How do I succeed as a project manager?

Having a good project manager in place can be a huge asset to an organisation – they can help organisations to solve complex business problems and deliver business goals economically and efficiently. 

Being a successful project manager requires specialist skills, knowledge and expertise in a range of areas, as well as the ability to multi-task, manage competing priorities, lead and motivate others, and time-manage effectively. 

What is a project manager? 

A project manager is essentially responsible for the entire end-to-end process of managing a project – from ideation and planning, right through to execution, delivery and evaluation. 

Projects can be small or large-scale, meaning they can incorporate a whole range of budget and resource sizes and span across a range of timelines, depending on the business goal and the size of the organisation.  

Typically, smaller organisations tend to have smaller project needs with smaller budgets and resources, as well as shorter timelines for delivery, while large global organisations tend to have more complex large-scale project needs with much larger budgets and resources and longer timelines. 

A good project manager needs to not only be able to deliver projects on-time and within scope and budget, but also to address complex global challenges around areas such as global supply chains and sustainability while doing so. 

What makes a successful project manager? 

In today’s globalised business world, projects need to address increasingly more complex business and customer needs and global challenges.  

This means project managers need to be well-equipped with the advanced knowledge and skills to confidently and effectively manage projects from start to finish and tackle any challenges they may face along the way. 

Just some of the skills that make a good project manager include: 

• Leadership skills 

• Communication and collaborative/teamworking skills 

• People management skills 

• Finance, accounting and budgeting skills 

• Problem-solving skills 

• Decision-making skills 

• Relationship-building skills and the ability to motivate others 

• Resilience and the ability to quickly respond and adapt to change and challenges 

How can an MSc help me develop my project management skills? 

Whether you want to launch your career as a project manager or are already working as a project manager and looking to enhance your knowledge and skills, an MSc can help you develop the advanced knowledge and skills you need to be a good project manager. 

Project management is a complex discipline, incorporating a range of methodologies, principles, skills, and techniques, so it’s important that you’re able to master these and apply them into practice on a daily basis for your projects to run as smoothly as possible and be successful. 

An MSc in project management can equip you with the advanced knowledge base and skillset you need to succeed as a project manager in a competitive global job market – both now and into the future.  

An MSc in project management will teach you: 

• The fundamental principles, concepts, strategies, techniques and tools underpinning project management
  

• How to manage projects successfully in global environments
  

• How to lead and motivate teams confidently and effectively
  

• Finance, budgeting and accounting skills

• How to apply sustainable development principles and practices to your work as a project manager
  

• The most widely-used project management methodologies, including Agile and PRINCE2® 

Equipped with this knowledge and these skills, you’ll be empowered to boost your confidence and capability as a highly-skilled project manager, ensuring your career success well into the future. 

Cambridge Education Group's online MSc Project Management (validated by London South Bank University) can empower you to confidently lead organisations to success – positioning you as an in-demand project manager in the global job market: