Skills, Education and Experience
Skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Detail oriented and organized
- Able to multi-task and manage various project elements at the same time
- Collaborative leadership skills
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Excellent decision making skills
- Conflict resolution
- “Big picture” thinking and vision; innovative
- Good proficiency in English language
Education and Experience
- To work as a project manager, you generally require:
- post-secondary education, usually with a Bachelor’s degree in management, business, computer sciences or related field as a minimum
- several years’ experience in the relevant line of work, with increasing responsibility
- certification as a Project Management professional may be required
Qualifications
This occupation is not regulated in British Columbia
There are no mandatory requirements to work as a project manager in BC. However, you may find better employment opportunities if you gain certification as a Project Management Professional, or similar qualification. There are two organizations whose certifications of project managers are widely recognized in Canada.
The Project Management Institute (PMI) offers various levels of certification, including the internationally recognized Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. In order to be certified as a PMP you require:
- 4-year degree, 36 months of experience leading projects, AND 35 hours project management education/training
OR
- High school diploma, associate's degree or the global equivalent, 60 months of experience leading projects, AND 35 hours project management education/training
- Successful completion of the PMP Exam
The Project Management Association of Canada (PMAC) offers the Project Management Competence Certification, as well as a series of advanced specialty certifications for project managers. This certification provides independent third party assessments of your project, program and project portfolio management competence.