If you’re reading this, you have an interest in project management. Maybe you’re considering a career change and want to know more about the steps to becoming a project manager. Maybe you’re wondering if a project management certificate will help you with the job you have right now. Maybe you’re wondering what exactly project managers do.
You’ve come to the right place, and we’ll reward your curiosity with some good news: Project management is one of the most in-demand careers today. Even better news, that demand is expected to grow exponentially within the next few years, according to the Project Management Institute. They estimate the world will need a whopping 88 million project management professionals by 2027. That’s 22 million new positions to be created, and clear proof that adding a project management certificate to your resume will not only get you through a prospective employer’s door, but once inside, they’ll want to keep you there for a good, long while.
Orchestrating Success
So, what is project management, and who uses it? PMI defines it as "The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholders' needs and expectations from a project." Simply put, it helps a team plan, monitor and execute a project so that it’s delivered within budget, on time and with all of its i's dotted and t's crossed. PMs are the strategic thinkers, the planners, the problem solvers, the communicators, the ringmasters of the project.
In the past, PMs were most exclusively found in industries like construction, finance, technology, insurance and manufacturing, but today, other industries have embraced the benefits of adding these highly trained professionals to their payrolls. Students who've earned their project management certificate through UNC Charlotte School of Professional Studies have come from healthcare, publishing, advertising, professional services, construction, finance, technology, insurance, manufacturing and even non-profit organizations. That's a testament to the versatility of project management theories. The tools and techniques can be applied to any company's project life cycle.
Become a Project Manager
Like what you’ve heard so far? Think project management might be a good fit for you? Ready to begin a new career or enhance the one you have now? Training to become a PM through UNC Charlotte School of Professional Studies will give you the tools you need, no matter which path or field you choose. The six course program taught by field experts offers the core skills and knowledge you'll need to be an effective project manager in as little as six months.
Need to hear it from someone who's been through the program?
"You’re learning from some of the best in the industry. They're tips, tools, templates and techniques," said Lamarie Austin-Stripling, who earned her PM certificate through UNC Charlotte School of Professional Studies in May 2023. "It's literally an opportunity to open up a new path of more opportunity."