry-level Project Managers. This bootcamp is also recommended for those planning to pursue either a CAPM or a PMP Certification. Both certifications require formal project management education, which this bootcamp provides. 

Graduates seeking professional certification should consider Noble Desktop’s CAPM Certification Bootcamp, which guides students through PMI’s entry-level Certified Associate in Project Management Certification Exam. This four-day bootcamp includes 35 hours of hands-on instruction, live project-based training, an exam preparation guide, a video curriculum, lessons taught by a PMP Certified Project Manager, and a digital certificate of completion.

Key Takeaways

• The Project Management Institute (PMI) predicts that more than 25 million new project management jobs will be created by 2030 globally. 
• The top industries that will be hiring Project Managers over the next decade are manufacturing & construction, information & publishing, finance, and management & professional services.
• You can receive comprehensive Project Management training through Noble Desktop, either in person or online.