4 Valuable Skills to Break Into Project

Management
Considering a career in project management? Find out if you have what it takes
to excel in this growing profession.
10 April 2012

As companies look for that elusive competitive edge, they’re hot on the trail of candidates with
project management expertise. This year, 44 percent of the 353 IT executives in
aComputerworld survey said they plan to hire candidates with project management skills.
So what do you need to succeed in this growing profession? Here are four skills that will help get
you started:

1. Business acumen
Why you need it: “In most organizations, a key difference between new and senior project
management is not age. It’s what we call the ‘boardroom presence’ — the ability to communicate
with the executives in an effective way,” says Marc Mutsaers, PMP, senior project manager, Equens,
a payment processing firm in Utrecht, Netherlands. “This skill is required to run complex, high-impact
or high-risk projects.”
How to hone: Along with taking business courses, put yourself in situations that demand immediate
and decisive actions to achieve the organization’s business goals, Mr. Mutsaers says.
2. Project management basics
Why you need it: It sounds obvious, but going in with a working knowledge of some project
management fundamentals may give you an edge. Although no organization expects the “newbie” to
know everything about project management, you must be well versed in the more common tactics,
tools and terminology. 
How to hone: Find a mentor — someone working in the profession that you can observe or interact
with, suggests Saad Ansari, PMP, senior consultant, CGI Group Inc., a systems integration, IT and
business process services firm in Markham, Ontario, Canada.
“This allows you to observe project management in action and to get familiarized with the
profession,” he says.

Along with gaining formal project management education and finding a mentor, Mr. Ansari
recommends getting involved in forums such as PMI’s communities of practice or tapping into local
PMI chapter resources, he says.
3. Emotional intelligence
Why you need it: “Successful project managers are leaders and managers at the same time,” says
Mario Henrique Trentim, PMI-RMP, PMP, manager, project management office, Institute of
Aeronautics and Space, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil. “They know how to cast a vision
and engage stakeholders, and they also know how to get the job done through their teams.”
How to hone: Keep a journal of your daily emotions and reactions, suggests Mr. Trentim. Then
gather feedback from friends or colleagues. Analyze your journal and your responses to learn how
you respond to situations.

4. Assertiveness

Why you need it: You must be able to foster a healthy exchange of ideas with a variety of people —
each of whom may come on to the project with their own motives, says Mr. Trentim. You must be
able to articulate your needs in a firm, but diplomatic and reasonable manner. 

How to hone: Learn to identify the roles of a project team member or project manager versus those
of a stakeholder or sponsor. If you know who is responsible for what decisions, you’ll have a better
idea of when you can comply with requests and when to push back.

Armed with these four skills, potential project professionals may just uncover a new career path.