Many people who work in administration want to become a project coordinator. This type of position is commonly found in the construction, information technology, and manufacturing sectors. The primary role of the project coordinator is to provide administrative support to the project manager, follow up on the status of ongoing projects, and ensure that documents and business processes are completed correctly and submitted on a timely basis.
The first requirement to become a project coordinator is successful completion of post-secondary education. There is no degree or diploma designed for this career. Instead, candidates often have training in liberal arts, humanities, or business administration. The purpose of the education requirement is to ensure candidates have a certain level of literacy, research, and communication skills.
Working experience in business administration, research, or document writing are all relevant to this position. Ideally, someone who wants to become a project coordinator works in an project-oriented industry. While administration skills can be gained in a variety of settings, working in a project environment provides exposure to project management concepts and software.
Interpersonal skills are critical, along with conflict resolution skills. The largest challenge for a project coordinator is managing the interaction between the different personalities. Many people take courses and read a range of different materials to improve their business communication skills.
There is a range of part-time, post-graduate certificates in project management available from local community colleges and universities. The primary focus of this type of training is on project planning, scheduling, and problem resolution. The additional qualifications in this area can be very helpful when applying for a position to become a project coordinator.
The career advancement opportunities for a project coordinator include project manager, administrative manager, and a project office manager position. In order to qualify for these types of positions, candidates must have an excellent work history and recommendations from project managers. In general, these types of positions are considered mid-career and usually require a minimum of 10 years working experience in a related role.
Most people interested in a career in project management enjoy working with others and challenges. This work requires a consistent level of effort and is subject to constant change. People who do not enjoy change and uncertain future events will find this work very frustrating and unsatisfactory. Take the time to evaluate your personality and work ethic before exploring this line of work.