(This post contains affiliate hyperlinks. Please read my full disclosure.
You’ve probably come across many job titles when you’re looking for project management jobs. Which one should I choose? There are many roles and duties that the job description for project manager can include, making it difficult to choose the right one.
Herein lies the challenge.
The meaning of “project manager” to one company may be different from the meaning that another company uses.
There are some industry-recognized job title — the ones that you’ll see most often. We’ll explain what these job titles mean and what you can expect to be doing in them.
Project management jobs for entry-level job titles
What is a better position than project manager?
Job titles in Project Management Office
What are the different roles of project management?
Project managers are responsible for managing projects that have a beginning and a middle, and an end. They also need to know the end result. That’s the definition of a project.
Many people can now play the role of project manager without the title. Many jobs require that you can manage projects as part or all of your job duties.
We’re not focusing on those who manage projects, but we are focusing on them. This means that project management is the main focus of their day.
Although the core skills required to be a projectmanager are the same, industry insiders often consider there to be different types of project managers. Industry is the most common way to define different types of project managers. Take, for example:
The Digital Project Manager oversees projects related to online initiatives, digital marketing and software. They may work primarily with agile approaches and often in a client-facing business like an agency (although larger firms may have their own Digital PMs).
Unsurprisingly, an IT Project Manager is based in an organization’s IT department. They are responsible for technical projects such as software, platform, infrastructure, security or projects that bring together subject matter specialists from all IT disciplines to deliver something.
A Construction Project Manager is a specialist in the field of construction. They are skilled in design and build and can often manage many suppliers to complete the project.
The Legal Project Manager assists legal teams in delivering process improvements and work for clients. This role requires a background in law and training.
In fact, project managers are common in most industries. There are many job titles, including Engineering Project Manager, Marketing Manager, Publishing Manager and others. This basically means that the job of project manager is specialized in one industry. For example, agile marketing is a specialization in applying agile methods to marketing projects.
This means that you can choose an industry that interests you. There will be a job in project management, no matter what your passion is: retail, catering, tech, or medicine.
Project management jobs for entry-level job titles
If you don’t have the project management certification and experience you need to be a project manager, you can search for entry-level job titles.
Here are some examples of job titles to be on the lookout for.
Project Administrator: This is the most common entry-level job. You will be responsible for one project and support the rest of the team with administrative tasks.
Learn more in my book Project ManagerProject Coordinator: This role is similar to that of the Project Administrator, but those with this title are more likely be involved in ‘hands-on’ project work.
This job title is used in the public sector as Project Support Officer/Specialist. It is similar to the Project Coordinator. It’s a job that requires you to be a team leader.