by CourseAdvisor

How are you at "multi-tasking"? Do you enjoy the challenge of working on many different projects at once and overseeing projects that involve the input of several people? If so, a career as a Project Manager may be an interesting and accurate match to your valuable skills.

Project managers lead and coordinate teams of people assembled to solve specific problems. The project approach is commonly used in construction, software development, and many other businesses. Project managers are responsible for keeping projects, whether building a school or developing a computer application, on-track, on-schedule, and on budget from start to finish.

Regardless of the particular project, the project manager typically:

• Defines and documents the project goals and scope
• Forms a team of workers to complete the project
• Creates a detailed work plan
• Estimates costs
• Monitors the progress of the project
• Communicates with the team, upper management, and (sometimes) an outside client
• Ensures that the project's goals are satisfactorily achieved
• Closes out the financial, material, and legal details of the project

Typically, project managers are not required to have degrees in business or management. In fact, a bachelor's or master's degree in a specialized project management area may be more useful. Nevertheless, a growing number of business and technology schools are offering specialized, multi-course certificate programs in project management, which can add an impressive credential to a solid work record. There are also MBA programs with concentrations in project management.

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Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-2007 Edition; Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.