How to Start a Career in Software Project Management

Software project management is integral to software design and development. A software project manager plays an essential role throughout all phases, from planning to client delivery. Project managers enjoy global demand as more complex projects require professional management. For India, project management demand is linked to advances in IT. According to The Project Management Institute's Global Job Trends Report, project professionals demonstrating creative thinking and innovation will be in the highest demand [1]. 

You can begin a career in project management by completing your education, gaining optional certifications, and developing essential project management skills. Read on to learn more about the profession and how to get started in software project management.

What is software project management?

Software project management is the logistical process that supervises and leads a software project through the production lifecycle. A software project manager makes sure the project stays on budget and the team completes it within a given time frame.

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

What do software project managers do?

Your daily tasks may vary; however, primary tasks 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 as a software project manager, you’ll also define the project’s scope and work with stakeholders to determine factors like budget and time. 

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

Other standard responsibilities include:

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

• Delegating responsibilities, setting goals and milestones for the project

• Supporting team members when problems arise and resolving conflict

• Staying current with new software tools and project management techniques

Salary and job outlook

The average software project manager in India earns a base pay of ₹21,03,388 annually, with an additional average of ₹1,21,569 in additional compensation, bringing the total average salary of a software project manager to ₹22,249,957 [2]. The exact amount you can expect to earn in this career depends on factors such as your education level, professional experience, and where you live and work geographically. 

Job growth for project managers is good, opportunities increase as tehcnology evolves. 

With India’s projected GDP growth of 6.5 per cent in 2024, the Project Management Institute recommends focusing on technical skills and technical skills, as well as investing in learning Agile methodologies [3]. This puts software project managers in a good position. 

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, earn relevant certifications, and develop project management skills. Take a closer look at each step of the process below. 

1. Gain an education. 

Working as a software project manager starts with a solid education and the necessary technical skills. A degree in computer science or an IT subject is a good start. Note that a relevant field of study offers insights into essential IT concepts for effective software project management.

2. Earn certifications. 

Along with honing your IT skills, you’ll need to prove your project management skills to an employer by completing a certification. 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, employers recognise this global PMP certification and more than 1.2 million project management professionals hold it. 

• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM): Employers globally recognise this certification 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): With this certification, you’ll prepare yourself as a project management professional specialising in risk management. You'll demonstrate to employers your ability to foresee problems before they occur and mitigate risk. 

• PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP): With this certification, you’ll prepare to lead Agile projects, which are vital to software project management. If you’re new to Agile projects, you may find this credential appropriate. It can lead to additional, more specialist certifications. 

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

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 resume. An online software project management course can help you gain specific or specialist skills.

In software project management, you’ll need to understand a variety of methodologies, project management software, and workplace skills. 

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

• Leadership

• Decision making

• Time management

• Problem-solving

Software project management career path

Before starting your career as a software project manager, you can earn skills in similar positions. Working in IT in an entry-level position is a great way to build your IT skills. Consider roles such as IT technician. 

You’ll also want to build your leadership skills to aid your project management progression. Take any experience you can leading teams and coordinating projects, along with any workshops or training available. 

After gaining adequate experience as a software project manager, you may decide to take on advanced job roles such as IT consultant, IT analyst, IT director, or programme manager.  

Learn more about software project management with Coursera

Software project management combines the growing field of project management with the fast-developing technical world. If 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 as little as six months and learn skills like stakeholder management, strategic thinking, change management, Agile, Scrum, and more.