How to Become a Project Manager: 6 Steps 2024

These programmes are typically aimed at higher apprenticeship level (Level 4 – equivalent to a foundation degree), although Level 6 project management degree apprenticeships are available. Other options include arranging a period of work shadowing with an experienced professional, or volunteering in leadership roles. Hard skills are the ones you learn in a more conventional sense, whether in the classroom or through on-the-job experience.

• That’s because the #1 thing you can do if you want to become a project manager without experience is start getting that experience.
• You also need either CAPM certification or 35 hours of professional development courses in project management.
• View the list of courses and degrees with APM Academic Accreditation, which are aligned to the APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition.
• In addition to the CAPM certification, many professionals pursue the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification, which demonstrates mastery and excellence in the field.
• There are many entry level jobs available such as assistant project manager or project assistant, or you could consider an apprenticeship.

Many software project managers began their careers working as programmers or in a project management office. As you develop more skills you can take on more responsibility, which in turn gives you the opportunity to take on more managerial tasks. Not all project manager roles are formally labelled project management. You may have been a coordinator, an office manager, or had another job title. If you have had three years of combined experience doing project management activities, you can take the project management professional (PMP) certification. This will open up new doors to project management in full-time and contract roles.

How to become a project manager: the 2024 guide

And other times you may be presenting a plan to senior management and trying to persuade them to allocate more resources to a certain aspect of a project. If you have managed schedules, led teams, developed Gantt charts, and worked through the full project life-cycle, then you may be in a position to apply for project manager roles. Make sure you don’t miss out on learning from leading industry specialists and project professionals. 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. It’s easy to undervalue the competency set they already hold, but you may be more experienced in project management than you think.

If you work in an industry where agile practices are the norm, you might decide to get an agile certification instead (or as well!). Both certifications have benefits, and the two certifications can actually complement each other. Read on to find out more about how you can become a project manager.

Build your project experience

Project management is increasingly becoming a career of choice rather than chance and plays a crucial role in a wide range of business sectors, making it a varied and rewarding job. This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct how to become a project manager additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals. You can apply for jobs online by searching for vacancies through company websites, while industry bodies also provide details on where to find work.

The duration of these apprenticeships range from two to five years, depending on the company you work for and the level you study at. There’s also an agile-specific PRINCE2 certification, PRINCE2 Agile, which is available at both Foundation and Practitioner levels. Here’s what you need to know if you want to become a certified project manager.

Take an APM qualification

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. Take on extra responsibilities and develop your organizational skills, scheduling skills, people management skills — everything you identified in step one. On the flipside, maybe you haven’t had much exposure to some of the other knowledge areas, like risk management or stakeholder management. 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.

However, to qualify, you must have 60 months of professional project manager experience, while bachelor’s degree-holders only need 36 months. You also need either CAPM certification or 35 hours of professional development courses in project management. The time it takes to become a project manager varies by position and by employer. Some companies require project managers to hold four-year bachelor’s degrees, and some don’t require degrees. PMP certification requires three to five years of professional project management experience. Whatever path you’re hoping to take, here are six steps you should consider to become a project manager.

Project managers — whether credentialed, accidental, or somewhere in between — are responsible for numerous facets of their projects. These roles and responsibilities typically fall within and deal with most, if not all, of these responsibilities. As a project manager, you’re always looking for ways to increase efficiency and improve processes. The CAPM provides you with a foundational knowledge of project management based on the standards and guidelines outlined in the PMBOK Guide.