A lot of people in the industry are of the opinion they absolutely would no way want to be a project manager. It is WAY too hard, and too complicated, the list goes on.
So who can blame them? PM’s rarely get the credit for the great new shiny campaign that everyone loves. Then if the project falls off the rails, they’re the ones that have to answer for it. The hours can be long, especially in ‘Agency Land’. The number of plates you have to spin at the same time can be a real challenge, especially managing multiple projects at the same time.
So what is everyone missing? Or are they right?
The flip side is, PMs have to be incredibly resourceful, there is no such thing as ‘we can’t do that’ or ‘no’. There has to be a way to keep the project on track and deliver, no matter what!
PM’s have to speak the language of everyone in the room, from a Creative Director, to a developer, to a CEO and so on, then translate everything and ensure everyone is on the same page.
Picking up new skills very quickly is a must, you need to get on top of whatever it is, and fast, be breathtakingly well organised, time management should be of second nature for everyone on the project, and deal with a forever changing landscape.
When you’ve been fighting in the trenches for long enough you end up breaking through that never ending feeling that you’re WAY OUT of your comfort zone mixed with a dose of imposter syndrome, and into a place that your confident and in control, with a feeling that you could honestly take on anything that’s thrown at you.
So a PM needs to be resourceful, thick skinned, pick up new skills quickly, able to manage time, talk to anyone, deal with a massive amount of pressure and all whilst keeping a cool head in front of everyone they talk to everyday.
Maybe it’s just not for the faint hearted?