As any fan of The Apprentice will know, it's often the case that when the role of project manager is up for grabs, many of the wannabe proteges suddenly become very quiet.
Now, I know the show is pretty far removed from what goes on in real-life - and their version of the role might well be as well - but this situation does highlight how leading a team involves a certain amount of putting your neck of the line.
While mishaps along the way might not mean the equivalent of a fast track to a boardroom showdown, Guardian Careers IT blogger Owen Powell explained how project management can be quite stressful because when when projects are delayed - or fail - then it's usually the project manager who is held responsible.
However, he also says, delivering a project on time - and to budget - can be very fulfilling, and having a string of successful projects on a CV can be a significant career boost.
So, what do you need to know to get ahead in this profession? You'll certainly need to know your Prince 2 from your Prince William - but was does it take to be a good leader? And seeing as project management is a pan-sector discipline, how important is specific industry knowledge when you are looking for work?
To find out more about what it takes to become a project manager, we've assembled a panel of experts to offer their insight into the role. We'll be discussing qualifications, experience and standing out from the competition in a live Q&A on 31 March from 1pm.
Our panel:
Ian Cammack is a teaching fellow at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS). Ian has vast experience in the project management field, including IT services project management, as a business process re-engineering project manager in the telecoms industry and as process consultant in the utility services industry.
Paul Naybour is co-founder and director of Parallel Project Training, a specialist training provider of APM project management training. Paul is an experienced project management practitioner.
Victoria Kinch is consumer sales director at the ILX Group. ILX is an accredited provider of project, programme and IT service management training, including Prince 2.
Fergus O'Connell founded ETP, a programme and project management company. Fergus has taught around the world and he is the author of twelve business books.
Howard Teale is the co-founder of Indicia Training, one of Scotland's leading business skills and IT training firms, which specialises in providing leadership and management skills.
Brian Weiss is vice president, practitioner markets for the Project Management Institute (PMI). PMI is the world's largest project management member association.
Dr Michael Hides is senior consultant at project management recruitment specialists Arras People.
