Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Project Manager
What project managers actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
Review the project dashboard: two tasks behind schedule and a vendor delivery at risk. From there, the day usually includes define project scope, goals and deliverables, build schedules, budgets and resource plans, and coordinate team members, vendors and stakeholders. Usually full-time, sometimes with long hours near deadlines.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a project manager working full time.
- Review the project dashboard: two tasks behind schedule and a vendor delivery at risk.
- Run the daily stand-up with the team and remove a blocker.
- Update the schedule in the project software and analyze the critical path.
- Call the vendor to negotiate a recovery plan for the late delivery.
- Review a change request with the sponsor, including its cost and schedule impact.
- Update the risk register and send the weekly status report.
Where project managers work
Project managers work in offices, on job sites or remotely, depending on the industry. Construction PMs spend more time in the field; IT and corporate PMs often work hybrid or remote.
Hours and schedule
Usually full-time, sometimes with long hours near deadlines.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Define project scope, goals and deliverables
- Build schedules, budgets and resource plans
- Coordinate team members, vendors and stakeholders
- Track progress and manage risks and issues
- Manage changes to scope, time and cost
- Run meetings and communicate status
- Close projects and capture lessons learned
Tools you’ll use every day
- Microsoft Project, Smartsheet or Asana
- Jira
- Excel
- Gantt charts
- Collaboration tools such as Teams or Slack
- Dashboards and reporting tools
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- High pay: median pay in the six figures
- Needed in nearly every industry
- Leadership experience that leads to senior roles
- Remote and hybrid options in many fields
What’s hard
- Accountable for results you don’t fully control
- Deadline pressure and long hours
- Managing conflicts between people and priorities
- Lots of meetings and communication
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I like organizing people and plans
- I’m comfortable being accountable for results
- I communicate clearly and handle conflict
- I can juggle many details and deadlines
- I enjoy solving problems as they come up
- I want a leadership career with high pay
Not sure? Take the free Project Manager fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- On construction and industrial projects, build safety into plans and schedules
- Protect confidential project and customer data
- Document decisions and approvals
- Escalate risks early to sponsors