Project manager careers cover a wide range of tasks in the world of business. Most people assume that the only line of work available is that of an actual project manager, but that is not the case. There are several subdivisions of this job sector to keep in mind when considering this career path. You may not become an actual project manager until you have worked in project management for quite some time. Thus it may be in your best interest to learn about the different paths you may follow in this career so you can determine if it is truly right for you. Listed below are several of the project management jobs you may come across when working in this industry.
Project Scheduler
A project scheduler is in charge of the technical aspects of a project. He or she does a lot of data entry work, inputting information from project managers into software programs on a computer. Project scheduling is usually not required for small scale projects, so these professionals only work on large projects for large companies. Project schedulers do not take on many managerial tasks, but they are required to have knowledge of project management as a whole. These individuals must also be incredibly knowledgeable about the computer as they will have to utilize several software programs in their work. You may take courses on project scheduling in college, or you may simply learn about the work from other project schedulers.
Project Coordinator
A project coordinator is an entry level project manager. He or she is usually responsible for managing a small number of tasks for a project, or he or she may be in charge of the clerical work for a project. Project coordinators often monitor schedules, arrange meetings, and correspond between contractors and project managers to ensure time management. This is one of the project manager careers that may lead to work as an actual project manager because coordinators get to work alongside project managers to see what they do. If you want firsthand experience in the field, this could be a perfect career for you.
In some cases, project coordinators will actually work as interns for a company while they earn a college degree. If you choose to do this, you may be working without pay. However, you can find paid positions if you want to pursue this as an actual career. You just have to find the right project to get involved with.
Assistant Project Manager
As may be expected, the assistant project manager works under the official project manager. However, he or she is not in charge of traditional “assistant” work. That is more the work of the project coordinator. An assistant project manger usually oversees a small task force or duty within a large project. If the project manager is in charge of constructing a new building, he or she may have assistant managers to oversee the roofing, framing, painting, etc. Assistant project managers work directly with the project managers, and they usually move on to become actual project managers. Working in a position like this just gives them the training they need to effectively manage a project.
Project Manager
This is the “top dog” of project manager careers. A full-fledged project manager is responsible for overlooking every worker that comes along for a project. He or she delegates the tasks of various parties involved with a project, and he or she is the only one responsible for speaking with the client about work progress. Project managers must ensure that a project stays on budget, and they must make tentative schedules for other workers to follow. Without them, business projects would fall apart entirely. It may take awhile for you to earn a position like this, but once you do, you should make a great living for yourself.
Senior Project Manager
A senior project manager is usually called on when a project is too large for one project manager to oversee. In this case, the senior manager will look over the other managers to ensure that every task is fitting into the schedule and budget. Construction companies often need senior project managers to work on large building projects, and those individuals must correspond with workers in other project manager careers to make a project come to life. This is an incredibly stressful position to be in, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. If you work in this industry long enough, you may be called upon to work as a senior project manager in the future.
