The quirky expression ‘get all your ducks in a row’ is very simple at face value. So much so, that it belies the finely tuned skill involved with managing a project.
Project management is best understood as the practise of initiating, planning, executing, overseeing and closing a project that involves a team, and also being responsible for meeting established goals.
It’s a very important role in any organisation, and one famous example is testament to this: before his passing, co-founder and CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, ensured that every project undertaken by the global brand had a Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) assigned to it.
In the spirit of celebrating this time-honoured profession, here are just five of the top reasons why you should study project management:
- Flexibility in the workforce: project management is a ubiquitous profession with transferable skills meaning that you can apply your knowledge and expertise to many different roles, even if your job title isn’t ‘project manager’. Like a communications consultant or an administrator, a project manager’s skills can be taken from industry to industry, offering greater flexibility within the workforce. From finance to manufacturing, the sky’s the limit.
- Variety is the spice of life: the one guarantee with a project is that it will have a beginning and an end. If you thrive on different challenges, and don’t like predictability or repetition, then project management is a great option. While some projects can run over many years, some organisations need project managers that can run multiple projects in one year, or even at one time, which keeps things fresh and interesting.
- The joy of self employment: for many, creating their own business is the ultimate dream. Expertise in project management is always held in high regard and is very often in demand with organisations needing a contractor to come in and oversee a project when their own resource is light on the ground.
- Competitive pay: most career websites identify project management as being a well-paid profession. While money most certainly isn’t the ‘be all and end all’ when it comes to career satisfaction, if you can do what you love and get paid well for doing it, then it’s a win-win.
- Make a meaningful difference: in some professions, it is difficult to measure or see the return on investment. Success is visible when you are a project manager as you reach definitive milestones and then have the opportunity to reflect on the journey when you arrive at the finish line.
Students who complete Project Management training will become assets to any organisation. Learn more about the eCampus NZ range of Project Management courses.