Welcome to Mosaic‘s Project Manager skills assessment feature with specialist contributions from School entrance tests and Rob Williams Assessment.

Improving project management skills in a remote team

Most careers involve some form of project management, but what does a Project manager do?

What do Project manager jobs in London involve?

A project manager initiates, plans and executes a project within the given time frame.

Project management includes initiating, planning and executing a project within the given time frame. Clearly, the bigger the project and the more people involved, the more complex this process will therefore become.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) has furthermore gone as far as defining the project management cycle. The PMI breaks this process down into 5 phases:

  • initiation
  • planning
  • execution
  • performance monitoring
  • closure

Project management cycle

These phases, therefore, constitute the steps in completing a project. Each of these phases also requires different skills and attributes.

There are therefore various types of project managers, the most common of which are in:

  • Construction
  • Healthcare
  • Engineering
  • IT
  • Energy
  • Digital

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A Day in the Life of a Project Manager

There isn’t really a typical day in the life of a project manager. Tasks of the day will depend on where in the cycle any given project would be. Also how many projects a project manager has on the go.

Firstly, keeping your inbox in check might take up a lot of your average day. Secondly, attending meetings would be next in line.

Skills of a Project Manager

Clearly, a project manager needs a variety of skills. They need to manage all the phases within the project management cycle.

These include:

  • Leadership
  • Negotiation
  • Planning
  • Communication – written & verbal
  • Organisation
  • Knowledge of subject matter
  • Risk Management
  • Scheduling
  • Time Management
  • Cost Control
  • Most importantly a Sense of Humour

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Project Manager Qualifications

There are various routes to becoming a project manager. Most project managers have at least a bachelor’s Degree in Business, Management or a related field. This is then followed up by professional accreditation and experience.

For an added edge, a Masters in Project Management or an MBA would also be beneficial. As a project manager, you also need specialised knowledge in the subject matter of your specific field. Therefore it is more common for a professional in their field to be appointed as a project manager than a general project manager to be appointed on a specialist project.

There are also various accreditations that are beneficial to a project manager’s credibility. The project management industry is highly competitive. Therefore the right accreditation or certification might be just what you need to get ahead.

Project managers’ accreditations and certifications include:

  • PMP or Project Management Professional, an internationally recognised certification by the PMI
  • CMI – Chartered Management Institute
  • IPMA Qualification
  • APM Qualification

Subsequently, belonging to a professional body like the Association for Project Management (AMP) or the Project Management Institute (PMI) also has its benefits

The AMP is currently the largest professional body for project management in Europe. The PMI also has a UK chapter.

There are various courses offered for those wanting to make a career change or upskill.

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  • Alison
  • Coursera
  • Udemy

All things are created twice; first mentally; then physically. The key to creativity is, to begin with,
the end in mind, with a vision and a blueprint of the desired result.

STEPHEN COVEY

Project Manager Salary Expectations

According to Glassdoor, the average base salary expectations for a Project Manager in the United Kingdom is  £42 000 per year as of 16 November 2019. This was based on 6 542 salaries. However, the average salary for an IT Project Manager is said to be £44 000.

Finding employment as a project manager

Have a look at our job search function above. Also, our Interview Tips could be of great benefit. Many project manager roles are progressions within a company. Therefore make sure to

  • update your CV, subsequently showing your project management experience
  • also, highlight yourself as someone capable of initiating projects and seeing them through to completion

Also make sure to check sites like:

  • Monster
  • Indeed
  • LinkedIn

Aptitude test practice books

Rob Williams’s five practice aptitude tests books are all available on Amazon:

Firstly, in our opinion, Brilliant Passing Verbal Reasoning Tests is the best aptitude test practice book for Passing Verbal Reasoning Tests.

Secondly, in our opinion, Brilliant Passing Numerical Reasoning Tests is the best aptitude test practice book for Passing Numerical Reasoning Tests.

Project manager jobs London