Understanding Jobs

A job is any activity for which you manage costs and track progress. Any activity—from publishing a book to building a skyscraper—can be considered a job.

Depending on the business needs, you might divide a large project into a series of smaller jobs, based on subprojects within the larger job. In this case, you should consider the overall job as the project and each of the subprojects as a separate job.

For example:

• You are contracted to build a 10-story office building. You will manage costs and track progress on a floor-by-floor basis. In this case, the office building is the project and each floor is a separate job within the project.

• You are contracted to build 30 houses in a subdivision. You will manage costs and track progress on a house-by-house basis. In this case, the subdivision is the project and each house is a separate job within the project.

• You are contracted to build a regional airport. You will manage the costs and track progress on a job-by- job basis. In this case, the airport is the project and each subproject, such as the main terminal building, the access road, and each concourse, is a separate job within the project.