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The Pros and Cons of Project Management as a Career

Byon November 11#best-practices
project-management-career

From the outside view, a career in project management is a productive career. This is probably true on many levels and for various reasons. The job is in high demand, and you get excellent pay, work with different people on different projects, etc. However, it is easy to note all the good parts and forget that there are bad parts to it. The amount of pressure, uncertainty, and responsibility that you have to shoulder as a project manager cannot be overlooked by any means. 

Project management is probably the most challenging job in the labor market. You must learn to wear too many hats simultaneously as a project manager, and there are many factors capable of influencing your work. 

There are several reasons you may choose project management as a career, and your reasons may outweigh the potential challenges that you’re going to face on the job. However, there are certain things that you must know to have a productive career as a project manager. Learning never stops in project management. Responsibilities only increase and almost never reduce, and you must learn how to interact with different types of people and work with them to achieve a goal. There are many pros and cons of a project management career, and this article discusses a few of them.

Pro's for Project Management

Good pay 

Project management is by no means a straightforward job. On the contrary, it can be difficult and tedious. Still, you’re surely getting good compensation for all the work you put in. The average salary for an entry-level project manager is $60k, according to Glassdoor. 

This is good pay for managing people, and you can help several organizations save more money. For instance, 17% of IT projects have a 200% cost overrun. As a project manager, you must help the company prevent this and save their money by managing the employees. 

So, if you’re looking for a lucrative career, then project management is one that you have to consider. 

Interacting with people of different cultural backgrounds

It doesn’t matter if you’re managing a global remote team or your team uses the office structure. You will be working closely with people from different backgrounds and experiences but with the same goals. You’re most likely going to work with people with various backgrounds and are enthusiastic about getting the work done. Everyone would have a range of visions and different perspectives on the project, and you’ll be able to unlock hidden values. If you love to work with a group of people, then project management may be ideal for you.

It may be challenging because of the differences. Still, the difference also means everyone is bringing a unique skill set, and it’s rewarding to see the outputs individually and collectively. 

Excellent training to become a CEO

In many quarters, a job or career in project management is considered the perfect training for becoming a CEO. You’re going to face similar challenges in both roles – managing employees, making impactful decisions, and working with investors. 

This is an excellent opportunity for you, especially if you have plans to start your business in the future but lack the resources necessary for that. You can use a career in project management to gain resources and valuable skills that prepare you to become a CEO later. 

Cons for Project Management

Dealing with uncertainty

If you’re not a great risk-taker, then project management may not appeal to you. In most cases, you don’t have any idea how a project will go. It doesn’t matter how well you coordinate and manage employees. Most of it is guesswork. The best way to be successful as a project manager is through trial and error. 

You must be open to trying out new things all the time, to discover ideas that work from those that don’t. This will help you learn from mistakes, which are impossible to avoid and improve your craft. This is why understanding learning management systems is crucial and why you need to create a detailed outline for your project management strategies. 

Thankfully, there are several solutions in learning management software that can help you to be more effective. You will generate reports, track your project progress, and have a good overview of the strategies bringing the best results. 

In project management, you must continue to learn at all times without being discouraged, and it’s a matter of time before you become successful. 

Being fully responsible

Things don’t always go to plan every time, which is a common occurrence in the project management field. So you must prepare yourself for the eventuality of some projects failing or not delivering as many results as you expect them to. And you know what? You will have to take the full blame for the failure of any project. 

A statement by uk.bestessays.com mentions that the project manager must be willing and prepared to take full responsibility for the failure of a project. This means that you must be able to handle and deal with negative comments and whatever repercussions come from a failed project, whether it’s your fault or not. In most cases, it won’t be your fault, but all fingers will point to you, and there’s nothing you can do about it. These are experiences that you must learn from on the job. So, you cannot be fickle-minded as a project manager. 

Conclusion

A career path in project management is a good one because of the many advantages which it offers. However, it has its disadvantages too. On the one hand, it’s a high-paying, in-demand job that cannot bore you. On the other hand, it brings a lot of uncertainty, pressure, and a massive responsibility on your head to see to the success of a project. These are the things you must consider before deciding if it’s the right career for you to pursue. 

This article is a guest blog written by Justin Osborne. To contribute a guest post to Workast.com, please complete the expression of interest form here.

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