Project Manager в ІТ | JOBITT & CHOICE31

THE CONTENT OF THE ARTICLE:

Project Manager in IT: a confident start in the profession

The demand for digital experts in international IT companies is consistently growing. Therefore, in collaboration with Choice31, we have decided to provide a more detailed insight into non-technical aspects of IT. In this article, you will learn more about the profession of a Project Manager: career prospects, responsibilities, required skills, and salary levels.

Why companies need a project manager

A project manager is someone who can turn an idea into a final product. Their main superpower is the ability to envision the end result through the lens of tasks, while considering the time and money needed for their execution. The Project Manager (PM) organizes processes, people, and systems; without them, the business cannot function.

Main responsibilities

The primary task of a Project Manager is to set up the work of the development team and ensure that all stages are completed on time, according to requirements, and within budget. The standard "project triangle": time, budget, and scope of work. And of course, this is just the surface. So, one must always be ready to provide assistance at any moment. Therefore, the project manager's list of duties includes:

Interpreting client requirements into a set of specific tasks, gradually and concurrently executing which should lead to the creation of an IT product.
Setting deadlines for each task.
Budget planning and distribution.
Allocation of responsibilities among team members.
Conflict resolution.
Risk analysis and working on solutions for potential problems.
Conducting project-related team meetings.
Project monitoring and reminders.
Compiling reports on the current project status.
Keeping the client informed about the development progress.
Conducting demonstrations.

... And much more. But these responsibilities are typical for the position.

A major portion of the project manager's working time is dedicated to communication. This includes meetings with developers, where the PM gathers the entire team to quickly assess the current status of each person's work and plans for the day (or a specific period); individual meetings with team members (held monthly or every two weeks with each individual); meetings with clients; meetings with company management; various ad-hoc meetings and correspondence with all project participants. So, be prepared for extensive communication and work on improving your communication skills.

Hard & soft skills

A Project Manager is a leader, diplomat, team assistant, and psychologist all in one person. Therefore, both hard and soft skills are equally important for the profession.

Professional skills:

Knowledge of project management methodologies: Waterfall, Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Lean, etc.
Ability to work with tools: Jira, Rally, Miro, Lucid...
Basic understanding of SDLC – software development lifecycle. Programming skills are not mandatory but can be a plus for candidates during employment.
If you want to work in an international IT company, fluent English language proficiency is necessary. If you're just starting to learn it, you should aim for at least an Upper-Intermediate level. For working in a Ukrainian company, knowledge of foreign languages might be optional, depending on its collaborations.

Personal qualities:

Resilience: PM doesn't shy away from problems; they must be able to quickly solve them or at least attempt to do so (especially in complex situations).
Strong communication skills: the ability to persuade, motivate, convey ideas, and resolve conflicts. Actively listening to conversation partners is also crucial.
Accountability for one's decisions: a manager should own up to their mistakes, learn from them, and rectify them swiftly.
Multitasking: project managers need to be skilled at rapidly switching between routine and urgent tasks, or handling multiple tasks simultaneously.
Time management: PMs must prioritize effectively both for the team's work and their own schedule. A leader who is consistently late to meetings doesn't inspire trust among colleagues and clients.
Adaptability: Quick responses to changes, finding creative solutions, and optimizing workflows when necessary are key for a successful project manager. Work issues can range from a designer's injury to fixing code errors before project delivery.

According to a survey conducted during the SHRM Talent Conference 2023, 97% of employers consider an employee's soft skills to be equally or even more important than their professional skills. Therefore, for the Project Manager profession, which involves a significant amount of communication, developing soft skills is mandatory.

Salary for PMs

According to statistics from Djinni, the salary range (median of lower and upper ranges) for project managers with 1-2 years of experience is $600-$1300 per month. For professionals with 5+ years of experience, this can be $3000-$4500. A beginner with less than 1 year of experience might expect around $500. According to data from Dou.ua, the median salary is $750. These statistics encompass all cities in Ukraine and levels of English proficiency.

Salaries in foreign IT companies tend to be higher.

According to Indeed, the average monthly salary for a junior project manager in the United States is $4849. For a senior PM, it's $10115.
In Israel, a Project Manager with 1-3 years of experience earns an average of $5000 per month, while a senior PM (8+ years of experience) earns around $9000, according to Salaryexpert.
In Poland, a newcomer's average monthly salary is €1260, middle project manager – €2416, and senior project manager – €3703, based on Salaryexplorer data.
In Germany, the average salaries by experience level for project managers are: €2460, €5350, €8500. In Italy, the average salaries are quite similar.
In Canada, a junior project manager earns an average of $5857 per month, middle – $11266, and senior – $17235.

Challenges of the Profession

It's important to highlight these points upfront to understand what brings satisfaction and discomfort to project managers in their work. All these challenges are opportunities, professional challenges that help build expertise.

So, here's what to expect:

Frequent communication with clients and teams.
Constant practice of English in international companies. In tight timeframes, you can significantly improve your language skills, as all communication, written and spoken, will be in English.
Opportunity to solve both simple routine tasks and unexpected challenges that require creativity.
A leadership position: a project manager leads the team, takes responsibility for the project, represents the company to clients, and manages the developers' work.
Continuous learning and experience gained with each project.
High remuneration, especially in international IT companies.
Satisfaction from successful project completion.
The need to prepare reports, usually every 1-2 weeks depending on the project.
Challenges requiring stress resilience. Clients may insist on budget cuts while the team requires more funding; someone from the team falls ill; a developer's laptop breaks down. A good PM can find solutions in almost any situation.

Career prospects of a Project Manager

Development opportunities depend on the company you work for, how actively you upgrade your skills, and, of course, your willingness.

A Project Manager can advance to become a Senior Project Manager or a Program Manager. With experience, professional growth, and a higher salary, the level of responsibility also increases. A Senior PM can manage larger teams, oversee multiple projects simultaneously, and mentor junior colleagues.

Further up the career ladder, there's the role of Project Director or Head of Project Management Officer (PMO). With 5+ years of experience and a track record of successful projects, you can become a leader responsible for all IT company projects: managing project managers, gathering project data for best practices and management decisions, and training and advising less experienced managers.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is the guru who oversees the business plan of the IT company.

Project Managers also have options for horizontal growth. If you want to work with users, develop products, and explore the market, you can become a Product Manager.

The list of duties and skills for a Delivery Manager will vary from company to company. This profession is evolving and will be interesting for Project Managers who want more interaction with products and clients. Delivery Managers delve deeper into technical development aspects and typically work on large, complex, multi-year projects.

Where to start

Firstly, ask yourself a few questions:

Do I enjoy meeting new people and communicating with a large number of individuals?
Do I have leadership qualities?
Do I want to work with processes and focus on multiple tasks simultaneously?

If the answer to all three questions is "yes," then prepare the foundation.

1. Successful management experience in a field unrelated to IT is a solid starting point. Then, move on to studying theory. If you lack relevant experience, familiarize yourself with management methodologies.

2. Improve your English to at least an Upper-Intermediate level. If you're already proficient in general topics, focus on business English. Consider courses or self-study, whichever suits you better.

3. Attend webinars on project management. If you understand English by listening, search for videos in that language. Enhance both theory and English skills.

4. If you know IT Project Managers, ask them questions about the profession. Request book, video, and Telegram channel recommendations that have been particularly useful for them.

5. We recommend starting with Jeff Sutherland's book "Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time." Project Managers also suggest Tom DeMarco's book "Deadline: A Novel About Project Management."

6. A must for all projects is getting familiar with PMBOK 7. If it's challenging initially, search for topics in a simpler form.

7. Enroll in IT Project Management courses. Regular universities don't typically teach this profession, and during self-study, it's not always easy to discern what information is relevant. Courses, lasting 2-3 months, provide practical skills and structured knowledge.

8. Attend several interviews. This will help you understand which skills you need to work on, the most frequently asked questions by recruiters, and familiarize yourself with test assignments.

9. During your job search, prepare thoroughly. Read useful materials from Choice31, as besides the online university, the company has its Employment Center. Here you can learn about crafting a targeted resume and how to best prepare for interviews.

Choose to Grow

Project Manager is a promising digital profession, especially in international IT companies that are constantly scaling. So, if you're considering a career change and find this profession interesting, it's best to acquire skills from practitioners.

To provide Ukrainians with the best chances of receiving job offers, we, in collaboration with Choice31, have prepared a special offer.

Those who decide to become Choice31 students and purchase the Project Manager course will receive pleasant bonuses from the online university:

A Business English course as a gift. We've mentioned before that English proficiency is essential for working in international IT companies. Communication is exclusively in the international language.
A conflictless communication for free.
$200 cashback upon employment after completing the course.

So, register for the Project Manager course and enjoy numerous bonuses.

On our part, we've developed a special offer for graduates who demonstrate good results and plan to work in Israeli companies:

Lifehacks for getting employed in Israeli IT companies from CEO JOBITT.
Verified by Choice31 status. Employers will know that you've acquired knowledge from practitioners at Netpeak Group, an IT company with 17 years of experience in the market.
Premium status for 1 month. Your profile will be at the top, ensuring maximum visibility on the platform.
Free use of the auto sender feature (costs $7 per month for other users). Simplify your job search by automatically responding to multiple vacancies at once.
Candidate promotion for Israeli IT companies.

The beginning of a successful career is your first project. So, choosing a profession that aligns with your previous experience and character traits is crucial. Don't waste money and time on training for a technical profession if you're only interested in the developer's salary. You can realize your professional potential in digital positions, and with continuous skill development, the pay will be substantial. This is proven by statistics and feedback from Ukrainians who are already working as Project Managers.

Quality courses and additional employment bonuses are real help for Ukrainians looking to enter the IT field. So, don't be afraid to change careers and dive into the world of new opportunities.