This article covers:

• Project management? – yes
• Project manager definition
• Skills for project manager
• Project manager job
• How to become a project manager? -7 steps
• Project manager check list
• Project management fundamentals
• 5 project phases
• Project manager salary
• PM salary calculator
• How to improve project manager skills?
• Ideal project manager resumé
• Project manager interview questions

Project manager? – yes

If somebody told me, “your life role will be a project manager” few years ago, I would barely believe him. After almost seven year in full time black belt role I say: “happy choice I made”.

After all these years of experiences I believe, I can direct you to become a PM.

Actually, all person in the world from certain age are becoming project managers. Not as a role in a company, but solving more less project managers tasks, evolving his responsibilities.

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Project manager definition

We all try to plan our future with our families, it can be our vacation, buying a house. We must communicate and have some leadership habits like to our children. There are many teams we are in: family, school, university, football team. And we do have to manage our limited budgets, too.

Project manager role has many elements, similar to our lives. But with more structured approach and more complicated tasks to accomplish.

There are also specializations in project management: constructions, finances, engineering, production, IT and many others. Different industries but using the same tools to create some new processes or improve current malfunction. Deeper branch specialization is advantage in communication to team, sponsor or to understand customer specific needs.

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Skills for project manager

There are 3 main elements of project manager:

• Technical application
• Leadership
• Projects accomplishments

First one is about used and applied methods to resolve problems. It’s about handling of planning, documentation, reporting, proper tools usage and data driven decisions. You know, to have sufficient time to react on problems, project manager must keep moving with project and keeping it on track to its goal.

Leadership is about abilities of impacting people, directing them if needed, building right teams, team members development. In project team, there are often people from different departments across company, not reporting to project manager. The most difficult part is to affect people without having direct relationship in organization.

Third part is about projects executing success. Was the project accomplished with reasonable timeframe, with budget kept as planned? Project needs to deliver also expected benefits and sustain changes as well as hand over new process, if that was a scope.

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Project manager job

What I love the most on my role, the variety tasks I helped to resolve. HR, Supply chain, Planning, Logistic, Warehouse, all these and another more department with different problems. With the same method – Lean Six Sigma – DMAIC.

So, what can you do to become a project manager?

Accomplishments:

For sure, there are projects, team efforts you are proud off. Start this resume section with these accomplishments. List accomplishments you were leading, or you were participating in. Important thing is change management. It is about updating and providing documentation, handover to process owner. It is good to write down how successful you were in controlling and monitoring implemented changes.

Describe biggest benefits, improvements you achieved and have greatest impact or results.

Do not forget to mention, if your project was submitted to any competition.

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How to become a project manager? – 7 steps

1. Imagine yourself in that position. What positive behaviors you have, that you think will be good for that role. But also, what behaviors you would need to change and improve to get there?
2. Contact somebody with experience. If you work at company, there is always somebody, that would be happy to discuss with you. Ask him for mentoring. There are also mentors on different Facebook groups. Try those if you are entrepreneur.
3. Participate at projects. The fastest way to understand this role is to see the role in action. If there is running project, register for it. On top of your work, if required.
4. Show your commitment. You can start with small changes around you, at your workstation, for example. Define some small problem and try to improve it.
5. Be a good team player. Project management is everything, but solo play. Make sure, you are helping others to succeed in their roles. This approach and philosophy are critical for project managers.
6. Get training and certification. With proved training and certification, your chances to become a project manager are rising.
7. Apply for a job. If you are not selected, no problem. Lost interview is also learning curve.

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Project manager check list

Download, to own this check list in pdf format.

I do videos, blog posts, and all templates for free, in my free time. I will appreciate if you can donate me a cup of cofee, for more energy in my creation. (1 dollar counts, too 😉 Click on this link: I would like to support Erik in his effort

Project management fundamentals

Project management is a structured approach to resolve complicated tasks. It changes current state to future state via implementation plan. It is always team effort to implement changes to reach the targeted goal.

And this team needs to be coordinated somehow. Project manager role is to help To be more efficient, to fulfill tasks logically, with required time and budget.

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5 project phases

Initiation phase helps to understand definition, goal and project scope between all involved parties – sponsor, leader, stakeholders and project team or multiple teams.

Planning defines path to be followed to accomplish required steps as required. Plan creation and understanding key steps or tools to be used is essential for success.

Knowledge of specific tools is required in Execution phase. Like process mapping, pareto analysis, capacities calculation, root cause evaluation, work cell design, FMEA and so on. It is called technical application. Another key aspect for success is leadership.

Monitoring and control phase helps to understand if project continues within schedule, controls costs and how teams is fulfilling goal requirements. Changes in project planning can be made accordingly.

Last project phase is handover to the owner. Can be product, process or service, based on the scope of project. Owner should be involved and updated with project progress during whole project life.

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Project manager salary

Project management methodology is also used by different roles, not just project managers. And is not limited just to leadership roles at all. Salary high thus, is linear to the skills level. This rule applies to any business, any role: Salary rise, by growing experiences. This is Project managers salary estimation to average country salary.

Lets have these project managers skill levels

• Basic level – technical application basics, no leadership and no accomplishments
• Middle level – self-contained tools usage, lead 20 to 30 different project teams, 20 to 30 project hand overed to owner
• High level – Well versed in technical application, Leading by example, 30+ Complicated or international projects
• High and mentoring level – on top of high level, provides support and training in all areas

Rate yourself on each required P M skill with levels descriptions

Multiply all 3 rated numbers. Example: Technical application rating – 2, Leadership rating – 3, Accomplishments rating – 2

Score calculation: 2 x 3 x 2= 12 – Middle P M skill level.

Multiply your country average salary by score level rate and that will most probably be salary, that Project manager will earn.

If average yearly country salary in U S in 20 21 is about 50 thousand dollars, for our example with score calculation 12 we multiply average country salary by 2. And result is 100K USD per year. Of course, there is a possible range of this salary.

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Project manager salary calculator

Check your PM level and possible salary level in your country currency.

How to improve project manager skills

Actually, this is common way to improve any type of skills. There are 3 ways of improving skills and competencies:

• Studying – Education at school, courses, reading articles
• Training – drilling with praxis
• Upbringing – learning cooperating with mentor

Here is a link to download project charter template for your usage, with the brief description of each section.

Ideal project manager resumé

Before you start filling your resume, think a little bit what expertise you would like to focus on your new role. constructions, finances, engineering, production, IT, or any others. Deeper branch specialization is advantage in communication to team, sponsor or to understand customer specific needs.

As mentioned above, there are 3 main elements project manager must have. Technical application, Leadership, and Project accomplishments. Mention them in your resumé:

Technical application: Describe your experiences with tools you are familiar with, in your resume. It can be DMAIC, DMEDV, PDCA tools if applying for lean six sigma role. Or 5 project phases tools: Initiation, Planning, Executing, Monitor and control and the final, closing phase. List all trainings and certificates related to leading role If you own any. Describe how those certificates were helpful in leading projects.

Accomplishments: For sure, there are projects, team efforts you are proud off. Start this resume section with these accomplishments. List accomplishments you were leading, or you were participating in. Important thing is change management. It is about updating and providing documentation, handover to process owner. It is good to write down how successful you were in controlling and monitoring implemented changes.Describe biggest benefits, improvements you achieved and have greatest impact or results. Do not forget to mention, if your project was submitted to any competition.

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Project manager interview questions

1) Be ready to explain details of your resume. All 3 sections, but very often interviewers are interested in some details of your accomplishments.

2) Very often are asked questions about level of experiences. Meaning local- within one factory, between factories, or international.

3) Next question can be about most difficult tense situation you faced. What was your reaction on it, how well you were able to handle and resolve it.

4) Maybe they will be interested about different project roles description. What is sponsor role, project team and stakeholders roles.

5) Yours best practices of handover process to process owner can be another one.

6) If you had a chance to provide used tools training for others. Or if you had led any project management training.

7) How good and effective are you in communication with customers, can be one of the questions, too.

Visit my YouTube channel, where you can find many helpful tips, on project management, lean and six sigma methodology.

I post lean six sigma and project-oriented articles and videos regularly. Do not forget to subscribe to receive regular updates.

Yours sincerely Erik.