Is Project Management Hard?

Recently, we discussed what project management is, why it’s important, and why you might want to consider pursuing a career in this field. Here we will explore whether or not project management is a difficult field to study and succeed in.

Many people hold the idea that project management is hard – hard to study, hard to become an expert, and hard as a career – but we want to reassure anyone considering this field that it’s not necessarily more difficult than other similar disciplines.

While project management does require a complex set of skills and unique abilities, as well as great attention to detail and excellent time management, the rewards for developing your skills in this field are well worth the effort.

This post will explain why people think project management is difficult, what you’ll need to do to secure a job in the industry, why you should consider this field, and why you should think about getting your degree from CSU Global.

After reviewing these details, if you are interested in taking the next step towards developing your project management career, fill out our information request form to receive additional details about our online Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management, or our online Master’s Degree program in Project Management. If you’re ready to get started, submit your application today.

Why Do People Think Project Management is Difficult?

Some people may think of project management as difficult because it’s a multi-faceted discipline that requires sophisticated planning and management skills, but many fields include similar challenges.

Others may think project management is difficult because it can be stressful, since project managers are responsible for delivering projects on track, on time, and under budget.

Project management work is complex since project managers need to be so detail-oriented and organized to get their work done, but that doesn’t mean that this field is too difficult to learn.

It would be impossible to become effective in virtually any discipline without first spending the needed time to develop your skills and knowledge about the industry, and that’s exactly what we suggest doing if you want to become a professional project manager.

The best way to get up to speed quickly is to enroll in an accredited bachelor’s or master’s degree program that will teach you everything you need to know about modern project management strategies.

What Do You Need to Learn to Become a Professional Project Manager?

To overcome common industry challenges and become a successful project manager, you are going to need to develop your skills and abilities in the following areas:

• Creating strategic alignment between all stakeholders involved in any given project.
• Designing clear, focused objectives and goals, and achieving buy-in from all relevant stakeholders.
• Developing a realistic resource plan that can achieve projects objectives on time, within budget, and within scope.
• Providing the leadership needed to take an idea from conception to delivery and ensuring that the final delivery meets expectations.

These aren’t simple tasks, but you can develop these abilities, and enrolling in a degree program is the best way to start building these core competencies.

Through the course of your project management program, you’ll learn how to handle these tasks, and others, allowing you to eventually assume the full responsibilities of a working project manager, including:

• Developing detailed project plans and budgets and managing them throughout the course of the project.
• Making crucial staffing decisions and ensuring that the right resources are being utilized at all times. 
• Analyzing records to monitor and control all project elements, handling any issues, preempting problems, and responding to unforeseen obstacles.
• Managing communications and expectations for everyone involved in the project, including project teams, leadership personnel, and/or clients.

While you should expect there to be a bit of a learning curve for developing these skills and abilities, it’s nothing that can’t be overcome with dedicated study and serious coursework.

Once you’ve developed your capacity for handling these duties, you’ll become an incredibly valuable asset at nearly any organization.

Who Should Consider Becoming a Project Manager?

Though project management may seem more complex than some of the easier or more intuitive disciplines, the field offers an excellent potential career path for anyone looking to establish long-term success in a challenging, complex, but rewarding industry.

Not everyone is suited to become a project manager, and certain personality characteristics make someone uniquely suited to become successful in this space, and to enjoy the work that they do!

If you possess the following traits, project management may be a good fit for you:

• Strong Communication – This is critical for successful project managers since you’ll be coordinating resources and monitoring progress across multiple teams. If you’re a great communicator, it will be extremely helpful to your project management career.
• Working Well with Others – Project management work does not happen in isolation; considering you’re going to be managing different assets, working with different resources, and overseeing the work for any given project, you’re likely to be more successful if you like working with others.
• Detailed-Oriented – You’ll need to track, monitor, and respond to numerous data points during your project management work, and paying close attention to details is a skill that comes in handy throughout the entire process.
• Leadership – Leadership skills and abilities can be learned, and they’re taught in our degree programs, but if you’re a natural leader and you enjoy being in charge, then you may be uniquely suited to become a project manager.
• Organized – Since project managers are responsible for keeping projects moving, on time, and within budget, being well-organized is an especially important character trait, as it’ll help you to ensure that yourself and your teams remain on track and working towards successful project completion.

There are many other traits that would indicate someone is a great candidate for becoming a project manager, but these are some of the most important.

Do You Need a Degree to Break Into the Field?

It’s possible to get into project management without a degree, but that’s become more and more difficult as the industry has matured and new technology and processes have become standardized.

Project management work is more technical, specific, and more critical to organizational success than ever before, and if you want to become a successful project manager, we suggest that you consider developing your skills by enrolling in a project management degree program.

Getting your degree in the field is the best way to ensure that you’ll develop the unique skills and abilities required to be successful from day one, and it’s also the easiest way to signal to potential hiring managers that you’ve got what it takes to fill their open positions.

When it comes to choosing what exactly to study, CSU Global offers two excellent degree programs that you’ll want to consider.

Which Type of Degree Should You Get? Bachelor’s vs. Master’s Programs

We recommend enrolling in the degree program that is best aligned with your professional needs and career goals.

For most aspiring project managers, that’ll mean choosing between a bachelor’s or master’s program, and the easiest way to differentiate between which program would be best for you is to evaluate your:

• Current academic credentials
• Experience in project management
• Career goals

If you don’t already have a bachelor’s degree, or you’re brand new to project management and trying to break into the field, then you will want to look into getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management.

However, if you’ve already got a bachelor’s degree (in any field), and you’re looking to develop skills and abilities that will allow you to pursue roles in leadership or management, then our Master of Project Management degree may be a better fit. 

If you’re having a difficult time choosing between a B.S. or MPM program, consider contacting one of our Enrollment Counselors by calling 1-800-462-7845, or by emailing enroll [at] csuglobal.edu.

Whichever program you choose, it’s sure to help set you up for finding success as a professional project manager.

Should You Get Your Degree in Project Management Online?

We suggest getting your degree online, especially if you have existing job or family responsibilities that will need to be balanced with your studies.

Choosing to study online will allow you to study in your own time and on your own schedule, making it much easier for you to continue meeting any other obligations.

CSU Global’s degrees in Project Management were designed to be completed entirely online, and they offer much better flexibility than traditional in-person programs, thanks to having:

• No set class times or physical locations.
• Monthly class starts.
• Accelerated eight-week courses.

If you’ve already got a relatively busy schedule, but you’re serious about developing the skills needed to become a project manager, then your best bet will be studying online with us.

Why Should You Consider Studying Project Management at CSU Global?

Both of our Project Management programs are regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Plus, they are also accredited by the Project Management Institute (PMI)’s Global Accreditation Center (GAC) for Project Management Education Programs, which allows our students and alumni to receive substantial credit toward their experience requirement when they apply for PMI certifications.

These programs were designed to provide you with the foundational knowledge and skills needed to succeed as a professional project manager, and each of them features a curriculum designed specifically for workplace success.

Both programs are also taught exclusively by educators who have relevant and recent industry experience, so you can rest assured that you’ll be learning modern solutions to real-world business problems and that you’ll graduate prepared to provide value to any organization.

Our programs also rank exceptionally well, with each of them earning top 10 rankings in their respective fields, including:

For our B.S. in Project Management

• A #1 ranking on Top 25 Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Project Management from Top Management Degrees.
• A #2 ranking on Best Online Construction Management Degree Programs of 2022 from Intelligent.
• A #2 ranking on The Best Online Bachelor’s in Project Management Programs from The Best Schools.

For our Master of Project Management

• A #1 ranking on Top 25 Online Master’s in Project Management from Best Masters Programs.
• A #4 ranking on Best Online Project Management Degree Programs from Intelligent.
• A #7 ranking on Top 10 Online Masters in Project Management from Online Course Report.

CSU Global itself has also recently received several distinguished rankings, including:

• A #1 ranking for Best Online Colleges & Schools in Colorado from Best Accredited Colleges.
• A #1 ranking for Best Online Colleges in Colorado from Best Colleges.
• A #10 ranking for Best Online Colleges for ROI from OnlineU.

Finally, we also offer competitive tuition rates and a Tuition Guarantee to ensure your rate won’t increase as long as you remain enrolled with us.

To get additional details about our fully accredited, 100% online degrees in Project Management, please give us a call at (800) 462-7845, or fill out our Information Request Form.

Ready to get started today? Apply now!