One of the most growing faster than demand careers is Project Manager. As per leading job portals, after China, in the next 10 years, India shall have 218 lakh+ project management jobs.There'll be more than 80 million project manager roles by the year 2027.
Individuals who aspire to become Project Managers, should opt for Diploma in Project Management courses after completing graduation from any University. The minimum eligibility criteria for becoming Project Managers is,
- Candidates should have cleared their Class 12th Board Exam from a recognized University
- They should complete their Graduation from any recognized Institute / University
- Should have a professional degree in Project Management for an easier entry to this field
Apart from a Diploma in Project Management, students can also pursue MBA in order to become a successful Project Manager.
The average salary of a Project Manager, after the completion of the mentioned courses varies from INR 3.5 LPA to 25 LPA.
- How to become a Project Manager: Quick Facts
- How to become a Project Manager: Who is a Project Manager?
- How to become a Project Manager: Types
- How to become a Project Manager: Steps
- How to become a Project Manager in India
5.1 After Class 12th
6.1 MBA
6.1.1 MBA Entrance Exam
6.1.2 MBA Important Dates
7.1 PG Diploma in Project Management
7.2 Certificate Course in Project Management
8.1 Canada
8.2 UK
8.3 USA
8.4 Australia
13.1 Average Annual
13.2 Specialization wise
13.3 Gender wise
13.4 Experience wise
How to Become Project Manager: Quick Facts
The project manager’s career is in various industries to earn great exposure. Some quick facts to look at before discussing further in-depth.
| Industry | All |
| Eligibility | 10+2/equivalent with PCM |
| Average Starting Salary | INR 4,00,000 - INR 4,50,000 |
| Job Opportunity | Construction Sector, IT Sector, Healthcare Sector, etc |
How to become a Project Manager: Who is a Project Manager?
A Project Manager is someone who is responsible for planning, organizing and directing the completion of projects for an organization while ensuring that the projects are handed on time, within budget and within scope.
In short,a Project Manager is in charge of the execution of a particular project.
How to become a Project Manager: Types
A career as a project manager can be challenging but offers a lot to learn. Professional certification post bachelor’s degree can help your career to boost start directly as a Project Manager.
Some of the major classifications among the Project Managers are listed below,
Assistant Project Manager
The assistant project manager title doesn’t mean that you will be stuck with the assistant work. You won’t be able to make decisions but you will be assigned specific tasks to perform, manage, report on progress and issues, and provide solutions accordingly.
Project Manager
A project manager leads a management team, takes all the important decisions, and handles the entire project. A project manager delegates tasks to assistants, analyzes budgets and comes up with successful conclusions to achieve business goals.
Senior Project Manager
The senior project manager handles multiple projects at the same time and also looks after the manager’s work and decisions.
How to become a Project Manager: Steps
To become a project manager, you have to make a strategy. The following steps will give you an idea about what points to consider while preparing yourself for this career.
Select Your Specialization
Focus on the skill you have more knowledge of. Either you are making up your mind or have made a decision whether you want to become a project manager or not but if you have any of the following management skills, you have to give this profile a serious thought.
| Communication Management | Risk Management |
| Cost Management | Quality Management |
| Integration Management | Resource Management |
| Procurement Management | Stakeholder Management |
| Schedule Management | Scope Management |
Commitment to Becoming a Project Manager
If you have decided on becoming a project manager, then commit to this profile and start with learning, training, getting the right education, and certification. Get an idea of the industries, learning methods, the career path you want to continue on before you begin.
Decide which Certification is Best for You
There are two most opted professional project manager certifications, i.e, Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), both offered by Project Management Institute (PMI).
If you have at least 4,500 hours of experience, you should go for PMP certification, and those having at least 1,500 hours of work experience, opt for CAPM certification.
Work on Your People Skills
Projects have a lot dependant on people, in other words, projects are made up of people. So, start working on your people skills, put effort into knowing them, communicating, understanding their point of view, and making them understand yours. It is very important to have this skill, if you are not good with people, you have to reconsider your career in project management.
Project Management Tools
Learn how to use the software design to assist project managers with a lot of things like budgeting, collaborating, scheduling, etc. A key skill in becoming a project manager is to be able to set a budget and complete the project with higher quality.
Qualify for Diploma in Project Management
In order to become a successful project manager, qualify yourself with degrees that would eventually help you understand the core of the subject, thus leading to a successful career in Project Management.
How to Become Project Manager in India
Becoming a Project Manager in India is a challenging job before and after. Students who wish to pursue this career, must train their mind to face challenges and start preparing after qualifying for secondary class (10th). Thereafter they need to choose the right subjects, prepare for Graduation, followed by a Diploma course in Project Management.
How to become a Project Manager After Class 12th
Students right after clearing class 10th can pursue subjects preferably in the Commerce field like Finance, Accounts, Maths, Entrepreneurship etc that would help them get the correct ideas right from the ground level. However, students from any discipline can pursue Project Management.
School Level Preparation
- To become a project manager, one must have preferably commerce subjects like Maths, Finance, Accounts etc at a senior secondary level.
- After qualifying 10th, while pursuing your senior secondary classes (10+2) with PCM subjects, start preparing for the entrance exam like CAT, MAT, XAT etc to take admission to a top university/college.
Graduation Preparation
-
After qualifying 12th standard, you have to clear the entrance exam and complete a 3 years graduation degree.
-
It is recommended that post your graduation, you should enroll yourselves for a project management certification like Professional Project Management (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), etc from the Project Management Institute (PMI).
Post Graduation Preparation
After completion of the UG course and before opting for a job or higher studies, you must gain a professional project management certification along with some work experience to secure yourself for a better designation and salary package.
How to become a Project Manager: Courses
After a 3-years bachelor’s degree, to jump-start, your career goes for an MBA in Project Management.
MBA
MBA in Project Management is a 2-years course which helps a student to enhance their skills and knowledge for better career growth in the chosen specialization. For admission in MBA, one must hold a Bachelor’s degree with an aggregate minimum of 50% marks in graduation.
To take admission in a reputed institute for pursuing MBA in Project Management, you must appear and qualify for the following entrance exam.
MBA Entrance Exam
To clear the entrance exam like CAT, XAT, MAT, etc, you must start preparing while pursuing your graduation. The following are some ideas which will help you to prepare.
First, check the targeted entrance exam’s syllabus and patterns.
- Make a Schedule: While making a schedule, focus on your weak subjects, give them more of your time but don’t leave out your best scoring subjects.
- Every topic is important: If a particular topic doesn’t carry much weightage you should never leave out a topic because the questions can come from lesser weightage topics too.
- Study from recommended books: You must come out of your comfort zone and study passionately by practicing from advanced level books.
- Revision is a Must: Don’t be dependent on one-time reading, you must revise what you have studied the previous month.
- Practicing Mock/Previous Year Papers: Regularly practicing mock tests and previous year papers will help you to improve your speed & efficiency and mentally prepare you for the DAY.
MBA Important Dates
Below mentioned are few of the important dates for your reference,
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Commencement of Application | 1st week of August 2021 |
| Application Last Date | 2nd week of September 2021 |
| Admit Card Release Date | 4th week of October 2021 |
| CAT 2021 Exam Date | 4th week of November 2021 |
| CAT 2021 Result Date | 2nd week of January 2022 |
How to become a Project Manager: Related Courses
PG Diploma in Project Management
PG Diploma in Project Management is a 1-year specialized course to enhance your knowledge, concepts, and project management tools practice. If you are not opting for an MBA in project management, you should go for a PG Diploma.
The top best colleges in India offering PG Diploma in project management are.
- Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (Bangalore)
- Swami Vivekananda Institute of Information Technology (Punjab)
- National Institute of Industrial Engineering (Mumbai).
Certificate in Project Management
Certification like PMP, CAPM, etc from PMI is opted by 80% of the graduates thinking of starting a career in project management. It is not just for the sake of certification or trend but to improve your skills in all the aspects of project management.
The certification duration varies from 1 year to 3 years.
To apply for the certification, you need at least a minimum of 1,500 hours of work experience (work experience will vary on the certification).
Some of the top colleges enrolling students for Project Management courses are tabulated below,
| Name of the Colleges | Average Fees (INR) | Average Salary (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim | 5.5 LPA | 5 - 7 LPA |
| Institute of Management & Research | 1.8 LPA | 5 - 7 LPA |
| Institute of Business Management & Research | 2.35 LPA | 4 - 7 LPA |
| Dibrugarh University | 1.04 LPA | 3.5 - 6 LPA |
| Kanpur Institute of Technology | 1.6 LPA | 4 - 7 LPA |
How to Become Project Manager Abroad
To become a Project Manager in India comes with many challenges but when it comes to becoming one Abroad the difficulty level increases. But you must not worry about the level of difficulty as the career in this field is impeccable. Most of the career opportunities as project managers are in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and some parts of the US.
Canada
- Canada has become one of the most known countries to study abroad among Indian students.
- MBA in Canada is offered for a duration of 12-20 months with a fee of C$ 30 - 35K.
- Eligibility for Indian students, bachelor’s degree/equivalent from a recognized university or college with 3-5 years of work experience in the relevant field.
- GMAT score/ IELTS score of 6.5 or above is required to be eligible for admissions in the Canadian university.
Top Colleges to Pursue in Canada
| University | Course | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| University of New Brunswick | MBA in Project Management, 1 year | C$ 35,300 |
| University of Calgary | MBA in Project Management, 20 months | C$ 29,000 |
UK
- MBA in the UK is offered for a duration of 10-60 months depending on which institute you are choosing.
- Eligibility for Indian students, bachelor’s degree/equivalent from a reputable institute with 3-5 years of work experience in the relevant field.
- An IELTS score of 6.5 or above/ TOEFL score of 7 or above is required in English to be eligible for admissions to the UK institute.
- The fees to pursue MBA in the UK varies between £ 8 - 40K.
| University | Course | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| University of London | Global MBA, 12 - 60 months | £ 15,310 |
| University of Bradford | MBA, 24 months | £ 23,165 |
| MBA (Executive) 24 - 48 months | ||
| University of Glasgow | MBA, 12 months | £ 16-28K |
| ESCP Business School | MBA in International Management, 10 months | £ 40,280 |
| London School of Business and Finance | Global MBA (Project Management), 18 - 36 months | £ 9,000 |
| Geneva Business School | MBA- Major in International Relations, 18 months | £ 8-13K |
| Edinburgh Napier University | MBA (Project Management), 21 - 33 months | £ 10,350 |
USA
- MBA in the USA is a postgraduate degree offered for a duration of 1-2 years depending on which institute you are choosing.
- For Indian students, a bachelor’s degree/equivalent is required from a reputable institute with a minimum of 3 years of work experience in the managerial role.
- To be eligible for admissions to the USA institute, you need an IELTS/ TOEFL score.
- The fees to pursue MBA in project management in the USA varies between $ 2-40K.
Top Colleges to Pursue in the USA
| University | Course | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Meredith College | MBA- Project Management, 2 years | $ 41,712 |
| Pebble Hills University | MBA in Project Management, 1-3 years | $ 2-15K |
| Columbia Southern University | MBA with Concentration in Project Management, 1-3 years | $ 9,250 |
Australia
- The duration of an MBA offered in Australia is 1-2 years depending on the university you choose.
- Indian students are required to have a bachelor’s degree/equivalent from a recognized university.
- Some Australian universities require a minimum of 3 years of work experience.
- To be eligible for admission to an Australian university, IELTS/TOEFL/GMAT/GRE score is required.
- The fees to master’s- MBA in project management in Australia vary between AUD 25-70K.
Top Colleges to Pursue in Australia
| University | Course | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| University of Southern Queensland (USQ) | MBA- Project Management, 18 months | AUD 33,645 |
| Deakin University | AUD 63,300 | |
| Chifley Business School | AUD 47,000 | |
| University of the Sunshine Coast | AUD 37,800 | |
| Edith Cowan University (ECU) | MBA- Project Management, 24 months | AUD 25,050 |
| University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) | AUD 76,128 | |
| Bond University | MBA- Project Management, 12 months | AUD 57,959 |
Educational Requirements
- More than 43% of international project managers have a bachelor's degree and more than 41% have a master's degree.
- Other degrees that have often been seen are certified degrees (7%), associate degrees (3%), or high school diploma degrees (6%).
How to become a Project Manager: Pros & Cons
There are both the positive and negative sides of becoming a Project Manager. Some of them are tabulated below,
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Interacting with professionals from diverse backgrounds | Being fully accountable for the entire project |
| Making a plan from scratch to seeing it become effective | Managing Stakeholders |
| Create something from nothing | Dealing with uncertainty |
| Empowering teams and members | Estimation Guesswork |
| Delivering Business Value | Being a professional cat herder |
How to become a Project Manager: Benefits
After seeing such rapid growth and globalization over the years, hiring a project manager added value to the organization. The following are some of the benefits of a career as a Project Manager.
Salary
Being a project manager is not just a tough and challenging career, but also has its perks like satisfying salary, work flexibility, learning opportunity, people-orientation, and the most important traveling globally.
Job Security
According to sources, there'll be more than 80 million project manager roles by the year 2027. So the job of a project manager is currently secured.
Project Managers are high in demand and there will be a lot of requirements in various sectors. So choosing this career is safe and will be the best career option at the moment.
Positive Impact
The Positive impact of the career having a project manager in the organization will not only help in various sectors of the working hierarchy but will also help the organization prosper within
Project Managers anticipate issues, assign tasks, take analyzed risks, and improve departmental communication but only if you are good at managing people and like to be surrounded by them.
Higher Studies
The career of a project manager is ever-evolving, you have to be updated with the market trends, UG is the first step in this field. You can go for professional certification along with gaining experience in the same field.
Even after this, if you feel like you need expertise on your skills, you can always go for the master’s degree.
Unique Experience
Project manager as a career is very challenging. Earning unique experience by identifying, assessing, managing risks on a project, and gaining a vivid set of knowledge will help you to grow in your career and to make you ready for the next step in the project management field.
How to becoming a Project Manager: Skills Required
To become a project manager you must hold some useful skills required in this career. The following are some skills for the project manager career.
| Critical Thinking | Good Communication | Creative, Strong, and Strategic Mindset |
| Analytical Skills | Problem-Solving Skills | Strong Organizational and Management Skills |
| Negotiation Skills | Strong Leadership Quality | Ability to Monitor and Control Budgets |
| Risk Taker | Attention to Detail |
How to become a Project Manager: Top Recruiters
The following are the top recruiters in India that are hiring project managers.
| Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) | Infosys |
| HDFC Bank | Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) |
| Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) | ITC Ltd |
| BG India | SGC India Private Limited |
| Telford International | IBM BTO Business Consulting Services |
Salary of a Project Manager
The starting salary of a project manager in India varies from INR 3,00,000 to INR 4,50,000. The salary value will also depend on the sectors and how much experience an individual has.
Average Annual Salary
| Name of Organisation | Starting Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Government | INR 3,50,000 - INR 4,50,000 |
| Private | INR 5,00,000 - INR 5,50,000 |
Specialization Wise
| Specialization | Starting Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Assistant Project Manager | INR 3,60,000 - INR 4,00,000 |
| Project Manager | INR 4,00,000 - INR 5,00,000 |
| Senior Project Manager | INR 6,00,000 - INR 7,50,000 |
Gender Wise Salary
| Gender | Starting Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Male | INR 4,00,000 - INR 4,50,000 |
| Female | INR 3,50,000 - INR 4,00,000 |
Experience Wise
| Experience | Salary |
|---|---|
| Fresher | INR 4,00,000 - INR 4,50,000 |
| Experienced | INR 12,00,000 - INR 16,50,000 |
How to become a Project Manager: FAQ’s
Ques: Is it hard to become a project manager?
Ans: A project manager career comes with a lot of challenges but if you are the right person to do it, can handle and have a mindset to overcome those challenges then you are good to go.
Ques: What qualifications do you need to be a project manager?
Ans: A 4-year bachelor’s degree holder is eligible to become a project manager. But for an expert thinking process, it is recommended to have a professional project management certification from PMI along with some experience in the same field.
Ques: Where do I start to become a project manager?
Ans: Earn a bachelor’s degree, learn managerial skills, start managing projects, apply for a project management certification and lastly if you still feel like getting higher education go for a master's degree.
Ques: Do project managers get paid well?
Ans: Project Managers earn a very satisfying salary even at the starting of their career. Across various industries, in India, the average starting salary varies from INR 4,00,000 to INR 4,50,000, and in the US, the average starting salary varies from $90,000 to $ 1,20,000.
Ques: Is project manager a good career?
Ans: Yes, a Project Manager is a good career selection. Each project will help you grow not just in your career but also from a knowledge perspective.
Ques: What are 3 critical skills a project manager needs to succeed?
Ans: If you are good with people not just convincing them but also reading them then you can be a project manager. But the 3 most critical skills that are needed to succeed are commitment & negotiable skills, communication & interpersonal skills, and resolving conflicts while keeping the team together.
Ques: What does a Project Manager do?
Ans: The day-to-day activities of a project manager are planning, handling budgets, assigning tasks to team members, managing, reporting on progress, providing solutions, taking risks, and mainly achieving business goals.
Ques: Do project managers travel a lot?
Ans: Yes and No. It depends on what the project wants. Not every project requires travel but surely, some projects require traveling to attend meetings, monitoring the progress, discussing further activities, meeting stakeholders, and taking decisions on some serious matters.
Ques: Can I become a project manager without experience?
Ans: Without any prior experience, it’s a bit difficult to land a project manager job. But with the help of professional project management certification, you can get a head start in your career.
Ques: What training does a project manager need?
Ans: A four-year bachelor’s degree along with a minimum of 4,500 hours of work experience (more than 2 years). A PMP certification will be an added advantage.
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