A project management career can be fulfilling, rewarding, exciting, and also challenging. The good news is project management isn’t going away any time soon. Project management is extending into various areas of business, cross-functional departments, and industries.
Although project management might seem like a relatively new career choice, it has actually been around since the 1960s. Project management was primarily used to help manage government projects, such as military operations and engineering projects. Most project managers relied on the Critical Path or Critical Chain methodologies to manage these highly complex, high-risk, and extremely technical projects.
Yes, these project management methodologies are still used to manage these types of projects today; however, the world of project management has changed drastically—and will continue to change as business needs shift and evolve.
Adaptability Will Become the Overarching Theme for Successful Project Managers of Tomorrow
According to a new Strategy Execution report released in January 2019, companies today are increasingly seeking out project management professionals who possess an adaptive skill set. As more complex projects increase in numbers across the board, business leaders need to continually update their team’s skill sets, capabilities, and knowledge.
In this article, we will discuss how project management will change in 2019 and beyond, and how earning your official PMP certification can help you remain relevant and competitive in your current role and in any industry.
Increase in The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools
AI tools are now commonplace in the workforce. Tech experts, as well as professional project managers, predict that they will become even more prevalent within the next year.
Project Management Will Expand into Different Departments
It looks as though project management positions will be making appearances across all facets of a company, according to a recent Strategy Execution press release.
Project management positions today are expanding far beyond the PMO, IT, or product development; they are expanding across all functional areas of the business. This proves that there is more of a need for the successful planning, strategic thinking, and execution of projects. Project management is at its best when it is blended with the right mix of business, technical, and people skills as well as the right adaptive mindset.
Big Data Will Become Bigger
If you’re hearing a lot about big data, analytics, and algorithms shaping our jobs, you aren’t alone. Big data is about to get bigger as there is more of a need for businesses to discover patterns and trends associated with changing human behavior and interactions.
The discovery that big data can be used for business insights has become a total game changer. Today’s presentations have become increasingly reliant on the utilization of advanced data analytics for making more informed business decisions.
Therefore, embracing big data, implementing data analysis tools, and learning the ins and outs of how it works will provide a leg-up on the competition in the world of project management.
Adaptability Across Platforms
New platforms in areas across the board, including communication, project management, freelancing, and many others are becoming available. Leaders who educate their teams on how to utilize up-and-coming platforms as they enter the market will ultimately see more success in their projects.
Of course, different departments use different platforms for various tasks, but using one platform that serves as an enterprise-level model helps streamline processes and increases efficiency. As a result, more platforms are designed and developed in such a way that allow for cross-compatibility in integrating project details and specifics.
Aside from being adaptable to change yourself, project managers will need to lead their teams to embrace change and adapt accordingly to new platforms.
On-The-Job Training Will Become More Frequent
Company-wide trainings as well as departmental workshops will become more important for company-wide adoption of new processes, strategies, techniques, and technology. Therefore, there will be an increasing need for training employees and project team members. This also means that project managers will be more involved in the onboarding process and managing trainings.
Developing Nations Will Embrace Project Management
For those U.S.-based project managers who embrace the concept of working abroad, this may be a golden opportunity to experience life in a developing nation.
Over the next 10 years, project management roles are expected to grow in developing nations such as India and China. As projects continue to become larger and more complex throughout the global market, more project manager positions will become available.
Increased Focus on Collaborative Cultures
“Collaboration functionality” is becoming a common buzzword among the world’s most successful companies. As a result, project managers need to adopt a communication plan, protocol, and hierarchy to foster an environment rich in collaboration.
This plan should outline who will be the point of contact, the acceptable forms of communication, and the tools in which will be used to collaborate individually as well as a team.
Making sure all team members are on the same page in the collaboration process is vital to collaboration functionality.
Project Management is About Growth and Adaptability
As more companies embrace the project manager role, it reveals just how big of an effect it can have on overall efficiency and productivity of an organization.
Improvement isn’t possible without innovation. Innovation isn’t possible without adaptability. Finding new and better ways to perform tasks and manage teams is central to the project manager’s job.
How to Become a Certified Project Manager
Project management can be an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling career. If you think a project management career might be right for you, or if you are looking for opportunities to advance your project management career, your next step should be to prepare for the PMP certification exam.
A common project management myth is that you need an MBA or another high-level, specialized degree to become a certified project manager, before even taking the PMP exam. However, this isn’t true. Project management doesn’t require a specific degree, qualification, or experience level; it just requires a small financial and time investment to prepare for the PMP exam.
By preparing and studying for your PMP certification, you will learn a number of project management methodologies, principles, techniques, and how to apply those to every-day, real-life projects.
How Project Vanguards Can Help You Earn Your PMP Certification
If you are ready to give your project management career a competitive edge, earning your official PMP certification just might be your next best step. So, where do you begin? Start by preparing for and taking a professional PMP exam preparation course with Project Vanguards.
Project Vanguards understands how earning the PMP credential can significantly impact a professional’s project management career. This is one reason why Project Vanguards offers a wide range of professional training and resources to help professionals prepare for and successfully earn the PMP certification. Project Vanguards also guarantees a 100 percent first-time pass rate.
Project Vanguards is the complete resource that you need to help you learn the project management principles, techniques, and also adapt a mindset that allows you to evolve as a professional project manager.