How to Start a Career in Software Project Management

Software project management is integral to software design and development. A software project manager is essential throughout all phases, from planning to client delivery. Project managers enjoy global demand as more complex projects require professional management.

You can begin a career in project management by completing your education, gaining optional certifications, and developing essential project management skills. Explore the profession and what you need to start your software project management career.

What is software project management?

Software project management is the logistical process of supervising and leading a software project through the production lifecycle. As a software project manager, you ensure the project stays on budget and the team completes it within the allocated time frame.

In this role, you’ll also help teams overcome barriers and oversee software projects with a unique production cycle compared to other projects. You also play a role in testing, customer feedback, and ongoing product updates. As a software project manager, you monitor all aspects of software development and lead a development team to successful project completion.

What do software project managers do?

Although the daily tasks may vary, they often involve managing all aspects of a software project, from shaping the project in the early planning stages to delivering the final product to the client. In the beginning stages, you will likely define the project’s scope and work with stakeholders to determine factors like budget and time. 

In this stage, you will likely decide on project management methodologies and an overall task-completion strategy. As the project progresses through the production lifecycle, they will collaborate with various teams to ensure the project is on schedule. When problems arise, they work with the appropriate team to find a solution.

Standard responsibilities include:

• Communicating with all stakeholders, including clients, leadership, and team members

• Delegating responsibilities, setting goals and milestones for the project

• Overseeing project quality, testing, and evaluation

• Creating a scope and other planning documents

Salary and job outlook

The average software project manager in the UK earns a base pay of £46,993 annually, with an additional average of £4,332 in additional compensation, bringing the total average salary of a software project manager to £51,325 [1]. The exact amount you can expect to earn in this career depends on your education level, professional experience, and where you live and work geographically. 

The Project Management Institute (PMI) predicts that project management-oriented jobs will grow by 33 percent, creating almost 22 million jobs between 2017 and 2027 in 11 countries [2]. The IT sector, which includes software development and software engineering, also has excellent predicted growth in the UK [3]. 

How to start a career in software project management 

To begin your career in software project management, you will need to gain the proper education. Also, consider earning relevant certifications and developing robust project management skills. 

1. Gain an education. 

To work as an IT project manager, you generally need a degree as your starting point. Business administration, project management, or business management are excellent choices. You may also consider a technical or postgraduate degree in computer science or information systems.

2. Earn certifications. 

While your employer may only sometimes require additional certification to begin as a software project manager, the Project Management Institute offers a variety of certifications to help you learn valuable skills and demonstrate them to potential employers. 

• Project Management Professional (PMP): Project managers across all industries can earn this certification. Although not specific to software, the PMP certification is recognised globally, with more than 1.2 million project management professionals in the community. 

• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM): This certification offers a globally recognised designation for professionals with less experience in the field, whereas the PMP above aids professionals who already have some experience.

• PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP): This certification prepares project management professionals specialising in risk management who want to demonstrate to employers their ability to foresee problems before they occur and mitigate risk. 

• PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP): This certification will prepare you to lead Agile projects, which is vital for software project management. Professionals who are new to Agile projects may find this credential appropriate. It can lead to additional, more specialised certifications. 

• Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM) Certification: The Disciplined Agile framework helps you adapt Agile methodologies to your team’s needs. This certification is also appropriate for beginners and can lead to more specialised levels of accreditation. 

3. Learn software project management tools and skills.

You will learn many software project management skills whilst completing your education and relevant credential programmes. Before finding work in the field, understand what skills you’ll need and assess your abilities. You can complete additional training programmes or online classes to fill in skills gaps in your CV. An online software project management course can help you gain specific or specialised skills.

You’ll need to understand various methodologies, project management software, and workplace skills in software project management. 

Project management methodology examples

• Agile

• Kanban

• Scrum

• Waterfall

• Lean 

• Six Sigma

Project management software examples

• ClickUp

• GanttPro

• Smartsheet

• TeamGantt

• Wrike

• Kissflow

• Trello

• Asana

Workplace skills

• Communication

• Critical thinking

• Organisation

• Problem-solving

• Analytic skills

Software project management career path

Before starting your career as a software project manager, you can earn skills in similar positions. Consider entry-level positions where you can gain project management skills and experience managing projects of any kind, even on a small scale. You may also consider an apprenticeship where you can learn on the job and get paid. 

Start your software project management career with Google and Coursera

If you’re interested in a career in software project management, getting your degree can provide an excellent beginning. Build upon that foundation with relevant experience and other credentials, including certifications.

When you’re ready to take the next step and start a career as a project manager or project coordinator, consider earning your Google Project Management Professional Certificate on Coursera. You can complete this beginner-level course in six months and master the skills needed to build a thriving software project management career, including organisational culture, stakeholder management, strategic thinking, change management, Agile, Scrum, and more.