Job outlook for project management careers
Project management careers have a great outlook, especially for professionals who specialize in the fields of engineering, business, information technology or knowledge management. Although we are facing a very tough economy nowadays, that has declined dramatically, resulting in many downsized industries and organizations, the global and long- term job outlook for project management careers continues to be very promising. Actually, more and more organizations have come to recognize that qualified project managers are essential for improving the business performance in any industry, and project management careers have come to be in very high demand. The Anderson Economic Group published a study in 2008, estimating that an average of 1.2 million project management careers will be available each year by 2016. And even in this difficult state of economy, numerous organizations seek professional project managers to coordinate their projects and lead work teams.
Project management careers are more diverse and entail a wider range of options, as most project management training programs consist of a step-y-step process, throughout which students learn core principles applicable in various industries.
However, the job outlook for project management careers will vary according to specialization, but skilled professionals are an asset to any business organization and are always in demand. The most best job opportunities for project managers are currently within the fields of construction, web design and software.
Project management careers:
- Construction Administrator – a construction project manager deals with various construction projects, including residential, industrial or public projects, making sure that all projects are successfully complete on time and on budget;
- Civil Engineering Project Manager – project management careers in civil engineering entail overseeing projects related to building bridges, wastewater treatment plants, highways, buildings or other public work projects. This job might require a civil engineering degree in addition to project management experience or qualifications;
- Web Project Manager - project management careers in web design consist of overseeing and coordinating the process of creating and updating a website. Generally, web project managers must analyze traffic statistics, manage site design and updates or find new ways in which a site can be more valuable to its customers;
- Architectural Project Manager – project managers within the field of architecture must coordinate architectural projects from beginning to end, creating the budget, timeline and coordinating work teams; an undergraduate degree is required, as architectural project managers are architects with several years of experience
Project managers are classified as professionals within their specific field, and for this reason project management careers are not included in the estimations of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, the Project Management Institute (PMI) has conducted a survey in 2006, estimating the median annual earning for project managers at $96,000, with 487,000 project managers employed in 2006.