How to Become a Project Manager Courses, Exam, Eligibility, Salary & Career Scope

Create your own detailed Gantt chart with Teamwork.com to better manage your project timeline and stay on track. Starting Out in Project Management is your essential guide to the project life cycle journey, from concept through to delivery and handover. Our comprehensive guide covers its types, essential elements, real-life examples, and other basics.

To get started, let’s take a quick look at some of the most frequently asked questions about becoming a project manager. Register with us to receive the latest available project positions from top employers. To help you learn more about testing and quality assurance tools, we suggest you check out our guide to the Best Application Performance Monitoring Software. A Project Manager (PM) is a pivotal figure in any organization, tasked with overseeing projects from conception to completion. They are the architects of strategy and the caretakers of execution, ensuring that ideas are transformed into actionable plans and then meticulously carried out. The PM not only champions the vision but also shoulders the responsibility of ensuring that the project aligns seamlessly with an organization’s broader objectives, all while adhering to stipulated budgets and timelines.

Do IT Project Managers Need a Degree?

The “traditional” path to becoming a project manager is to take courses, obtain a certification, and apply for a project management position with an organization. It’s important to note that your education and career development shouldn’t end simply because you’ve landed your first project management role. In addition to any self-guided education you pursue, if you have access to mentorship opportunities either inside or outside your organization, it would be wise to leverage it.

• They were hired for one role unrelated to project management (often that of a director, manager, or team lead) and then, over time, found themselves taking on more and more project management responsibilities.
• If you want to pursue your project manager education but you don’t yet feel ready to fully commit, take one of the many online project management courses available on platforms like Udemy or Coursera.
• They can apply for and win the job, gain practical workplace experience, receive formal training, or upskill and earn a project management certification.
• Consider starting with the APM Project Management Fundamentals Qualification.

Do some research to find out what skills and qualifications recruiters are looking for. Read through project manager job descriptions—whether that’s internally at your current company or at another organization you’re interested in. Soft skills are non-technical skills that make you a valuable candidate without specific tools or technical requirements. These skills are often called “people skills” or “interpersonal skills” because they help you become a collaborative and effective team member.

What Is a Project Manager? A Career Guide

Project managers can also enjoy being able to work on many different types of projects and learn from each of them, as no two are the same. Some potential downsides include the demanding nature of the job and the emphasis on meeting deadlines. Regularly invest time in learning about new methodologies, tools, and technologies.

Some project managers are generalists who work in all business-related fields and are comfortable executing projects for clients in a variety of industries. However, many project managers choose to focus on fields like construction, real estate, information technology, sustainability and transportation. Most project management certifications — such as the PMP — expire after a few years. This means that you’ll need to retake the exam every few years to show that you’re still up-to-date with PM best practices and standards. If you want to pursue your project manager education but you don’t yet feel ready to fully commit, take one of the many online project management courses available on platforms like Udemy or Coursera.

Is project management a good career path?

In that case, you know exactly what you need to focus on to gain the experience you need to become a more well-rounded project manager. If you’re starting to find that you’re loving the thrill of the project management side more than any other aspect of your job, here’s how to break into project management without a degree. A career as a project manager can be exciting, varied, fulfilling, and productive. There is more than one route to becoming a project management professional. Simplilearn’s award-winning immersive learning model offers live virtual classes that use applied learning to help grow skill sets and positively impact careers. In addition to obtaining a world-class learning experience, program graduates can join UMass Amherst Alumni Association.

• Several types of project managers have bachelor’s degrees in computer science, business, or a field related to their industry.
• As such, competent managers who can oversee projects throughout their life cycles are at a premium in the modern workplace.
• View the list of courses and degrees with APM Academic Accreditation, which are aligned to the APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition.
• Because so much of project management involves managing people, it’s impossible to overstate just how important it is for project managers to develop and practice their soft skills.

Obtaining relevant PM certifications, such as those listed above, is highly recommended, especially if you want to work in a large development organization. Focus on improving communication, leadership, problem-solving, and negotiation skills. As a project manager, you’ll often bridge the gap between technical teams and non-technical stakeholders, making these skills crucial.

Testing and Quality Assurance Tools

A trusted mentor (like a supervisor or co-worker) can prove invaluable as you find your footing in your new project management role. Some individuals find the path to becoming a project manager isn’t quite so straightforward as the path outlined above—largely because it wasn’t a path that they intended to follow. They were hired for one role unrelated to project management (often that of a director, manager, or team lead) and then, over time, found themselves taking on more and more project management responsibilities. Maybe a family member, friend, or acquaintance is a project manager, and you think you’d like the role. Perhaps you’ve spent some time in the workforce working on projects and have decided that you want the opportunity to lead projects instead.

Consider starting with the APM Project Management Fundamentals Qualification. This is a really good way to learn the basics of what the discipline of project management is all about. APM’s professional qualifications clearly demonstrate your technical knowledge to employers. After becoming cloud certification for project managers a project manager, continue to learn, gather feedback, and refine your approach. Consider additional certifications or specializations based on the specific domains or industries you’re interested in. As noted, project management certifications are incredibly important for a PM to obtain.