Project management involves the planning, organisation and management of time, labour, budget and resources (employees, software, building materials, etc), in order to achieve a clearly defined goal (e. g. launching a new product, erecting a building). All project management programmes are part time and are typically aimed at current professionals with leadership responsibilities, or those who hope to move into such a role.
Project Management Courses
When it comes to course content. what you’ll be learning will be heavily geared towards the workplace. This discipline is closely associated with, and originally developed from, heavy industry and construction. Engineering, architects and quantity surveyors who are seeking to develop their project management skills are therefore well catered for, with three part time programmes are available from Waterford IT (MSc), DIT (MSc) and Trinity College (PDip). The DIT programme provides expertise in the all-round business skills (leadership, strategic management, etc) that would one expect from the world’s leading business qualification, as well as modules aimed specifically at construction project management. The other two programmes focus exclusively on project management in the construction sphere with modules on issues such as people management, IT, and the legal aspects of construction. Interested parties, who require the financial support of their employer toward fees, would be well advised to clearly identify the benefits to the company of your enrolling before approaching the boss.
Room for Expansion
Project management qualifications are a key requirement of construction managers. However recent years has seen the discipline, with its highly desirable traits of controlled budgets and effective outcomes, become more and more popular across other sectors of the economy. Project management has become a vital asset in the finance, Information Technology, manufacturing, and healthcare worlds. At the moment, each of these sectors is presently doing very well. A strong CV and training in this area means you will be highly employable when you graduate.
Is Project Management right for you?
Before blindly devoting a year (or two, or three) of your life to postgraduate studies in project management, there are a few things to consider. Certain personality traits and tendencies are of great benefit in this line of work – and some are not. As a project manager, you are responsible for the minutia of an entire project’s process. It will be your role to look at which skillsets are required for the project, and work within the constraints of a budget. You’ll be leading meetings and tracking the progress of every stage of the work. Troubleshooting is an integral part of the job; you’ll be dealing with issues and deadlines and should be able to handle pressure.
Timekeeping is also very important. A working knowledge of schedules is absolutely vital, especially when it comes to ensuring that the work is completed within the timeframe required. You have to, not only be good at dealing with people, but also maintain a forensic level degree of attention to detail. While a postgraduate course in project management will provide you will with the tools and knowledge you need to succeed in this field, you have to question if this is a role you will enjoy and excel in. Not everyone is suited to a job like this or the responsibility that goes along with it.
Career Progression
Because each project is different, the position of project manager varies on job to job. Many people find themselves in another field and project management is only one facet of their duties. For instance, you could be working in a tech company and overseeing the day to day running of staff as well as one focused project.
If you are interested in a career in project management, a postgraduate qualification is your first port of call. Depending on the type of and size of the project, there are a number of entry level job titles. Project Coordinator is generally an administrative position where you create and distribute reports to the project team, and work under management. You could be a Project Scheduler, which is a title that mostly only exists on big projects. You would use specialist software and input data / update files. Other roles include Project Administrator, where you might only work on one project; a Project Support Officer where you would be a direct assistant to a PM; a Project Planner; a Project Controller (mainly in construction and engineering) is slightly more senior and assists with administration; and a Document Controller is someone looks after the management of the paperwork in regards to a team.
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