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- 6 PMs Reveal How They Got Their First Project Manager Jobs (And How You Can Too)
When talking about project manager jobs, questions abound from people looking to get into the field. Should I get a project manager certification? What are some project management skills I should be working on? What would my responsibilities even be?
But all of those questions are precursors to a much bigger question: How do I break into the field?
We asked six project managers how they got their first job, and what recommendations they would offer to people just starting out.
This is our fourth post in a five-part series on the role of project manager. In the previous post, we covered essential project management skills. In the next post, we asked project managers about their software of choice. This series has also covered project management responsibilities and certification . Thank you to our project managers for participating in this series!
How to get hired for project manager jobs?
Start applying project management principles.
If you’re serious about becoming a project manager, the best thing to do is to study up. There are plenty of resources online about project management principles and how they can best be applied. Even if you’re not in a project management role, learning and applying these principles to your daily work is how you can get in the mindset of a project manager. That’s something that Alexander Nowak , a marketing and business strategy consultant who managed marketing projects for five years, recommends: “Do projects! Apply the principles, even if ‘behind the scenes’ into your current jobs. Self-manage yourself with these philosophies and working strategies, and adopt the tools out there.”
Elizabeth Harrin , who has over 20 years of experience managing projects and is the award-winning blogger behind RebelsGuidetoPM.com , agrees that prospective project managers should “look for opportunities to manage work in a structured way and use project management principles to support that.” However, this isn’t limited to someone’s professional life: “You can also build up your experience at home: if you are keen to learn the principles and tools, why not have a go with products like Microsoft Project , Trello or Asana to make a simple project plan for decorating a room or planning an overhaul in the garden, for example?”
Adopting a project-focused mentality is the best way to start your transition from a specialist towards a project management role.
Look for an organization you can thrive in
Working on your mindset and personal skills is just one part of the journey. In order to become a project manager, you also need to find somewhere you can thrive. “If you want to learn this field, find an organization that inspires you,” says Laurent DuBerger , an agile coach at Element AI and former project manager at GSoft “It’s much easier to learn in an environment you’re drawn to, where you’re motivated to work and feel inspired, than if you show up in an organization doing something against your values or something you find boring.” For DuBerger, an organization that inspires you and cares about your personal growth will also want to help you along this path, giving you opportunities to learn about project management and apply its principles.
For Cornelius Fichtner , president of OSP International, and host of The Project Management Podcast , this goes beyond finding the right company to work with: “Look for a project management organization in your area. There are global project management organizations like the Project Management Institute, the Association for Project Management, and others and many of them have local chapters.” Fichtner emphasized the importance of networking, especially in person. If you’re looking to become a project manager, rubbing elbows with people already in the field is a great step to take.
Become a resource
As described in our post on project management responsibilities, project managers are the last line of defense for their initiatives. Whether it’s a team member facing a blocker, a breakdown in communication, or even a personal conflict, project managers have to be involved in finding the solution. So if you’re thinking about becoming a project manager, a good place to start is in becoming that resource for your coworkers.
“Try being an example. Be that person people are comfortable to reach when they have a problem,” says Martin Thienpont , project manager at Valtech . That focus hits what may be the most important area of project management skills: people skills. Becoming a resource for the people you work with fosters leadership and emotional intelligence skills, which all project managers need.
Olivier Hebert , a Team Lead and Release Train Engineer at Desjardins agrees: “Make sure you understand why the project you are hired for is being done, and inspire others to embrace it. Be yourself.” Even if you’re only responsible for executing a certain aspect of a project, by doing this, you show you have the mindset and responsibility to become a project manager.
Be open to opportunities
Not all project managers start in that role. Many project managers start as a specialist, someone who executes on a specific task, before falling into the role. As Fichtner explains: “If you ask most project managers ‘when did you become a project manager?’ or ‘how did you become a project manager?’ they will all tell you that it was a pure accident. ‘I didn’t even know project management even existed.’” Specialists who begin the path to project management often begin by managing their own personal projects. They become aware of the field by way of the skills it fosters. It’s often only after that work has started that they’ll be offered project manager jobs.
When you’re with the right organization, this is something your employer can support you with: “Have an understanding with your employer that you’d like to be a project manager for a specific project. I believe organizations that want their people to grow are open to this,” says DuBerger. However, he also warns that someone specialized in a specific field who wants to be a project manager has to understand the weight of the transition they’re making: “This person has to be aware that their role will change. Say a developer wants to grow towards a project management role, that person has to be prepared to leave behind the role they were good at. So yes, it’s interesting, but it’s important to turn the page.”
If you want to become a project manager, working on the right skills and applying a PM mindset to your own projects will open the door to project management opportunities. Or you might even find yourself falling into the role without realizing it, and naturally grow into it.
How did our PMs get their first project manager jobs?
Alexander nowak.
“It was an internal promotion from a purely administrative role into a project/team/program leadership role. It wasn’t strict PMing but outside of having formal authority, it was. The biggest reason I was considered for this role was previously taking on projects as the central coordinator role and proving myself in that capacity.”
Elizabeth Harrin
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I left university so I joined a graduate training scheme that allowed me to test a number of different areas. I discovered a department called Business Re-engineering which is basically project management and process improvement. It felt like I had found something I could really enjoy. It was all about lists, making changes, organizing people, getting things done. I had no idea prior to that that I could find a job that would play to my natural strengths.”
Cornelius Fichtner
“I started out as a software developer and I had to manage my own projects without knowing what I was doing. I became a management consultant. I had no idea that what I was really doing was managing these projects. And only after I joined [the logistics department of a] supermarket and I began reading up on project management, and people started talking about project management did I realize ‘oh man that’s actually what I’m doing.’ So my first project management job, I really fell into it by accident.”
Laurent DuBerger
“I was offered the opportunity to have the Scrum Master role when a position opened at a previous company I worked for (an internal move). I then did that for 4 years. The real position was in reality more one of Agile Project Manager. I was involved from the client pre-sales and kickoffs, to the facilitation of scrum teams delivering value, helping clients prioritize ‘their’ needs (yes, it’s part of the job too sometimes), along with some QA here and there.”
Martin Thienpont
“I was blessed to get an opportunity to work as an intern in a well-known agency in Montreal that liked my work enough to hire me afterwards. From that point, I was able to learn a whole lot of new skills in various fields.”
Olivier Hebert
“I was progressing on the technical path, when I had the opportunity to ally both my passion for technology and passion for people. I was lucky to have been mentored by a senior PM who helped me define my management style.”
Chase down the top project manager jobs
Project managers don’t always go by that name. Before they ever get the title, they’re usually reading up on project management and applying its principles to their own work to make it just that much easier. If you’re already doing that, the next step in your journey might just be to keep your eyes out for — or create your own — project management opportunities.
In the final post of this series, we’ll be talking to our project managers about the project management software they use, as well as what they think perfect project management software would look like. Until then…
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Is Project Management the Right Career for You?
- Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez
- Yasmina Khelifi
Use this guide to make an informed choice.
Curious about project management as a career option? What does this job entail? Is it for you? The authors have been in project management for about two decades and they answer some questions you might have before deciding if this is the right career for you.
- What does a project manager really do? In the broadest sense, project managers are responsible for planning, organizing, and managing the completion of a project, while ensuring that it delivers the expected results on time, on budget, and within scope.
- What basic skills do I need to have to apply for a project manager position? To be eligible for a project manager position, you need to have hard skills, soft skills, technical know-how, and an understanding of the business landscape you’ll be operating in.
- What kind of opportunities are available in project management? Project manager roles take different job titles: project manager, delivery manager, scrum manager, agile coach, product manager. The titles can vary depending on the country or region you’re in, but what’s important is for you to understand the requirements, responsibilities, and the impact of your role so you can make informed decisions.
- Do I have to specialize in one area or can I manage different kinds of projects? As a fresh graduate or early career professional, we recommend choosing a project in your area of expertise to maximize your success rate and increase your self-confidence. When you gain more experience as a project manager, you could stick to the same kind of projects, remain in the same industry but in a different technical field, or move from one domain to another.
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The Covid-19 pandemic has caused massive disruptions globally. According to several studies, governments will spend more than $10 trillion on reconstruction projects in the next 10 years. This means there will be millions of projects — more than ever — put into production within the decade, and each will require a project manager.
Project management jobs are already aplenty. Do a quick search on LinkedIn and thousands of roles will pop into your feed. To the point, we did a search while writing this article and found more than half a million openings in the United States alone. These are just a few indicators that the project economy is here to stay.
If you’re curious about this career, now is a great time to start learning about the field, what it takes to land a project management role, and if it is the right path for you.
Let’s start with the basics.
The role “project manager” is exactly what it sounds like: a person responsible for the day-to-day management of a given project. Think of this position as the chef d’orchestre , football coach, or a CEO of a temporary team who works to create, manage, and track a project from start to finish. Almost every industry — from tech to retail to publishing — requires people with this skillset. As a project manager, you could be employed by a startup or a big corporation. You could work full-time, freelance, or even be a consultant.
A big advantage of this career is that the skills required are transferable. Project managers often have the flexibility to easily move between industries. One of us (Antonio) spent 10 years in consulting, moved to banking, got bored, and ended up working in pharma. The other (Yasmina) stayed in the telecom industry, but managed a wide range of projects — from software to mobile delivery.
Knowing all this, you might be thinking, “But is this something I can actually do?”
The answer is, yes. You may not have all the skills right now, but with dedication, perseverance, and passion, anyone can learn to be an outstanding project manager. Based on our experience, we’ll answer some questions you may have, whether you are a fresh graduate or someone in the early stages of their career.
1) What does a project manager really do?
In the broadest sense, project managers are responsible for planning, organizing, and managing the completion of a project, while ensuring that it delivers the expected results on time, on budget, and within scope.
The exact duties of a project manager will depend on their industry, organization, and the types of projects that the manager is tasked with overseeing. But broadly, all project managers share responsibilities across what’s commonly referred to as the “project life cycle.” It consists of four phases:
- Initiating : As project manager you begin a project by defining its purpose, the business case, its benefits, and its high-level scope (i.e., requirements for what the project will deliver). This includes identifying the key stakeholders, or the individuals or groups who will be impacted by the project, including both employees and customers. All of this goes into creating what is called a project charter, a technical name for a detailed proposal.
- Planning : Once the project sponsor (usually your boss or someone from senior management) approves the project charter, you typically work with a team of experts (assigned by your company) to define the scope of the project and create the larger plan of action. You come up with key deliverables, deadlines, major risks or obstacles you may face, and you set a budget, among other details.
- Executing and monitoring : As a project manager, you need to ensure that your team members are motivated and complete the work identified in the project plan. Be careful not to confuse this role with being a people manager. Project management does require some people management skills, but only as it relates to creating a high-performing team and helping that team successfully complete the project at hand. Your team members may be made up of people from various departments who report out to others.
- Closing : Your role as project manager is to complete the project as planned and deliver the promised results. Looking back at the business case, thanking the team, providing individual feedback, and capturing lessons learned are all a part of this important last phase.
2) What basic skills do I need to apply for a project manager position?
You’ll need to have a mix of hard skills, soft skills, technical know-how, and an understanding of the business landscape you’ll be operating in.
Hard skills
You need a good understanding of basic project management concepts, methods, and tools that will help you make a reliable project plan, identify the stakeholders of your project, or manage the project risks.
More and more universities now offer project management courses, but you can also learn the basics by enrolling in online courses, listening to podcasts on the subject, and watching related webinars to keep up-to-date on any new developments.
You can also learn a great deal from people who are doing the job you want. If you’re curious about the role, reach out to project managers in your organization or those in your social circle for informational interviews . You can ask:
- How did you train as a project manager?
- How do you keep your knowledge up to date? Are there specific courses you would recommend?
- What are the most important things to pay attention to as a first-time project manager?
- Do you have any other advice for me?
Once you have a few years of experience, we recommend that you undergo a project management certification. Two good options are those offered by Project Management Professional (PMP)® from the Project Management Institute and Axelos, PRINCE2® Foundation Project Management Certification. Having a professional and well-known accreditation will open doors to more project management assignments and propel your career forward.
Soft skills
In this role, you will need to learn to communicate well, to actively listen to your colleagues and stakeholders, and to motivate your team. These are skills that we often pick up at school, for example by collaborating with peers on a presentation, leading a field trip, organizing an event, or participating in debates. Still, they can easily dull without practice, and so must be continuously honed.
Here is an overview of some of the most relevant ones and tips on how to practice them:
- Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive your emotions and those of others. Make a regular appointment with yourself to examine some of the following questions : What motivates me to make progress? When negative thoughts arise, and how do I deal with them? Seek out the help of a coach or request 360° feedback to get powerful insights for your development.
- Critical thinking is rational, logical thinking. It helps you identify the root causes for any given problem. To hone this skill, pay attention to any assumptions you may be making when executing a project. Make sure you are drawing conclusions based on evidence (and not based on biased experiences).
- Decision-making is critical, too, as it can help you reason and select the best course of action. The best way to get better at this skill is to be thoughtful (and not impulsive) before deciding on which direction to take. Use questions like: Should the decision be made by me or by the team? If the latter, should the decision require a unanimous vote or a majority vote?
- Influence is the ability to inspire or persuade other people. As a project manager you will need to know how to motivate people without necessarily having authority over them. Take time to meet one-to-one with your teammates and understand their individual goals. Use what you learn to tie their contributions back to a purpose that will inspire them.
Remember that you won’t acquire these people skills overnight. It’s important that you’re patient and persistent.
Technical know-how
You will also need to have a minimum understanding of the technical aspects involved in the project. For example, if you’re implementing a new HR application, you must take the time to comprehend some of the technical aspects of the software, like the phases of the development, the configuration tools, or how it is tested and integrated.
You don’t need to become an expert; a certain level of understanding will give you credibility with the team and the stakeholders. It will also help you justify a course of action when talking with your sponsor. If you’re interested in a project that’s centered on a topic or industry you are less familiar with, you can take an introductory course, read literature on the topic, or talk to subject matter experts to learn more. For example, you might say: “I’m new to the field. I don’t intend to become a technical expert like you, but I’d like to get a general understanding of X so that I can be effective in my new role and helpful to my team. Would you mind meeting me to share some insights?’
This should not be a one-off exercise. Make sure that you have a plan on how to keep your technical knowledge up to date depending on what projects you work on.
A basic understanding of the business landscape
Last, but not least, being able to connect the project outcomes to concrete business challenges and the strategic goals of your organization is essential for project buy-in and success. Most of the stakeholders, including senior management, will be more supportive of the project when that connection is made because they will clearly see that the project contributes to an organizational priority.
For example, if your organization works in the social development field, and you’re asked to manage a project to increase access to education in Mauritania, you should have knowledge of the different educational systems — which are the most successful, why, and which alternatives will best fit the specific needs the project wants to address.
Doing this work will help you better define your project and how its purpose fits with your organization’s priorities. In addition, when you are able to make these connections and explain them to your team members, you bring much more purpose (and motivation) to their work.
3) What kind of opportunities are available in project management?
Project manager roles take different job titles: project manager, delivery manager, scrum manager, agile coach, product manager. The titles can vary, depending on the country or region you’re in, but what’s important is that you understand the requirements, responsibilities, and the impact of your role so you can make informed decisions.
According to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the largest and fastest project management oriented employment growth will be in software development — a projected increase of 14% between 2019 and 2030. Much of this growth will come from the development of mobile applications, IT security, and a rise in health care technology.
The current leading industries are manufacturing and construction, information and publishing, finance, and insurance. When it comes to growth by region , four-fifths of the project management employment growth will occur in China and South Asia alone.
There isn’t a unique playbook here. Career success doesn’t only translate into climbing your organization’s hierarchy . You could also consider exploring other development paths, like we have done, such as participating in strategic, frontline projects or leading a global project team. These experiences can be both enriching and rewarding.
4) How do I figure out which companies have the best opportunities?
You can find project management opportunities in all sorts of industries. But which one is good for you? Here are some questions you can as suring your interview to guide your decision:
- Do you provide training/certifications to help your project managers build new skills?
- Are project managers fully dedicated to projects, or does the role involve additional responsibilities?
- What type of projects will I be working/managing: strategic, technology, customers, internal?
- What is the usual scale of your projects — local, regional, global?
- What is the usual size of the teams and what are the budgets?
- Who are the project sponsors I would be reporting into?
- How do you evaluate project managers’ performance?
- What does a project manager’s career path look like at this organization?
- If I am successful, will I be offered the opportunity to manage larger projects or multiple projects at the same time?
5) Do I have to specialize in one area or can I manage different kinds of projects?
This is a question we get asked often. Our answer is: initially “yes,” but in the long term “no.”
As a fresh graduate or early career professional, we recommend choosing a project in your area of expertise to maximize your success rate and increase your self-confidence. When you gain more experience as a project manager, you’ll have the following choices: stick to the same kind of projects, remain in the same industry but in a different technical field, or move from one domain to another.
When you apply for a new job, your experiences on the ground, your technical expertise, a project certification will determine your success. The best way to grow and develop a career in project management is through continuous learning.
Becoming a successful project manager is not only about your experiences on the ground, your technical expertise, or a project management certification. It is about the opportunity to amplify your learning and to build strong relationships with your stakeholders. By embracing a career in project management, you’ll make your own small contribution to shaping a better future for humankind—which is more important now than ever before.
Good luck with all your projects and your career as a project manager!
- Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez is the author of the Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook , the HBR article The Project Economy Has Arrived , and five other books. His research and global impact on modern management have been recognized by Thinkers50. A pioneer and leading authority in teaching and advising executives the art and science of strategy implementation and modern project management, Antonio is a visiting professor in seven leading business schools. He is the founder of Projects&Co and the Strategy Implementation Institute . You can follow Antonio through his website , his LinkedIn newsletter Lead Projects Successfully and his online course Project Management Reinvented for Non–Project Managers .
- YK Yasmina Khelifi is a French telecom engineer and project manager with 3 PMI certifications. She has been working in the telecom industry for 20 years. She is a passionate volunteer at PMI. She is also a regular volunteer blogger on projectmanagement.com and a volunteer international correspondent at PMWorld Journal. She is the host and founder of the podcast “ Global Leaders Talk with Yasmina Khelifi “. Yasmina can speak 6 languages and has a MSc in Mobile Telecommunications. You can connect with her on Linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter about global leadership.
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How to Get a Job in Project Management: Required Education and Skills
Projects occur when a company wants to deliver solutions within a set time frame and budget. Projects often require professionals to work as a team, with each member being tasked with a specific role. Project managers are responsible for managing the team and ensuring that the project is successfully completed.
If you want to pursue a career in project management, now is a great time to do so. This guide will walk you through how to get a job in project management, as well as the skills and education required to enter the field.
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What Is Project Management?
Project management is the organization and management of an organization’s team and resources to move a task or event toward completion. The duties and time frame heavily depend on the project that’s planned.
Project management is relevant to many different fields including information technology, engineering, healthcare, education, and construction. These sectors often have complex components that must be assembled and completed in a particular way to develop a functioning product or service.
Project Management Job Outlook
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the number of job openings for project management specialists will grow 0.5% within this decade. While this doesn’t qualify as fast growth, these experts do earn an average salary that is significantly higher than the national average. According to BLS, project managers earn an annual salary of $84,290.
What Education Do I Need to Become a Project Manager?
Some employers require candidates to have at least a Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Management, or any related field. However, there are educational alternatives to pursuing a bachelor’s, especially if you’re able to gain enough experience. Some students are also able to succeed in the field after completing a project management apprenticeship program.
Can I Get a Project Management Job Without a Degree?
You can get a project management job without a degree. Community colleges and bootcamps act as acceptable alternatives for many employers. However, it’s important to remember that qualifications will vary based on employer, and four-year degree holders will usually have more opportunities available to them.
Can a Coding Bootcamp Help Me Get a Job in Project Management?
A coding bootcamp can definitely help you get a job in project management, especially if you’re aiming for a position within a technology company. Coding bootcamps offer short, thorough, and high-quality training to prepare you for a career as a project manager.
Bootcamps also offer hands-on training to help you build your portfolio before the program ends. After completing a project management course, you can take the appropriate exams to earn a reputable certification.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Job in Project Management?
The time it takes to get a job in project management mostly depends on your level of experience, education, and career goals. Coding bootcamps can take as little as 13 weeks, whereas an associate degree requires a minimum of two years, and a bachelor’s degree takes at least four years to complete.
Although coding bootcamps require significantly less time and money than a bachelor’s degree, most employers tend to favor degree holders, as bachelor’s degrees are a higher level of education.
However, that does not mean you won’t be able to find a great project managing position with a bootcamps certification or an associate degree. You may just need additional experience, such as an internship or apprenticeship program.
Common Project Management Education Paths
There are plenty of learning paths for project management. Some people just start at a lower position and make their way to a project manager role through years of experience. However, the most common and efficient project management paths include bootcamps, community colleges, and universities.
Project Management Bootcamps
The best project management bootcamps provide all of the foundational knowledge and skills you’ll need for this career. Through these bootcamps, students learn how to plan and execute complex projects of various sizes. Also, the curriculum provides tools for delivering projects within budget and on time. Bootcamps are among the quickest and cheapest educational options.
Community College
Community colleges offer associate degree programs in a variety of fields. Most community colleges will either have project management courses or related courses that cover the different aspects of management. Associate degree programs take two years to complete and you can find both remote and on-campus options.
Additionally, the credits you earn in community college contribute toward your bachelor’s degree. This means that if you later decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree, you’ll already have a good number of the credits required to graduate. Community colleges are significantly more affordable than universities and offer financial aid options.
Project Management Degrees
Universities are one of the most popular educational routes for project management. Most universities offer bachelor’s degree programs in project management specifically or in a related field. Some universities offer bachelor’s degree programs entirely online and give you the option of completing them full-time or part-time.
Bachelor’s degrees are among the most expensive and time-consuming educational routes. However, as with community colleges, public universities offer financial aid for qualifying students, which can cover as little as a percentage of the tuition or as much as the entire cost of the program. In addition, universities have many scholarships opportunities and will even help you identify the ones you qualify for.
Key Project Management Skills to List on Your Resume
Project management requires a lot of skills, many of which you’ll want to be sure to include on your resume. Successful project managers must have solid risk management, leadership, and collaboration skills. We take a closer look at these key skills below.
Risk Management Skills
All projects have risks. These risks come in all forms and aren’t always possible to avoid. Risk management skills enable you to plan for and around delays, cancellations, uncooperative partners, and so many other things that cause risk to a project’s success.
As a project manager, you will need to develop and master risk management skills in order to keep your team on track and headed toward the end goals. Project managers also need to be able to foresee potential risks during the planning phase and plan accordingly.
Leadership Skills
Leadership skills are a huge part of project management. Your role as a project manager is to lead the different teams involved in the project and their members. You’ll need to keep everyone on the same page, collaborating smoothly, and on track with their tasks.
During the planning stages, you’ll need leadership skills to appoint the right professionals to the jobs best suited to them, settle disagreements or conflicts that might arise, and encourage all project participants to maintain progress until completion. During the execution stages, you’ll need to be monitoring all operations to ensure everyone involved is working with the same vision.
Collaboration and Communication Skills
Because projects normally involve a lot of people, collaboration skills are crucial for this role. Project managers have the responsibility of rallying team members to ensure that the project runs smoothly. They coordinate tasks and ensure that team members work well together on a daily basis.
In order for this to happen, project managers need to be fully equipped with the skills necessary to oversee multiple collaborations simultaneously and must be familiar with conflict resolution techniques. Lastly, project managers need to maintain good communication with their higher-ups in order to implement their vision and specifications accurately. Effective communication is critical.
Where to Find Project Management Jobs
There are a lot of places to find project management jobs. The most popular methods involve online job sites like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and Glassdoor. We also recommend looking at LinkedIn as well as freelancing sites like Upwork or Freelancer.
Job boards are extremely helpful because they often contain recent and reliable job postings. Some professional associations, like the Project Management Institute, have job boards specifically for project managers. This allows employers to post their job openings and even contact candidates directly. Project managers, on the other hand, can apply for existing positions.
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LinkedIn is a well-known business networking portal and an excellent place to look for project management jobs. This website lists jobs from employers around the world daily. It also offers an easy way to apply for jobs by using a LinkedIn profile. You can even set alerts and receive emails when new jobs are posted, or when employers get in contact with you.
Freelancing Sites
Freelancing sites are a great way to gain experience as a project manager. Jobs posted to freelancing sites often involve, but are not limited to, short-term contracts. Freelance work also offers a level of flexibility that most companies won’t give you, including the option to work remotely.
How to Prepare for Your Project Management Interview
Project management interviews provide an opportunity for you to showcase your qualifications and skills to employers. During the interview process, the hiring manager will be looking at your educational level, previous experience, and skills required for the position. You’ll want to be well prepared for the questions that the interviewer is likely to ask you.
Project Management Interview Questions
- What essential project management skills do you have?
- How do you handle conflicts that arise during any phase of the project?
- What project management methods are best for large projects?
- How do you deal with underperformance from team members?
The Five Highest-Paying Project Management Jobs
It project manager.
Salary : $105,291
IT project managers are responsible for the handling and implementation of IT development projects. The job often involves establishing IT goals, ensuring project-related employees have access to the resources they need, and overseeing the IT team.
Engineering Project Manager
Salary : $99,432
Engineering project managers are responsible for overseeing different engineering projects. These experts plan a schedule for the project and are in charge of the approval and purchase of materials. They also manage the budget, delegate tasks, and assign deadlines for projects.
Project Management Office Manager
Salary : $122,761
The project management office (PMO) manager ensures that project managers work with clients appropriately while representing the company. They meet with project managers and discuss project management methodologies. They may also uphold and implement changes in policy.
Construction Project Manager
Salary : $83,107
Construction project managers oversee administrative tasks during a construction project. They are also responsible for planning the logistics of projects, such as budgeting, materials procurement, task assigning, and deadline setting.
Project Management Consultant
Salary : $109,690
Project management consultants are responsible for improving the efficiency of a project management process. They advise clients on the best project management practices and find solutions to make the process run smoothly.
Project Management Career Path
There are many different project manager career paths. Project managers may work in positions that require different levels of seniority across different industries. Here are some of the most popular project management jobs for entry, mid, and senior-level workers:
Entry-Level Project Management Jobs
- Entry-Level Project Manager – Entry-level project managers report to their senior project managers. While they’re tasked with overseeing the planning, organization, and operation of projects, they’re still supervised by more experienced experts in the field.
- Associate Project Manager – This entry-level position involves working with the project manager to manage and lead cross-functional teams and perform quality control checks.
- Assistant Project Manager – Assistant project managers typically handle the tasks delegated to them by project managers. However, they can be thought of as partners rather than subordinates under a project manager. Their duties can involve anything that an entry-level project manager’s role involves.
Mid-Level Project Management Jobs
- IT Project Manager – IT project managers collaborate with senior IT leadership and business leaders to build and implement technology road maps that make projects run smoothly. They manage the team and oversee the practical and technical aspects of the project.
- Brand Project Manager – Brand project managers are tasked with ensuring that all team members involved with a brand are working with the same vision, meeting their deadlines, and collaborating smoothly. They uphold the vision of the brand owner and are responsible for planning and executing operations accordingly.
- Technical Program Manager – Technical program managers are responsible for all technical aspects of a specific project or program. They act as a liaison between IT engineers and other key teams such as product and IT.
Senior-Level Project Management Jobs
- Senior Project Manager – Senior project managers are responsible for risk management, milestone planning, and resource coordination. They ensure that the project runs smoothly and everyone is on the same page.
- Project Director – Project directors are senior members of the project team. Project teams and project managers report directly to this expert. The project director approves plans and budgets and ensures project quality.
- Project Management Office Director – The project management office (PMO) director is responsible for overseeing the project management office of an organization. This position sets and maintains project standards and is in charge of team accountability as well as foundational policies and changes.
Project Management Certifications
The field of project management has a lot of certifications that you can earn to prove your skills. Some popular project management certifications include the Project Management Professional, Professional Scrum Master, and Certified Associate in Project Management.
Project Management Professional
The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification demonstrates that you have the necessary skills and knowledge for project management. This certification awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI) requires you to pass an exam and must be renewed every three years. Because project management standards are constantly changing, certification renewal is crucial.
Professional Scrum Master
This project management certification shows that you are skilled in Scrum, the agile framework used for project management and software industry projects. This certificate requires passing an exam, but also provides you with an opportunity to take a course if you want to brush up on your knowledge beforehand.
Certified Associate in Project Management
The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) credential is especially helpful for candidates without a degree or without much experience in the field. This certification is also awarded by PMI and requires passing a 150-question exam. You will have three hours to complete the examination.
Tips on How to Get a Job in Project Management
Once you have received the training you need and are ready to look for jobs, there are a few key steps to become a project manager . To succeed in your project management career path, be sure to follow the tips below.
Focus on Soft Skills
Project management requires more soft skills than technical skills. While it is essential to know how to use project management software and be updated on the latest trends of your industry, you also want to work on your communication, leadership, and collaboration skills.
Refine Your Resume
Your resume gives potential employers their first impression of who you are. Employers will be checking for educational qualifications, experience, and skills. However, they’ll also be paying close attention to how well-written, organized, and functional your resume is. There are plenty of resume templates and tips available online that you might want to check out.
Personalize Your Cover Letter
Cover letters are an excellent way to tell employers who you are and what you bring to the table. Make sure your cover letter discusses the company’s vision and how you fit in it, your motivation in working for this company, and what you can contribute.
Consider Freelancing
If you don’t have any project management experience, you might want to consider freelancing. Freelancing not only allows you to gain experience before applying to your ideal company but also allows you to explore this career before fully committing to it.
Apply for Entry-Level Roles
As a new project manager, an entry-level position is ideal. You can search for specific entry-level project management positions on company websites, job boards, or employment sites. Most job websites allow you to apply certain filters, such as job-level, location, and salary. This helps you to control the jobs that are visible on your feed.
Should You Get a Job in Project Management in 2021?
If you’re interested in project management, and you have or are willing to develop the required skills, then this is an excellent career to pursue. Project managers enjoy great salaries and job stability. In addition, they can work in a plethora of industries.
This is a challenging career that has many educational and training options, so you can choose the route that suits you best. Not only that, but once you are working as a professional project manager you will have access to plenty of opportunities for advancement. If you are looking for a career that sharpens and tests your leadership and interpersonal skills, project management might be for you.
Project Management FAQ
You can become a project manager without a degree. Community colleges offer associate degree programs for project management. Likewise, coding bootcamps can equip you with all of the knowledge and skills required for this career. Whiles these forms of formal training may suffice in many cases, some employers may require no less than a bachelor’s degree.
It is not hard to land a project manager job if you are well prepared. In order to increase your chances of landing a job with your ideal employer, you’ll want to make sure you have the appropriate education, skills, and level of experience. Crucial abilities any project manager should have include critical thinking and organizational skills.
A career in project management can be very lucrative. According to ZipRecruiter, project managers earn an average of $78,087, which increases with experience.
Project management roles often require some experience, but that isn’t to say it’s impossible to land one if you lack experience. Some entry-level positions may accept candidates without any experience in project management. In addition, some employers may give new hires on-the-job training. If you have no relevant experience, consider freelancing to build your resume and portfolio.
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Project Management Job Description (With Examples)
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Updated: Mar 28, 2022, 1:00pm
Table of Contents
What do those in project management do, how to write a project management job description, project management job description examples, bottom line, frequently asked questions.
A competent project manager can be the difference between a successful project and one that gets delayed or goes over budget. When planning to hire a project manager, you need to create the perfect project management job description so that you attract the right candidates. Remember, job posting sites will have many project management job postings. You must take care to give the right amount of details about the position, responsibilities, skills, qualifications, etc. without overwhelming the prospects.
Let’s discuss the essential elements of a project management job description, along with some examples.
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Those in project management roles are responsible for every stage of a project, from ideating and planning to hiring teams, setting meeting timelines and delivering. A solid project manager will also be able to build and adhere to a budget for their project.
We will list project manager responsibilities in detail later, but typically it covers:
- Project ideation and planning
- Internal and external stakeholder communication
- Budget allocation and adherence
- Hiring, training and guiding teams
- Meeting deadlines
- Getting feedback
- Day-to-day operations
- Evaluating project performance
A project management job description must include a job brief, responsibilities, educational qualifications, experience and any other requirement as per your organization. You should also include details about your company, its culture and work environment. Also mention how you can help the hired candidates grow as a person and in their careers.
Start your job description with a job brief. As these are the first few sentences a candidate will read about the position, it is advisable to set expectations at the beginning. If you know the exact project for which you are hiring, mention it in the job brief itself so that the candidates know the context behind what you are looking for.
Overview, responsibilities, skills and qualifications are the essential elements of a job description. The job brief should include information about the following aspects of your company:
- The mission, vision and culture of the business
- Benefits you offer
- What should be included with the application (e.g., a portfolio or references)
- Equal employment opportunity statement for legal reasons
Continue the job brief section with why you want to hire a project manager. Is it a new role you have created because the need for a project manager has risen for the first time? Or do you have an ongoing need for someone to manage projects as your team grows? Expound on that here so that candidates understand what the goal of the role is. Being transparent with your hiring objectives attracts the right people.
Responsibilities
The responsibilities of a project manager vary by industry or type of project, but industry knowledge and experience helps. When listing responsibilities of the new hire, include both general project management responsibilities and those specific to your projects.
Here are some of the most common responsibilities for project managers:
- Define and document project scope, objectives and desired outcome
- Set and manage stakeholder expectations, both internally and externally
- Prepare a budget based on project scope
- Set and adhere to budgetary allocation
- Hire the right team, internally or externally, and provide training and coaching, if needed
- Estimate resource requirement, acquire it effectively and manage efficiently
- Design a work plan for each team member depending upon project requirement and member expertise
- Provide project updates to stakeholders as per demand and requirement
- Create and manage contracts with suppliers and vendors, ensuring timely deliveries
- Perform regular assessment of project execution to identify areas for improvement
- Be aware of industry best practices, techniques and standards, and encourage team members to use them for effective project execution
- Track project performance periodically to ensure both short-term and long-term goals are met
- Create and maintain detailed project documentation
- Undertake risk management to minimize potential risks
- Use the right tools and techniques for easier project management
- Ensure project delivery is on time, as per scope and within the allocated budget
- Manage interdepartmental coordination to ensure smooth project execution
Required Qualifications
Besides domain and technical expertise, soft skills play a crucial role in the success of a project manager. This is where you’ll list the nonnegotiable skills required of a project manager so that they fulfill their responsibilities efficiently. Examples include:
- Excellent communication skills
- Proficient at managing time and resources
- Detail-oriented
- Ability to draw up detailed project plans and schedules
- Proven leadership skills
- Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Capable of managing crises as and when they arise
- Adept at negotiating internally as well as externally
Preferred Skills
These are some of the qualifications and skills that are nice to have, but not necessarily required. Many successful project managers don’t have certifications, but excel in their work. You can add or modify these as per your unique requirements.
- Bachelor’s degree (add disciplines relevant to your industry; if nothing else, list a business degree)
- Proven experience of three to five years in managing projects of similar size and type (modify the number of years as per your needs)
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite (or equivalent)
- PMP certification desirable (add any other certification pertinent to your industry)
- Domain knowledge preferred
- Proven experience in using popular project management tools such as Asana, Trello, Kanban boards, etc. (if you or your team uses some specific tools, mention them here)
- Knowledge of project management frameworks and best practices
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Although a project manager’s fundamental job responsibilities remain the same irrespective of industry, any job description that you create must take into account your unique requirements, circumstances and work environment.
Here are three project management job description examples that illustrate how companies should highlight their unique needs.
Example 1. Project Manager at Cognizant Technology Solutions
In this Indeed job posting , the company makes its stand about U.S. work authorizations clear at the onset because it is targeting a global talent pool. You should also try to address the primary pain points of your target candidates in the job description. This will set expectations from the beginning and avoid future challenges during the hiring process.
Example 2. Construction Project Manager at Eenhoorn LLC
This is a job posting for a construction company. Observe that it has mentioned the exact project for which it is hiring. This makes it easier for the candidates to highlight the relevant experience in their résumés, which will enable you to shortlist candidates with prior experience.
We strongly recommend hiring people with prior experience for project management roles because this is crucial for successfully achieving your goals.
Example 3. Business Applications Program Manager at Single Store
This is an example of a project manager job description by a startup. The job description mentions specifics about the type of person it is looking for. The skills and experience section also lists specifics of experience required or “nice to have.” At the end, it mentions its unique work culture that allows employees to work both remotely and onsite—flexibility that is highly valued in today’s work environment.
When writing your own job description, try to be as specific as possible. Don’t worry about being too long; the right candidates will be hooked to every word you say and they are the ones you should be looking for.
Does a project manager need to be PMP certified?
No, a project manager need not be PMP certified to do their work properly. But it is good to have the certification as it adds credibility to your expertise, provides you an opportunity to train alongside highly experienced professionals and increases your earning potential.
Where are the best places to post job listings?
You can post job listings on popular job websites such as Indeed, LinkedIn, Monster, FlexJobs, and more. If you are hiring for a specialized role, such as programming or graphic design, you can post on dedicated websites such as Dice or Dribbble.
How do you post a job on LinkedIn?
Anyone with an account can list jobs by following a few simple steps. Check out our full guide to posting a job on LinkedIn for free . If you want to promote your job posting , you can do so for just a few dollars per day.
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How To Get Into Project Management (Just With What You Have)
Hey there! You are currently working in some other position, maybe in engineering, IT or finance, or somewhere else. And you got interested in becoming a project manager?
Now your question is: how can I actually get into project management?
In this article I will show you what options you have to accomplish this career change.
Why experience and character are more important than credentials
Before we dive in deep, I want you to understand that — more than in any other job — experience is key when it comes to project management. Not technical experience, but experience in dealing with complex projects involving many people.
Once you have completed your first project, you are much more skilled than at the beginning. You do another project, and yet another one, and you build up your project management “tool set” along the way. No formal training can help you here.
The second point is character. If something doesn’t go as planned, if somebody barks at you in anger, if someone in your team doesn’t do what he’s supposed to do: How do you react? Do you hide behind your computer and hope the day will be over soon? Or do you deal with the situation and solve it, even if it requires a lot of energy?
The good news is: Companies are always looking for trustworthy, motivated people who execute the project plan and don’t give up when things get rough (95% of people will give up!!!)
In fact, it’s very hard to find such kind of people, because these qualities can only be assessed “on the job” and not by credentials like project management certifications. You therefore have a huge advantage if this description fits you!
The skills you need as a project manager
When it comes to honing your skills for project management, focus on these skills:
- Managing people
- Communicate well
- Plan, coordinate and execute many (complex) tasks
- Dealing with pressure and stress
How to gain project experience
Now you may ask: “How can I build up project management experience if I’m not a project manager yet?”
That’s a good question!
The key is to look for opportunities at your current company.
There are two main ways:
- Lead a small project in your department
- Support an ongoing project as deputy project manager (that’s what I did)
Your first step should be to discuss your plan with your manager. He may not like it at the beginning, because he knows you won’t stay in your current job for long. But if he’s a good boss, he will support the growth of his employees.
Option 1: Lead a project in your department
See if there are any projects coming up in your department which you could lead. It could be something in your current field of work, but it doesn’t have to be!
For example, if you are an engineer and your boss is looking for somebody who can implement a new KPI and controlling system to monitor costs, this would be an excellent opportunity.
Will it be easy? No!
Will you learn a lot from it? Definitely!
Option 2: Start your own project
You could even propose a new project which you lead besides your main job. Of course this cannot be anything major in terms of time commitment, but even from small projects you can learn a ton of things.
What could be the focus of your project? Well, in every area there are things that need to be improved. In software development, teams often struggle to standardize code or to keep documentation up-to-date. In finance this could be small process changes to speed up month-end closing. Think about how your project could help make processes faster and more reliable.
Make a project proposal to your manager, and check if you can get support from within your team. Of course it’s doesn’t make sense if you have to do all the work by yourself.
Option 3: Become an assistant project manager
This is a GREAT way to gain project experience. You are not directly in the “hot seat” of the project manager, but still you work together with the manager in charge and support him in his daily work. Also, you are the first point of contact if he is not in the office.
Tip: Read my article on how to become a project assistant .
You can learn massively from working with a senior project manager and observing his style. And you don’t have the burden of full project responsibility, which may be a lot at the beginning.
How do you do this?
Look for interesting projects in your company and find out who is the . Schedule a meeting with its project manager and let him know about your plans. Project managers are usually overworked people who work long hours every day, so they are always grateful for support.
To make the collaboration easy, there are a few points you should clarify upfront:
- How you will support
- Your time commitment
- Regular communication
How exactly you will support:
Have a clear agreement with the responsible project manager on the type of work you will do. The work should be interesting and serve as a good learning experience for you, and of course it should be something that falls into the category of project management work. Will the work always be interesting and fun? Definitely not. But you should be able to learn a lot and improve your skills.
Here are some examples of jobs you could take over:
- Following up on tasks
- Organizing meetings
- Writing meeting minutes
- Creating slideshow presentations
- Writing project proposals
Ensuring that tasks are being completed on time is a core activity for every project manager. It involves calling up people and enquiring about the status of their task.
Sometimes you must really push people to get something done, so it’s not an easy job. However, you will learn a lot from it by enduring uncomfortable situations and leading difficult conversations.
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Another excellent opportunity for building up status as a project manager is to take care of the minutes. The person assembling the minutes has a lot of power! The actions and deadlines that go into the minutes are written in stone. Second, there is no faster way to understand a project than by participating in project meetings and keeping record of decisions.
How much time you can commit:
This is a question you cannot decide on yourself for as long as you’re still in your original job. Your boss has to agree to all resource commitments and you cannot simply work for another project without his approval. Well, at least not if you don’t want to put in extra time in addition to your job.
How you will communicate:
Communicating well with team members is crucial for project success. This also applies to communication within the project management. I recommend you arrange a meeting once a week or bi-weekly to catch up with each other. This gives you also the chance to discuss your questions.
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See what projects are run in other departments
If there is no such possibility, talk to managers of other departments and see what projects are coming up. Have a chat with them over coffee or invite them for lunch. The key thing is to let others know as much as possible that you have serious plans to becoming a project manager.
Once the time is right and assuming you have left a good impression, chances are good that you will be offered a project manager job. It takes patience, of course!
My story: How I became a project manager
My first job was a technical role in IT (SAP). I really loved my work. I got to travel and I was working in an amazing team.
But 3 years in, I didn’t experience anything new. The same projects, the same issues, the same people. Being an eager learner, I wanted to grow and learn something new.
When I approached my manager, he offered me an assistant project manager role in a project that had just been kicked off. I was really excited, not only because of the opportunity to get into project management, but also because I could bite my teeth on new technology.
Initially I could only dedicate a few hours each week to the project. I did all the legwork, like following up with people who were involved in the project. Also, I prepared presentations and I organized status meetings.
After some months I was doing most of the coordination work. I knew every aspect of the project and I did most of the talking with team members and stakeholders.
Once the project manager stepped down I took full ownership of the project and brought it to completion. My first project was a real challenge and I learned many lessons.
With more experience, I took over larger projects, among them several global enterprise software rollouts in countries like India, Mexico and Turkey with large distributed teams.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn .
Best regards,
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Adrian Neumeyer
Hi! I’m Adrian, former Senior IT Project Manager and founder of Tactical Project Manager. I created the site to help you become an excellent project leader and manage intense projects with success!
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How to become a project manager: the 2023 guide
Interested in becoming a project manager? Whether you want to improve your PM skills on the job or make it official with a certification, here’s what you need to know.
Now that you know why project management is so important and you understand what a project manager actually does , you might be wondering how you can become a project manager yourself.
Being a project manager is a rewarding career. It’s a role that gives you an opportunity to make a real difference to a company’s bottom line. And as demand for project-based work grows, the Project Management Institute projects ( heh ) that employers are going to need to fill 2.2 million new project-oriented roles each year through 2027.
2.2 million.
That is, to use the technical term, absolutely bonkers.
With that kind of opportunity on the horizon, and with all the development opportunities for managers that come with it, it’s no wonder that more and more people are exploring the project manager career path and looking to learn how to become a project manager.
Whether you plan to go the traditional route and want to know what degree you need to become a project manager, or whether you’re one of the thousands of people who are already managing projects every day wondering how to become a project manager without experience, we’ve broken down everything you need to know to become a project manager in our definitive guide.
Becoming a project manager: some frequently asked questions
To get started, let’s take a quick look at some of the most frequently asked questions about becoming a project manager.
You’re a busy person. You probably have projects to manage right now! So if you’re just here for the TL;DR, we’ve compiled some of the most frequently asked questions about how to become a project manager.
This is the rapid-fire breakdown for when you have things to do and places to be.
Looking for some more comprehensive, in-depth insights? Keep reading for more on how to become a project manager.
What is a project manager?
A project manager is someone who is responsible for managing a piece of work from concept to delivery.
Who is a project manager?
Anyone who manages projects (i.e. pieces of work) from beginning to end is a project manager. That includes people with “project manager” in their job title or job description, of course — but it also includes people who oversee, coordinate and deliver on work regardless of their defined role.
How do I become a project manager?
There are two main roads on the career path to becoming a project manager. You can either go the “traditional” route — i.e. set out to become a project manager, get a qualification, and take a role as a project manager. Or you can keep gaining project management experience and working your way up the project management career ladder without a degree, certification, or other “classical” project manager education.
What degree do you need to become a project manager?
Being a project manager is about more than just degrees and qualifications. While there are lots of certifications you can take if you want to, having a degree is not required. There are many other steps to becoming a project manager that you can take.
Awesome! So how do I become a project manager without experience?
Whoa, slow down there. We didn’t say that .
Do you need a degree to become a project manager? Not necessarily. Do you need project manager experience? Yes, yes you do. In fact, the career path to becoming a project manager without a degree is all about developing your hands-on project management experience.
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But don’t worry, it’s not quite the chicken-and-egg situation it sounds like. Project manager experience — and the project manager skillset — is probably something you’ve been developing without even realizing.
So if you’re looking to become a project manager without experience, the first thing to do is…start getting experience in project management. (And if you’re wondering, we have more detailed tips on how to do that below.)
Phew. Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s focus on the specifics.
As mentioned above, nowadays there are two types of project manager.
The “traditional” project manager:
Someone who intentionally embarked on the project management career path and has a degree or qualification in project management.
The non-project manager project manager:
Also known as an accidental project manager. These are the people who never set out to become project managers but who find themselves managing projects as part of their daily work anyway. NPMPMs can be anyone: marketers planning a campaign , product managers coordinating the development of a new product, web designers creating a new website. They walk among us.
For anyone wondering how to become a project manager, this is good news: it means that there are more ways than ever to get on that project management career ladder.
Let’s start with the NPMPM or accidental project manager route.
Pathway 1: How to become a project manager without a qualification
Earlier in this guide, we talked about how more people are already project managers than they realize.
Most work involves projects. And most projects involve lots of moving parts — like research, planning, budgeting, coordinating, managing resources, and much more — that all need to be managed and overseen correctly to make sure that your project stays on track.
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.
1. Learn where the gaps in your project management knowledge are
Whatever role you’re currently in — marketer, designer, developer, whatever — you’ve likely been honing your project management skills all along.
According to the Project Management Institute’s Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (or PMBOK Guide), there are 10 key project management “knowledge areas”:
Integration management
Scope management
Schedule management
Cost management
Quality management
Resource management
Risk management
Communications management
Procurement management
Stakeholder management
Think about the projects you’ve been on lately. Which of these areas have you been involved in?
Maybe you played an integral role in outlining the project plan, timeline, or scope.
Maybe you were the one who outlined the budget and were able to stop things going off-track when unexpected costs came up.
Maybe you helped to reallocate resources across team members to ensure that no one was over capacity.
Those are all project management skills that any great project manager needs to know.
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.
2. Get (more) project management experience
Once you’ve identified where you need to grow, it’s time to start putting your plan into action. (Which is what project managers do every day — double win!)
That’s because the #1 thing you can do if you want to become a project manager without experience is start getting that experience .
Projects are all around us, so volunteer when you can. Take on extra responsibilities and develop your organizational skills, scheduling skills, people management skills — everything you identified in step one.
3. Learn everything you can about project management
Always seek out opportunities to develop your project management skills and knowledge.
Learn by doing. Learn on the job. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from other project managers (in your company or elsewhere). See if you can find a mentor who’ll teach you their project manager tips.
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 .
You can also look for conferences or local networking events that will help you to stay on top of new industry trends and meet people who can help you to navigate the project management career path.
4. Start using the right project management software
Using a pm tool can help you to develop your project manager experience.
It allows you to automate your work, quickly assign tasks to groups of teams, and easily view projects in Gantt charts, as well as being able to manage all of your project resources from one place.
Using a flexible and intuitive project management tool like Teamwork to manage your work also means that you can get up and running without needing to spend a ton of time on training or onboarding .
Online Gantt chart maker
Create your own detailed Gantt chart with Teamwork to better manage your project timeline and stay on track.
Pathway 2: How to become a certified project manager
Whether you’ve been an accidental project manager for a while and you’re looking to add a formal qualification to your CV, or have always known that you wanted to be a project manager when you grew up, a qualification is a great way to signal your expertise and commitment to the PM career path to employers.
Even though a formal qualification is no longer a necessity to become a project manager (see: all of the above), it’s still worth considering if you’re really serious about upping your project management game.
Not only will it make more job opportunities available to you and give you a higher earning power, but it will also teach you some project management best practices and techniques that you might not otherwise have been exposed to.
Here’s what you need to know if you want to become a certified project manager.
1. Identify which project management certification is right for you
PMP, PRINCE2, CAPM, PMI-ACP…there’s a whole alphabet of project management degrees. It can be overwhelming. So how do you know which project management certification is right for you?
The first step is to check out your options. Which qualification is most common in your industry? Which one do you see listed most in the kind of job descriptions you’re interested in? Which one is best suited to your available time and budget? Which one will better fit the kind of processes your company uses? Where in the world do you want to work?
There’s lots to consider. Here’s an overview of some of the most popular degrees for project managers, to help start your formal project manager education.
Project Management Professional (PMP)
The Project Management Professional (PMP) is a certification offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI), the leading global organization for project management professionals.
t’s one of the most popular and well-recognized qualifications in the field — and it can have a major impact on your salary. According to the PMI, project managers (and other project management professionals such as PM consultants, PM specialists, and program managers) with PMP certifications report 23% higher salaries on average .
The PMP qualification is based on the PMI’s standards and guidelines as outlined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge , or PMBOK Guide .
It’s aimed at people who already have project management experience (at least 4,500-7,500 hours of it, to be specific), as well as either 35 hours of project management education or a CAPM certification.
So while it’s not for absolute beginners, it’s definitely one to consider as you build out your project management portfolio.
For more on the requirements and process, check out the official PMP site here .
Projects In Controlled Environments (PRINCE2)
PRINCE2 stands for PR ojects IN C ontrolled E nvironments, which also emphasizes how it differs from a PMP certification.
While the PMP certification is knowledge-based — i.e. it focuses on general project management knowledge and best practices for each stage of the project — the PRINCE2 is project- and process-based method in and of itself.
Unlike the PMP, it doesn’t have the same prerequisites, so it might be more suited to someone looking for a PM grounding at the beginning of their project management career. It also comes in both Foundation and Practitioner flavors for every stage of your project management journey.
If you’re trying to decide between a PMP and a PRINCE2 certification, there are a few other factors that should influence your decision, such as industry and geographical location (both of which can affect which qualification is preferred).
Ultimately, it’s not an either-or situation. Both certifications have benefits, and the two certifications can actually complement each other.
Learn more about getting a PRINCE2 certification here .
Certified Associate In Project Management (CAPM)
The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is an entry-level project management qualification offered by the PMI. It can be a standalone certification, or you can use it as one of the “prerequisites” needed to progress to getting a PMP.
The CAPM provides you with a foundational knowledge of project management based on the standards and guidelines outlined the PMBOK Guide .
Learn more about the CAPM certification here .
Agile certifications
If you work in an industry where agile practices are the norm, you might decide to get an agile certification instead (or as well!).
The PMI offers a qualification specifically designed for agile practitioners, the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) .
There’s also an agile-specific PRINCE2 certification, PRINCE2 Agile , which is available at both Foundation and Practitioner levels.
Depending on which agile methodologies you (and your organization) prefer, you could also choose to specialize even more. For example, if you’re a Scrum aficionado, you might decide to become a Certified ScrumMaster with the Scrum Alliance .
It all depends on what processes and frameworks your industry (and company) prefers to use — so do your research, talk to others in the field, and decide what the best agile certification for you is.
2. Get (and maintain) your qualification in project management
You probably thought there was going to be more steps to becoming a certified project manager than just:
Decide which project management certification you want.
Get the certification.
But once you’ve decided which project management certification is right for you, it’s all about knuckling down, putting in the hours, and preparing for the certification exam. You might also need to log more practical hours as well as making time for all the book-learning.
There are lots of prep courses available online that can help you to study and prepare for the exam, but ultimately, it’s all about putting in the time and effort. (You can do it! We believe in you!)
Then once you’ve got your certification, you need to maintain it.
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.
3. Master the tools of the trade
As a project manager, you’re always looking for ways to increase efficiency and improve processes.
Finding the right project management tool will help you to put everything you’ve learned in your project manager education into practice. It allows you to oversee your projects with more clarity, forecast more accurately, manage your resources more efficiently, and report more precisely.
A good project management tool amplifies the work of the project manager: it helps you to take care of the everyday details so you can focus your skills where they’ll have the most impact. It works with you to elevate your best practices and scale your project successes — so learning how to use your PM tool to your advantage is essential, and will save you tons of time and money in the long run.
Teamwork was built to support you and your workflow, regardless of which project management methodology you use. Whether you need a Gantt chart or a kanban board , it has all the features you need to deliver your project, your way.
How to roll out Teamwork Projects like an award-winning PMO
Find out how companies around the world use Teamwork to transform their workflows and help their teams to become happier and more productive
TL;DR: The steps to becoming a project manager
Start managing projects.
Keep managing projects.
Learn the skills and theory behind managing projects.
Use Teamwork to manage your projects.
Get better at managing projects.
Decide if you want to get a project management certification.
Continue to manage projects.
That’s it, I’m becoming a project manager!: If you’re ready to start developing your project manager experience, look out for these project management methodologies you need to know.
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What Is a Project Manager? A Career Guide
Learn about skills, salary, requirements, and reasons to consider a versatile career in project management.
![[Featured Image] A project manager in business casual clothing leans against cardboard boxes and talks to their coworker.](https://d3njjcbhbojbot.cloudfront.net/api/utilities/v1/imageproxy/https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/1k7AiWR8CoVMLPUoFdwE4u/97c200eb738908804b452607f76634d1/fjKGZWqW.jpeg?w=1500&h=680&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive&auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=1&w=1000&h= "how to get a project management job")
What is a project manager?
A project manager is a professional who organizes, plans, and executes projects while working within restraints like budgets and schedules. Project managers lead entire teams, define project goals, communicate with stakeholders, and see a project through to its closure. Whether running a marketing campaign, constructing a building, developing a computer system, or launching a new product, the project manager is responsible for the success or failure of the project.
The project manager role is in demand in just about every industry. Let’s take a closer look at what project managers do, why you should consider a career in project management, and how you can get started.
What does a project manager do? Tasks and responsibilities
A project is typically divided into five different phases: initiation, planning, execution, and closure.
Throughout the project lifecycle of a project, the project manager is responsible for:
Defining the scope of the project
Staying on schedule
Planning a project’s cost and sticking to a budget
Managing project resources (including teams and workers)
Documenting the progress of the project
Communicating with stakeholders
Assessing risks
Troubleshooting
Leading quality assurance
The sheer variety of tasks means no two days on the job (or two projects) are quite the same. On any given day, you might be interviewing and hiring new talent, managing team meetings, reallocating resources to cover an unexpected expense, or updating stakeholders on the progress of the project.
Learn more about the lifecycle of a project in this video.
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Essential skills for project management
In this position, you play a key role in a company’s success. While many technical and workplace skills go into efficient project management, honing these five skills can help you build a foundation for success in the field:
Leadership: You’ll lead a team to achieve a goal.
Communication: You’re often the first line of communication for team members, vendors, stakeholders, and customers.
Organization: The ability to prioritize and multitask will keep projects running smoothly.
Critical thinking: Analyzing and evaluating a situation critically helps prevent issues before they happen.
A sense of humor: Approaching a project with a positive attitude can ease stress and energize your team.
Project management can be a challenging career, but you’ll never face those challenges alone. You’ll often work alongside team members and use software or online tools specifically designed to streamline the process. The specific project management software depends on the project or company but will often include the capability to track time and budgets, create plans and reports, manage invoices, and share calendars across multiple teams.
Read more: 11 Key Project Management Skills
Project management methodologies
As you learn more about project planning, you may encounter terms like Agile , Scrum, or Waterfall. These refer to various methodologies—a set of guiding principles or strategies—for managing a project. Common approaches and methodologies include:
XP (Extreme Programming)
Choosing a methodology (or a combination of methodologies) is one of the first decisions you’ll make as a project manager. Which you choose will depend on the industry and type of project.
For example, if you’re working in software development, you may choose to employ Agile techniques. Scrum, an approach to Agile management, uses daily team meetings and short (for example 30-day) “sprints” to develop projects quickly and efficiently. The Lean method, developed by Toyota in the 1970s, seeks to maximize value and minimize waste. It’s still commonly used in the manufacturing industry.
Read more: 12 Project Management Methodologies: Your Guide
Why pursue a career in project management
Just about every company has projects. That means just about every company could use a project manager.
Whether you’re interested in construction, architecture, fashion, design, computer science, robotics, or something else entirely, chances are you’ll be able to use project management skills in your career. And since it’s such a versatile career, you can leverage these transferable skills to enhance your resume, no matter where your career takes you.
Read more: How to Become a Project Manager: 5 Steps
How much do project managers make?
According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), the median annual project manager salary across all industries in the United States is $115,000 [ 1 ]. Most project managers earn between $93,000 and $140,000, with industries like consulting, resources, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverage offering the most compensation [2] .
Project management: Job outlook
According to the Job Growth and Talent Gap report from PMI, employers will need to fill some 2.2 million new project management-oriented roles each year through 2027 [ 3 ]. Job seekers with a combination of leadership and technical skills will find themselves in demand in the coming years.
Industries like health care, manufacturing and construction, information services and publishing, finance and insurance, and management and professional services are expected to see the biggest growth in project-oriented roles, according to the PMI report.
Project manager qualifications
Project management is diverse, and you’ll find that qualifications often vary by industry and company. When looking at what you need to build a career in project management, consider two main areas: education and certification.
Higher education
A bachelor's degree is typically the minimum requirement to become a project manager with 68 percent of professionals holding a bachelor's degree and 14 percent holding a master's degree [ 4 ]. Many project managers have a degree in business, computer science , or an industry-related field. While not always a strict requirement, a degree can help you develop the leadership skills you’ll need on the job. Some companies may look for candidates with a graduate degree such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a Master of Science in Management (MSM).
Certifications
Whether you’re just graduating from college or looking to pivot to a new career in project management, a professional certificate or certification could help enhance your resume to make you more appealing to hiring managers.
Project Management Professional (PMP): If you already have a few years of experience working on projects in a professional setting, you can advance your career with the PMP credential from the Project Management Institute (PMI). The UCI Project Management Professional Certificate fulfills the educational requirements for the PMP exam. By earning this certificate, you’ll prepare yourself to pass the exam, and receive a university-issued credential for your resume. Learn more about how to get a PMP certification .
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM): If you're just getting started in project management, the CAPM is an entry-level project management certification also administered by the PMI. Designed for those without formal project management experience, it can help open a path to several entry-level project management positions. Read more about the CAPM certification .
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Skills you'll build:
Organizational Culture, Career Development, Strategic Thinking, Change Management, Project Management, Stakeholder Management, Business Writing, Project Charter, Project Planning, Risk Management, Task Estimation, Procurement, Quality Management, Project Execution, Coaching, Influencing, Agile Management, Problem Solving, Scrum, Effective Communication
Career pathways in project management
Getting your first job is only the beginning. As you hone your skills and see projects to completion, you’ll find new pathways to advancement. Here’s a look at the hierarchy of project management roles. Keep in mind these might vary from organization to organization:
Getting started in project management
Choosing a career as a project manager could open up doors in multiple industries. If you’re ready to take the next steps toward this new career, learn more about earning a Professional Certificate such as the Google Project Management Professional Certificate through Coursera.
Article sources
Project Management Institute. " Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey—Twelfth Edition (2021) , https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/pmi_salary_survey_12th_edition_freeversion_final.pdf." Accessed August 30, 2022.
Northeastern University. " How Much Does a Project Manager Make? , https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/ways-to-increase-pmp-salary/." Accessed August 30, 2022.
Project Management Institute. " Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017–2027 , https://www.pmi.org/learning/careers/job-growth." Accessed August 30, 2022.
Zippia. " Project manager education requirements , https://www.zippia.com/project-manager-jobs/education/." Accessed August 30, 2022.
This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.
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1. Have the Right Set of Skills
2. get the appropriate online education, 3. know how to use helpful tools and applications, 4. create a strong resume, 5. apply for entry-level jobs, to wrap things up, top 5 ways to become a project manager without prior experience.
According to published data , almost one in five project managers thought of leaving their jobs in 2020, with 59% of managers running two to five projects concurrently. In addition, only 29% of projects are completed on time, with only 35% of organizations being satisfied with their project management staff.
Being a project manager requires a lot more things than just experience, and there are many ways to obtain these traits. Some of the responsibilities typically associated with project management are:
- Setting milestones, goals, and timeframe for project development,
- Job delegation within the team based on skills and personalities,
- Managing meetings and presentations for different stakeholders,
- Writing and analyzing progress reports for upper management and clients,
- Management of team culture , coaching, and conflict resolution,
- Smart project tools and resources management,
- Multitasking of multiple concurrent projects.
While alluring, the position of a project manager is a responsible one. Taking the right risks and taking advantage of opportunities that come your way is important. The more willing you are to learn, the more likely you will be to secure your dream job.
If you are wondering how to get into project management, here are some helpful tips to get you started.
When trying to lead a group, it is important that you have certain skills and qualities to help you face any challenge. These might be a little different depending on the field of business you are working in, but some of them are standard for all.
Based on recent data , over 20% of aspiring project managers expressed that their 12-month goals include gaining relevant certification, with 47% having defined career paths. This makes the development of relevant hard skills and competencies a must if you want to become a project manager without prior experience. Some of the most important skills to work on are the following:
- Leadership— A good leader needs to be respected by the people they work with. This is an important skill as it will help you understand how a team functions. As a result, you will be more likely to acknowledge the characteristics of a good team and set clear goals and expectations for everyone.
- Good communication— Poor communication can seriously damage the way a team works. This is another one of the things that are up to the team leader to work on and improve. If you set a good example by being clear about your needs, expectations, and obligations, everyone will follow in your step.
- Decision making— Making decisions can sometimes be hard when you have to decide for a group of people. A good leader should be able to weigh the pros and cons of a situation and make the necessary choices. This includes deciding what resources to use for the project, as well as which person will be in charge of which part of the project.
- Motivation— Motivating team members is a deciding factor of a team’s success. As a project manager, you should be able to help motivate everyone to work hard and achieve their collective goals. This is something that will greatly reflect the way you work and your motivation to see the team succeed.
- Trust building— Building trust heavily relies on the relationships you build with your members. Being honest and hardworking can help you build trust a lot easier. Coaching and team-building activities are a major part of managing a team properly, so having these skills can greatly benefit your odds at employment.
- Conflict management— Resolving conflicts in your team will be something you will occasionally have to do. A team is made up of different people, and they will not always get along. As the leader, you will have to ensure that everyone is able to work together well.
- Organization— Being able to organize different tasks and the responsibilities of each member is a crucial skill for any project manager. This includes duty delegation, project segmentation, and planning in accordance with your deadline and resources.
All of these skills will help you better manage any team without many issues. You can work on improving or acquiring these skills through being a member yourself. Observe the leaders in any group you are participating in and see how they resolve situations. This will help you see what skills you lack and allow you to improve your chances of landing a manager job.
Most people who want to start working as project managers don’t necessarily have the working experience that is necessary to land the job. Getting online education and potentially the certifications you need is the next best thing.
If you are wondering how to become a project manager without a degree, online courses are the thing you need. According to published reports , e-learning increases learner retention by 25-60% due to it being more engaging and flexible than traditional education.
There are many ways for you to do this online at a reasonable price. You will be able to find all kinds of different online courses based on your field of work. These will allow you to get a glimpse at what is project management experience and how you can get it. Some of the options available to you include:
- Udemy Udemy is a lifelong-learning online platform with a vast repository of free and paid courses which you can partake in. In terms of project management, Udemy offers an assortment of courses ranging from agile project management, PMP certification, and risk management. Whether you’re a complete novice or have some insight into project management already, Udemy will most certainly help cover your professional shortcomings.
- Coursera . While Coursera is in the same vein as Udemy, its assortment of courses is completely different. Coursera also features free and paid courses depending on your budget and can help you learn a lot about project management. Some of the topics you can pursue via Coursera include basics of project management and its principles, software and engineering project management, and negotiation strategies.
- Lynda . As part of LinkedIn, Lynda is arguably one of the best choices for a project management learning platform. Lynda offers a free trial, after which a premium subscription is required for further learning. However, Lynda stands in a category of its own, offering significantly more professional and engaging content for the price of admission. You can learn about everything from project management ethics and scheduling to stakeholder management and prototyping via its comprehensive courses.
- EdX . If you’re looking for project management courses that will cover all of the major industry pain points quickly, look no further than edX. The platform will smoothly introduce you to the world of project management through its lineup of agile, IT management, and project planning . The value of edX lies in the fact that the platform serves as a proxy between you and major universities and companies offering the courses. Meaning, you will gain insight and certification from experts with practical knowledge of how moment-to-moment project management works.
These will allow you to learn a lot of important information on how to run a team and be a good manager. Many companies will take online certificates seriously and give you the chance to start your career. Just make sure that you are clear about where you got your certification from and provide the necessary documents.
Along with the soft skills necessary for the job, there are also certain hard skills that a project manager should have. A set of tools such as Microsoft Office and similar time and goal management tools are essential in this field. In addition, knowing how to use different email services and team tracking tools is always a plus. Some of the tools you should be familiar with to compensate for your lack of prior project management experience include:
- Google Workspace — (formerly G Suite) In terms of general document and cloud data management, Google Workspace is a comprehensive enough suite of tools to get you started. It offers a variety of apps and tools for creating documents, presentations, tables, as well as allowing you to share said data with your team. Its cross-platform functionality and reliance on templates will speed up your workflow and enable you to manage your team more efficiently.
- Infinity —Managing your team’s workflow is much easier with a professional collaboration platform available to everyone. As such, Infinity can provide you with a detailed platform for project planning, delegation, and progress overview. You can manage your project’s milestones, calendar , as well as customize the work environment to suit your team’s exact needs quite easily. With its native support for Zapier and Clockify, Infinity is the tool to learn if you want to land a job as a project manager.
- Trello — An alternative to Infinity, Trello helps teams collaborate, manage projects, and improve productivity. You can organize tasks using Trello boards, lists, and cards and expand each project using task assignments, timelines, productivity metrics, calendars, and other. Trello comes with a built-in automation tool called Butler that enables you to create custom buttons and automate repetitive tasks. Since being a project manager implies handling multiple tools, Trello has made it possible to integrate software like Confluence, Slack, Dropbox, Google Drive, or Evernote into your workflow.
- Asana — Asana is another versatile project management tool that facilitates team collaboration. This software provides multiple project views, including list view, timeline, and boards. When it comes to task automation, Asana lets you create custom rules to automate common tasks and prevent human error. Just like Infinity, Asana offers 50+ pre-made templates for different types of projects and task pipelines, which comes very handy when you’re building your project workflow.
- Slack — It is hard to imagine remote work without a tool like Slack. This communication platform enables real-time messaging, audio, and video calls between two or more participants. Teams can create an unlimited number of public or private channels for different topics and projects, and decide which team members have access to which channels. If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop for team communication, Slack offers various integrations, simple file sharing, and workflow automations.
- Skype for Business — Remote work management has become something of an industry staple lately, especially due to extensive social distancing norms still in place. Learning how to use Skype for Business will drastically improve your chances of becoming a project manager. Skype for Business is what it says it is—a video and messaging app designed with professional collaboration in mind. You can share desktop screens, documents, and feedback on certain project aspects with your team via these apps, so choose the one that suits you.
- Zoom — Named a Leader in the 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Meeting Solutions, Zoom is becoming a sine qua non for team communication worldwide. Zoom Meetings syncs with users’ calendar and provides video conferencing via desktop, mobile, and dedicated Zoom for Home devices. If you are reluctant to discuss sensitive information on a video call, rest assured that Zoom uses 256-bit TLS encryption to protect shared video and audio content. You can go a step further and enable end-to-end encryption with private crypto keys and prevent sharing without permission by adding audio signatures or watermark screenshots.
- Toggl — If you charge projects by the hour, some kind of time tracking software should definitely be on the list of tools to use. Toggl started out as a time tracking tool that enabled individuals and teams to track time spent on different tasks but what was formerly known as Toggl is now Toggl Track, since the company expanded its software suite with two more products: Toggl Plan and Toggl Hire. While the latter is a candidate screening tool, the former is much more interesting from a project management standpoint. Toggl Plan is a simple drag-and-drop project management tool for organizing tasks in Gantt charts, especially great for creative and marketing teams.
- Everhour —A p owerful time tracking software, Everhour can become an all-in-one solution for all your time management, team management, and even accounting needs. The features beyond time tracking and task management include visual planning, budgeting, invoicing, client reporting, and more. If you appreciate powerful insights into how your team spends time, money, and resources, you are going to love what Everhour has to offer. And the best part? The time tracker integrates seamlessly with all the most popular project management apps, including the above-mentioned Trello, Asana, Jira, Basecamp, ClickUp, and Slack, allowing you to track time directly from within these apps—no more tab switching!
- Lucidchart — A picture is worth a thousand words, and flowcharting processes provides clarity that no brief can match. Lucidchart lets you create diagrams or flowcharts by using 500+ templates or by dragging and dropping elements from the shapes library. Some of the great things you can achieve by using this software include process mapping, org chart design, and agile planning. Like many aforementioned tools, Lucidchart also provides integrations with popular apps like Google Docs, Microsoft Word and Excel , Salesforce, and many others.
- SmartDraw —Graphs, charts, and other forms of visualized data are standard affairs in project management. SmartDraw is a deceptively simple platform that will allow you to quickly create visualized data based on your team’s gathered information. You can use SmartDraw and its plethora of templates to spruce up your presentations or simply to make the project more understandable to stakeholders. The tool is useful for brainstorming and mind mapping, so you can use it in different scenarios to ensure the successful completion of your project.
Depending on the job you apply for, it might require you to know how to use different tools. It is up to you to show that you are willing to learn and eager to help your team reach success. You can also learn how to use writing tools to edit the emails your team sends out. You can check them out in this helpful database and find the tools and services you need.
Most tools will be fairly similar, so knowing how to work a few basic ones will make this job easier. Many companies will require you to be familiar with a variety of different tools that will help you run your team better. Knowing about these tools will help you go from wondering “how do I become a project manager” to actually becoming a professional.
One of the biggest reasons why someone would choose you for a project manager job is the way you present yourself. There is no better way to show who you are other than your resume. Judging by gathered data , it takes recruiters an average of six seconds to determine a candidate’s viability, with over 250 resumes submitted for corporate-level positions. This is exactly why it is important to enhance your resume and make sure you give a good first impression.
Your resume should focus mainly on your soft skills that were mentioned in the beginning, especially if you don’t have formal project management experience. This will show how eager you are to work on new projects and excel. Every company will look for people that are hardworking and devoted. In addition, you should mention your past working and volunteering experience, even if it is in a different field. Some of the general pointers you should follow in writing your resume without past experience in project management are:
- Emphasize your formal education and any volunteering/internships you did during schooling.
- Write separate sections for soft and hard skills to indicate your passion for project management.
- Use keywords related to project management and the specific industry you are applying in.
- Keep the resume itself limited to a single page, with portfolio or work samples as separate links.
- Edit and format your resume so that it doesn’t contain any grammar or proofreading errors.
- Write a cover letter elaborating on your career plans and willingness to learn about the industry.
Knowing that you have been working and producing results will show employers you have carefully thought of choosing project management as your career path.
The first project manager job you apply for should always be an entry-level one. More advanced positions require people to have a certain amount of experience, so starting there is probably not the best idea. This is something that will help you increase your chances of actually landing the job and starting this journey. The questions you should prepare for in advance when it comes to project management positions include but are not limited to:
- In your opinion, what are the responsibilities of a project manager?
- What is your leadership style, and how can you build on it further?
- Do you see yourself building a long-term career in project management?
- What was your most successful project so far? What worked and didn’t work?
- What kind of project tools and resources are you familiar with?
- How do you handle conflicts and misunderstandings? Do you have experience in coaching?
- Why do you want to develop your project management skills in our company in particular?
While not set in stone, some form of these questions will pop up during your interview, so think about your answers in advance.
One of the things that entry-level project management jobs have to offer is the chance to gather experience. Many companies are willing to onboard project managers as interns or team members and groom them for leadership if they are satisfied with their performance. Therefore, it will be much simpler for you to present your aspirations and convince your future employer that you are perfect for the job.
Landing a project management position without any prior experience can present you with something of a catch-22 situation. To land the position, you will need at least passing knowledge of how to manage projects, which is where courses and certification come into play.
Invest time into learning the right skills, terminology, and project management principles before you approach a big company and apply for its project management opening.
Employers are willing to go out on a limb for passionate candidates without experience, but you have to show love for project management through preparation. Take the time to adequately prepare for your next job application, and potential employers will look to you much more favorably and subsequently hire you.
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Can you Get a Project Management Job? (Here’s How)
- 3 years ago
- / Advice for Project Managers FAQ Answers Project Management Career
Getting a Project Management job is something of a ‘chicken and egg’ problem…
On the one hand, it’s hard to get a Project Management job without experience. On the other hand, how can you get experience, without a Project Management job?
Break the Cycle
Let’s assume that you have decided that a project management career is the right thing for you….
(By the way, if you aren’t sure, check out our article: ‘ Why a Project Management Career? ‘)
The first step in getting a Project Management job is to break the ‘chicken and egg’ cycle, by either getting:
- experience without getting a Project Management job, or
- getting a Project Management job, without experience
‘That sounds clever’ , you say; ‘but how do I do that?’
We’ll take a look at three routes: easy, easier, and easiest.
To kick-start a career in anything, you need to invest. One of the soundest investments you can make is getting experience. This is why people are prepared to pay for internships. (Let’s not get into the ethics of paid-for, un-paid, and paid internships).
Look out for opportunities to volunteer for any role that will give you valuable experience for a future Project Management job. This may be a volunteering role in a charitable, social, sporting, or community setting. You may find a chance to volunteer to play a part in a work-place project. The best ones are often the roles other people don’t want. There’s little glory to be had from taking on something other people want to take on, because they think there is a success to be had. The glory comes from taking on something nobody else wants to do… and succeeding anyway.
Easier Route
Sometimes we find ourselves working with a team that is struggling. Yet you, as a potential project manager, probably have some useful skills. You almost certainly have some of the attitudes and character traits that can help. These are things like being organized, disciplined, and able to work under pressure.
Here is your chance to help out a struggling manager, and practice some of those skills. Help them with planning, risk identification, status gathering or any other aspect of project management where you know a simple technique that can make a real difference. This is where it pays to be prepared with a little learning in advance (and one of the reasons we built our core course programs ). And if you are wondering whether you are ready for a Project management course, we have just the article for you: ‘ Are You Ready for a Project Management Course? ‘
Easiest Route
The easiest thing of all is to turn your current job into a Project Management job. Set it up as a project. Use project management tools and techniques to get things done. And, crucially, talk about it as a project. Don’t over-play your hand, though. Others may see what you are doing as a simple initiative, but if you apply appropriate Project Management disciplines and use the right tools, it will be a great asset to your CV, and a stepping stone to something bigger.
The Two Ways to Get Your First Project Management Job
At its simplest, there are two ways to get your first Project Management job. But do note that it unusual for your first job to be as a Project manager. More typically, you take your Project Management experience from your first job roles and trade them up to your first Project Manager role.
The two ways into your first Project Management job are internal and external.
An Internal First Project Management Job
That is; an appointment, assignment, transfer or promotion within your current organization. If you have taken my advice above for breaking the ‘chicken and egg’ cycle, you will have a head start. Often, internal opportunities offer you the best chance of ‘breaking in’ to the Project Management world.
But in many organizations, there is fierce competition for ProjectManagement jobs. So be prepared for a series of disappointments before you succeed. This is particularly important because one of the things we look for in appointing Project Managers is resilience – the ability to bounce back from set-back and keep going.
Here are my Top Tactics for Finding and Harnessing Internal Opportunities
- Get to know people Build an internal network, so you can both know what’s going on, and be known by the people who may be in a position to help.
- Speak with Senior Managers Let people know what your interests are and, crucially, what you are doing to prepare yourself. An easy start is your Personnel or HR department. They will often hear of opportunities and want to be helpful to senior managers by finding enthusiastic people to work on them.
- Start to think of yourself as a Project professional In the way you speak and think, start to adopt a Project mindset. This way, people will start to see you as a Project management resource.
- Prepare a Pitch Be ready to have an answer to the question ‘why should I use you?’ whenever it comes. You don’t want to get an opportunity, then fluff it.
- Constantly buff up your CV Cast what you do in Project Management terms and update your CV frequently. Ask a trusted senior colleague to give you feedback on how you have written and presented it. Keep working at it to make it better.
Going Outside: Applying for an External First Project Management Job
Okay, so you are serious. And you’ve also concluded that internal roles are either not available, or not right for you. So start your search, while you are successful and secure in your current role so that you can:
- avoid feeling (and appearing) desperate
- take your time to find the right role
- invest resources in your search without feeling it’s too risky
You will, of course, need to have even stronger answers to questions about ‘why project management?’ as well as ‘why leave your current employer?’ Be prepared for the possibility of a long job search, with ups and downs. You may want to meet with a couple of specialist Project Management recruitment agencies. Not only can they jump-start your job search, but they will have lots of sound advice about where to start, what t do, and what the market is looking for in your area.
Or, you can search for a job on adzuna.com , which has a unique feature unavailable on other job sites. On Adzuna, you can upload your resume, and the site will determine how much your skills are worth. This can give you an idea if you have the required experience or skills to land a project management job.
Here are my Top Tactics for Getting that Project Management Job
- Build an Answer Bank A job interview for a new role is always going to be challenging – there will be different questions and some of them will be very challenging. We’ll be publishing our list of Project Management interview questions soon. Set aside plenty of time to prepare for every question you can reasonably anticipate. Think about why those questions come up, and what the interviewer is really trying to find out.
- Start small Look for a few small opportunities that you don’t want too much to start with. This will give you valuable interview experience. With that said, you should seek interviews from employers who know what they’re doing. Check out employer reviews sites, like Glassdoor and other alternatives to Glassdoor , to see if you’d benefit from the experience.
- Aim for the best fit You are trying to do something different, so target organizations where there is as much overlap with your genuine experience as possible, so that you are more likely to be a good fit with as many of their requirements as possible. This will be the best way to reduce the impact of not fitting any Project Management requirements as well as other candidates. Competitors or organizations in the same value chain as yours are obvious candidates.
- Let your passion show Don’t be afraid to show your enthusiasm for Project management. If you need to convince an interviewer to take a chance on your inexperience, they have to believe you will work hard to build experience quickly.
- Ask for feedback You are in new territory for you. So always ask for feedback after each interview. Listen hard, take notes, and discuss it with someone you trust, that has relevant experience. Make changes based on consistent feedback that you receive.
Six Ways to Start your Project Management Career
Let’s finish our giant guide to getting a Project Management job, with six scenarios. Project Managers love scenarios, so pick the one that’s closest to you and use that as a starter for planning your own Project Management job campaign.
The New Graduate, Alice
Alice is bright, enthusiastic, and about to graduate with a decent degree. She wants to make a career in Project Management.
There are some jobs out there that may be perfect for Alice, but they are few and far between. Her best option is to find a graduate role in an organization that, does Projects, values Project Management, and trains Project Managers. She needs work experience and maybe some Project Management training, so she should be upfront about her career aims, but show enthusiasm for stepping-stone roles that may not initially offer her the ideal opportunities. If Alice does spot a graduate-level Project Management job, then investing ahead in some basic Project Management training may be a wise move.
Alice needs to view her first job as the start of a long journey, not as a make-or-break choice.
The Recent Graduate, Bahir
Bahir has been in his job for nearly four years and has done well. But he has learned that this role is not right for him. Speaking with colleagues and friends, he has concluded that a Project management job would suit him far better.
As I described above, Bahir’s first step will be to explore internal opportunities. But this should not preclude him looking outside his organization at the same time. A small employer may be very interested in first-mover with a good track record and an enthusiasm to learn. He should back up that assertion by doing some research and learning on his own, to show he knows what he will be getting into, and will be able to get started straight away. Our first or second-tier Core Course Programs are ideal for Bahir.
Bahir is no doubt ambitious. But he needs to view this next step as a strategic career move, and not as a way of increasing his salary. This may be hard for him and test his resolve, because some of his peers will also be making their first job move, but they will be trading up their experience for the next rung up the career ladder, and a higher salary. Bahir may or may not get a pay bump – he may even need to take a small dip. He must view this as a long-term choice or risk feeling frustrated.
The Ambitious but Unqualified Clara
Clara has been working hard since she left school. Although she did not attend university or other high education, she intelligent and could easily have managed the academic demands. Now she has a wealth of work experience – possibly including some Project work – and wants to move into Project Management.
Clara is going to find it easiest to make her move to a Project Management job within her current organization, where people know her. They will already value her experience and recognize her intelligence, without being misled by her lack of formal higher or professional education. If the opportunities she needs aren’t there, however, Clara should consider getting some structured project management training, and seriously contemplate seeking a recognized Project Management qualification. This will be easier to sell to new employers. Another tactic that will help her is to look for Project Management jobs that support a Project Manager, and need skills that Clara an already demonstrate vividly from her work-place experience.
Clara needs to view her next move as the first stage in re-framing her professional persona.
The Experienced Engineer, Darshan
Darshan has spent 14 years gaining a reputation as a highly qualified and able software engineer. Now, though, he is not finding the role challenging enough and is enjoying the supervisory aspects of his job more than the technical parts. He believes he is a logical thinker, with good people management skills, and wants to step into a Project Management job.
Darshan recognizes that his best bet will be to move into technical Project Management in a field where he already has expertise and credibility. His first move needs to be to speak with senior colleagues to let them know about his aspirations, ask about opportunities, and take their advice on how best to position himself internally. The next step for Darshan is likely to be as a Workstream Leader in a sizeable project, or maybe as a Deputy Project Manager. That said, there may be opportunities to lead small projects. He would be well-advised to ensure he understands the fundamentals of project management in his domain, which is likely to be a mix of traditional and Agile practices. If his employer cannot offer classroom-based training, Darshan should consider self-study options such as reading or online courses.
Darshan needs to lay the groundwork and keep his eyes open, so he can take the opportunities that arise.
The Experienced Team Member, Edmund
Edmund has been in a number of project teams with both general and expert roles. His own professional expertise makes him a valuable contributor, but now he’d like to step up to managing a whole project.
Edmund should start by discussing this with his current and recent project managers. They will be able to give him their frank assessment of his abilities, as well as tell him how they moved into Project Management jobs. Their advice may be very helpful. He should also speak with senior managers who typically appoint Project Managers, so they will know he is looking for a role. They too may have good advice. If Edmund fancies stepping outside his current organization, he’ll need to work on his CV, identify good referees, and think carefully about increasing his formal project management training. Depending on what sector he works in and the level and scale of projects he wants to lead, Edmund may want a basic Project Management training course or may need an accredited course with a specific certification or qualification as the outcome.
The Experienced Manager, Fenfang
Fenfang has been supervising and managing people for many years. She is organized and likable, well-able to get the best from her team. Like many managers, she has led her share of small business projects, usually very effectively, despite having no Project management training. Increasingly, she’s finding the operational aspects of her role a little dull, and she prefers the pressure and challenge of her projects. She’d like to do more, and maybe switch to a Project Management job role.
Fenfang’s first move, like Darshan and Edmund, needs to be to speak to senior colleagues. She needs to make sure they are aware of her preferences and can start looking out for opportunities to use her skills. She should also look out for the sort of project that can help re-cast perceptions of her from manager to Project Manager. These are likely to be organizational change projects where her reputation and experience as an operational manager can give her deep credibility and can ground her, but where her enthusiasm for a project challenge can find a robust outlet. There are likely to be a few senior managers with whom Fenfang can usefully align herself. In the mean-time, she should look for opportunities to get some structured training – either within her organization or by investing in herself. Our Core Course Programs may well meet her needs.
Fenfang needs to view this as a logical next step and be prepared to invest time in learning, and maybe also in taking on a role with longer, more stressful work patterns than her operational role.
If you are in the UK, a great Project and Program Management recruitment business is Arras People . Whether or not you are in the UK, if you are just thinking about getting a Project Management job, their site is full of tips and advice. But better yet, their blog, ‘ How to Manage a Camel ‘ has a long track record of being one of the best-written PM blogs and it focuses on practical advice for people in the PM job market.
Do you know of (or run) an equally good business in your country? If you do, let us know in the comments section and if the content of the site is good enough, I’ll add it here.
One place we recommend you look for Project Management Jobs is on Jooble . Jooble allows you to search for Project Management jobs in 71 countries.
Another place you can search is Josora. They are biggest in the USA . But you can select from 36 different countries .
Get a Project Management Job Infographic
We all love infographics, don’t we? Click on the thumbnail below to see our infographic summary of this article.
What if You Need to go to an Interview?
Ah, interviews… They are a whole other thing, aren’t they?
Often an interview is a necessary step in getting your desired Project Management job. So if you have to have one, you will need to prepare thoroughly. Luckily, we have you covered, with one of our favorite articles: How to Prepare for Your Project Management Interview . Why not check it out?
Your Thoughts
If you have been through this process, or are on this journey, I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments below.
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About the Author Mike Clayton
Dr Mike Clayton is one of the most successful and in-demand project management trainers in the UK. He is author of 14 best-selling books, including four about project management. He is also a prolific blogger and contributor to ProjectManager.com and Project, the journal of the Association for Project Management. Between 1990 and 2002, Mike was a successful project manager, leading large project teams and delivering complex projects. In 2016, Mike launched OnlinePMCourses.
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Frequently asked questions
What is project management.
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.
Think about the last time you planned a group vacation or trip. Finding a location, delegating who should bring what, collecting and tracking payments, coordinating your arrival, and ensuring everyone enjoys the trip are all project management tasks. Think about the value that accomplishing those tasks adds to your trip. Now, think about the value that can add to a company. Project management is valuable to businesses because it helps ensure that a project delivers the expected outcomes — both on time and within budget. So, as you can imagine, project management is critical to the success of projects both big and small.
What is a project management certificate?
The Google Project Management Certificate will teach you how to effectively coordinate projects for companies of all sizes. Through a combination of skills training and hands-on practice, you’ll learn how to plan, organize, and run projects so they can be delivered on time and on budget.
Why start a career in project management?
Project managers are in high demand. As the workplace continues to grow and evolve, project managers serve as a pivotal piece to an organization’s ability to adapt and remain agile.
Project managers are natural problem-solvers. In addition to setting the plan and guiding teammates through the project, they are tasked with managing changes and risks. Each day is dynamic and different for a project manager because they are at the center of the project — building relationships, prioritizing tasks, and delivering results! Using various tools and templates, as well as a unique skill set, the project manager brings order to chaos.
Who is the Project Management Certificate for?
You! No prior project management experience or specific knowledge is required. All you need is an interest in solving problems and working with people.
Why enroll in the Google Project Management Certificate?
The Google Project Management Certificate not only focuses on project management artifacts and skill sets, but essential business acumen skills like stakeholder management, influencing, critical thinking in problem solving, and effective communication.
You’ll learn these job-ready skills in our certificate program through interactive content (discussion prompts, quizzes, and hands-on activities) in under six months, with 5-10 hours of study a week. Along the way, you'll work through a curriculum designed with input from top employers and industry leaders, like the Project Management Institute (PMI) and Scrum.org.
After you’ve graduated from the program, you’ll have access to career resources and be connected directly with employers hiring for open entry-level roles in project management.
What project management tools and platforms are taught in the Project Management Certificate curriculum?
Spreadsheets (e.g., Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, etc.), word processing applications (e.g., Google Docs, Microsoft Word, etc.), and presentation applications (e.g., Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint, Keynote, etc.) will be used in the Project Management curriculum. Additionally, learners will have the option to use Asana and to learn about other common work management tools.
What languages is the Project Management Certificate available in?
This certificate is currently available in English and we are currently working to bring this certificate in additional languages. Please check back here for updates.
Will completing this certificate help prepare me for Project Management Institute certifications?
Project Management Institute (PMI) is a global nonprofit membership organization dedicated to advancing the profession and practice of project management by providing organizations and individuals with tools, publications, and other resources, including globally-recognized standards, credentials, and certifications.
Google is an approved member of the Project Management Institute’s Authorized Training Partner Program, which ensures practitioners have access to consistent and high-quality training experiences. Those who complete the Google Project Management Certificate will qualify for over 100 hours of project management education that apply directly to requirements for globally-recognized PMI credentials, like the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® certification , at a discounted price.
How much is the Project Management Certification?
The IT Support, User Experience Design, Project Management and Data Analytics Certificates cost $39 per month by subscription on Coursera.
What is Coursera?
Coursera is a global online learning platform that offers access to online courses. Google has worked with Coursera to make Google Career Certificates available on their platform.
Is the Google Project Management Certificate accredited?
The Google Project Management Certificate is accredited by the Project Management Institute (PMI), a global nonprofit organization that provides globally recognized standards and certifications for the project management profession. In addition, graduates of the Google Project Management Certificate will qualify for over 100 hours of project management education that apply to PMI credentials at a discounted price.
Where can I access the Project Management Certificate?
The Project Management Certificate is available globally in English on Coursera. The Google IT Support Certificate is also available in Spanish and Portuguese. We are working to make the certificates available in more languages.
How long does it take to finish the Google Project Management Certificate?
The Google Project Management Certificate can be completed in three months working approximately 20 hours per week, or in six months working 10 hours per week. To finish the six courses which make up the Certificate, around 240 hours total are needed.
Is financial assistance available for the Project Management Certificate?
If you are interested in financial assistance, you may be eligible for financial aid via Coursera through the course page. Recipients of financial aid will have full access to course content and assignments required to earn a certificate. To apply, go to the certificate course page on Coursera and click the “Financial aid available” link next to the “Enroll” button.
Google has also funded 100,000 scholarships for Google Career Certificates, which will be distributed by Grow with Google partners and Google.org grantees like Merit America, Per Scholas, NPower, Goodwill, Futuro Health, Generation USA, UnidosUS, LULAC and Hispanic Federation. These funds will create a lasting impact in helping people land high-quality jobs in high-growth fields.
What is the Google Career Certificates Employer Consortium? Can it help me find project management jobs?
The Google Career Certificates Employer Consortium consists of over 150 U.S. companies like Deloitte, Infosys, Snap Inc., Target, Verizon, and of course, Google. These companies span multiple sectors and are committed to considering Google Career Certificate graduates for entry-level jobs. Upon completion of the Project Management Certificate, you will gain access to an exclusive job platform where you can easily apply to opportunities from employers with open jobs.
Employers interested in joining the Google Career Certificates Employer Consortium can find more information at grow.google/employers .
What other kind of support is available after I complete the Project Management Certificate?
In addition to expert training and hands-on projects designed to prepare you for a job in project management, you'll get access to a resume building tool, mock interviews and career networking support designed to help you with your job search. You'll also be able to connect with over 150 US employers in the hiring consortium who are accepting candidates who have completed the Project Management Certificate.
Who designed the Google Project Management Certificate?
Google Career Certificates were designed and built by subject-matter experts and senior practitioners at Google from each of the job fields. Every certificate has been created to equip learners with theoretical and practical knowledge and real-life problem-solving skills to be successful in an entry-level job. Expert industry organizations and platforms - like the Project Management Institute for project management, Tableau for data analytics, and Figma for UX design, to name a few - consulted and collaborated on material.
Can I get college credit for taking the Google Project Management Certificate?
Those planning to attend a degree program can utilize ACE®️ recommendations , the industry standard for translating workplace learning to college credit. Learners can earn a recommendation of 9 college credits for completing the Project Management Certificate, the equivalent of 3 college courses at the bachelor’s degree level. This aims to help open up additional pathways to learners who are interested in higher education, and prepare them for entry-level jobs.
To share proof of completion with schools, certificate graduates will receive an email prompting them to claim their Credly badge, which contains the ACE®️ credit recommendation. Once claimed, they will receive a competency-based transcript that signifies the credit recommendation, which can be shared directly with a school from the Credly platform. Please note that the decision to accept specific credit recommendations is up to each institution and is not guaranteed.
What is the Google Career Certificates fund? How do I enroll?
The $100M Google Career Certificates Fund will help nonprofits Social Finance, Merit America, and Year Up offer career support, job placement, and stipends to help drive $1B in aggregate wage gains. Learn more .
*Complete in 6 months, under 10 hours per week.
1 Burning Glass: Labor Insight (Last 12 Months: Feb. 1, 2021 - Jan. 31, 2022)
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What Job Can I Get With an MBA?
OnlineMBA.com Staff
Contributing Writer
Learn about our editorial process .
Published March 2, 2023
OnlineMBA.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Are you ready to discover your college program?
In 2020, the AACSB reported that more than 120,000 students graduated from MBA programs. MBA graduates can pursue management roles in a variety of sectors.
Students can choose popular MBA concentrations to learn skills in project management, business analytics, marketing, or information technology, which they can transfer to leadership roles in many fields.
Recent college graduates and midcareer employees in many fields may enroll in MBA programs to earn more money. According to the Corporate Recruiters Survey , the median starting salaries for MBA graduates was $115,000 in 2021.
Explore five high-paying, fast-growing jobs for MBA graduates.
Computer and Information Systems Managers
Also called IT managers, computer and information systems (CIS) managers are the strategic planners for an organization’s tech-related policies and procedures. Typically, they maintain computer systems, promote tech safety, and recommend hardware and software upgrades.
In 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists the median annual income for this role at $159,010. The agency projects positions in the field to grow 16% from 2021-2031, much faster than average.
CIS managers also manage other employees. Specifically, they lead individuals in related roles, including software developers, computer support specialists, and security analysts. They may also plan and execute hiring.
These professionals also stay ahead of IT trends relevant to their field and organization. For instance, they often identify necessary upgrades for computer systems and seek out vendors for partnerships.
CIS managers also go by other titles, including:
- IT Directors
- Chief Information Officers
- Chief Technology Officers
- IT Security Managers
Key Soft Skills for a Computer and Information Systems Manager
- Analytical skill: CIS managers must consider and identify the most effective solutions to problems.
- Communication: Professionals consult with executives and provide instructions to their team members.
- Organizing: CIS managers lead multiple departments in IT and must create processes for these teams to work together.
- Decision Making skill: CIS managers must handle resource allocation and determine the best methods for using those resources.
Key Hard Skills for a Computer and Information Systems Manager
- Technical knowledge: These professionals have knowledge in computer hardware and software, including circuit boards, processors, and chips.
- Programming: CIS Managers typically know at least one programming language, networking basics, the software development lifecycle, and application development.
- Math: CIS Managers need a solid understanding of calculus, algebra, statistics, and geometry.
- Business Management: CIS Managers must have skills in management principles like budgeting, personnel management, and strategic planning.
Human Resources Managers
Human resources managers (HRMs) hire, onboard, and terminate employees at an organization. According to the BLS , these professionals earned a median income of $126,230 in 2021. The role is projected to grow 7% or as fast as average.
These professionals consult with executives to plan hiring and retention efforts to build a strong workforce. They also develop retention programs for employees by helping them develop their interest and expertise, along with creating attractive payroll and benefits programs for staff.
HRMs work with both management and HR specialists and support staff. They are the intermediary between levels of personnel.
Sometimes, HRMs oversee all aspects of the HR department. But, larger organizations may employ several higher-level HR positions, including compensation and benefits managers or training and development managers.
Key Soft Skills for a Human Resources Manager
- Communication: These professionals need to write and speak effectively to deliver presentations and manage their staff.
- Leadership: HRMs must develop strategic plans and procedures that direct their teams, plus negotiate issues that may arise.
- Interpersonal skills: Human resources managers must be able to understand others and address their concerns.
- Organizational skills: These professionals need to connect with multiple teams and executives, plus navigate multiple tasks at once.
Key Hard Skills for a Human Resources Manager
- Retention: HRMs help improve or maintain a company culture that keeps employees satisfied and retained.
- Workers’ Compensation: These professionals must understand the rules and regulations of workers’ compensation requirements for employees who may get sick or injured on the job.
- Benefits: HRMs should stay updated on benefit trends and handle payouts of accounts including dental insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, and Health Savings Accounts.
- Payroll: HRMs should understand appropriate compensation requirements and manage others who handle employee payroll.
Management Analysts
Management analysts identity inefficiencies in an organization and suggest improvements. The BLS reported that management analysts earned $93,000 in median annual salary. The agency projects an 11% increase in jobs from 2021-2031, which is much faster than average.
Management analysts advise corporations and devise solutions for workplace inefficiencies. The job's goal is to increase worker performance, boost profit, and reduce costs. Management analysts typically specialize in a particular area like inventory control or corporate reorganization.
These professionals are either internal or hired by organizations on a project-by-project basis. Some analysts who are contractors must write bids to be hired for projects. Sometimes they work by themselves while others work on teams.
Key Soft Skills for a Management Analyst
- Analytical skills: These professionals must collect and interpret data to make recommendations.
- Communication skills: Analysts must listen, speak, write, and present information to understand an organization’s issues and make improvements.
- Interpersonal skills: Analysts work with employees and managers to understand issues and make recommendations.
- Problem-solving skills: Analysts must gather information and think critically to understand organizations' issues and recommend solutions.
Key Hard Skills for a Management Analyst
- Organizational knowledge: Analysts should be familiar with organizational best practices to make recommendations for improvement.
- Data collection and analysis: Analysts must collect and interpret quantitative and qualitative data to better understand organizational issues.
- Compliance: Analysts need to understand rules, regulations, and laws in the areas in which they work.
- Mathematical knowledge: Analysts often need to collect data using analytical software and use their knowledge of statistics, calculus, algebra, and geometry.
Project Management Specialists
Project management specialists or project managers (PMs) lead projects from start to finish, considering the timeline, personnel, and budget. The median annual income for this role was $94,500 and jobs are projected to grow as fast as average from 2021-2031, according to the BLS .
PMs lead personnel through projects and are the points of contact for clients and their team members. Project management specialists either work at one company or on a per-project basis at different organizations.
Project managers envision and execute a project's many stages. First, they identify a timeline and key activities. Next, they monitor team members’ progress and solve problems that may arise. They finish the project by closing out contracts and financial statements.
Key Soft Skills for a Project Management Specialist
- Interpersonal skills: Project managers develop relationships and trust with team members and clients.
- Time-management skills: These professionals meet deadlines and set up tasks and checkpoints to monitor progress.
- Problem-solving skills: PMs devise solutions for issues with timelines, personnel, or budget while maintaining project parameters.
- Communication skills: PMs must use their listening, writing, and presentation skills to convey information and lead teams.
Key Hard Skills for a Project Management Specialist
- Negotiation: PMs must understand how to write project bids and negotiate between a client’s expectations and what can be delivered.
- Budgeting: These professionals must be able to establish and monitor budget guidelines to ensure project compliance.
- Delegating: Successful PMs understand their team members’ strengths and assign them the tasks that will make them most successful.
- Organizing: A project management specialist sets deadlines, develops instructions, and monitors team members' progress.
Financial Managers
A financial manager directs an organization’s long-term financial goals. Many work in financial institutions, banks, or insurance companies. The BLS reports that financial managers earned a median annual salary of $131,710 and projects these jobs to grow 17% from 2021-2031, which is much faster than average.
Financial managers help ensure an organization’s financial growth. Some of their responsibilities include preparing financial reports, improving financial health, and making predictions based on financial trends. Typically, these professionals supervise employees in reporting and budgeting. They also help management make sound financial decisions.
These professionals must understand the regulatory policies, taxes, and laws relevant to their field to ensure organizational compliance. Other positions related to financial managers include:
- Controllers
- Finance officers
- Insurance managers
- Risk managers
They may advance to become Chief Financial Officers (CFOs).
Key Soft Skills for a Financial Manager
- Analysis: Financial managers collect and interpret data to help executives to make sound financial decisions.
- Communication: These professionals explain financial information and decisions to stakeholders with varying degrees of financial knowledge.
- Attention to detail: In writing and reading financial reports, financial managers must be precise when considering balance sheets and income statements.
- Organization: Financial managers develop processes that help them track a variety of documents, projects, and expectations.
Key Hard Skills for a Financial Manager
- Accounting: Financial managers need a keen understanding of accounting documents like cash flow statements, balance sheets, and annual reports.
- Financial Analysis: They must analyze financial statements using performance metrics like debt-to-equity ratio and current ratio.
- Financial Reporting: These professionals use a company’s historical performance data to make forecasts about the organization's financial future.
- Investing: Financial managers must have the skills to diversify their organization’s financial portfolios through risk assessment and alternative investments.
Best Jobs for MBA Graduates
These are just a few of the jobs professionals can earn after completing an MBA degree. MBA holders can also pursue the following professions.
Jobs for MBA Graduates
Common questions about mba careers, how will an mba help my career.
Most people earn MBAs to advance in their field and earn a higher salary. In 2021, the average new MBA graduate received a six-figure salary, and the median starting salaries for new graduates was $115,000.
What do most people with an MBA do?
A master of business administration prepares professionals for management roles in which they develop policies and strategic plans, direct high-level operations, and oversee others.
What kind of job can an MBA get you?
An MBA helps prepare you for management and leadership roles in various industries, including finance, healthcare, marketing, and business.
Which MBA job is in high demand?
Some of the most in-demand MBA jobs include marketing manager, financial manager, and IT managers. All of these jobs are predicted to grow more than 10% from 2021, which is faster than average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Recommended Reading
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View schools and degrees from across the country. Find the right program to advance your career.
11 Opportunities for Your Project Management Career Path
There is no one prescribed project management career path, as this field offers a breadth of career opportunities. Whether you’re a newcomer or an experienced professional, project management can take you in several different directions.
Read more: Best Project Management Certifications to Have in 2023
Entry-Level Project Management Jobs
Entry-level project management jobs will help you to get your foot in the door, gain experience, and prove that you are ready to lead.
Assistant Project Manager
Assistant Project Managers support the project manager in administrative and technical tasks, making sure teams complete projects on time and within budget. They are charged with day-to-day responsibilities in the planning and implementation phases of a project, such as cross-departmental collaboration, resource management, budget monitoring, vendor coordination, and more.
Core responsibilities include:
- Delegating duties to achieve project goals
- Managing variable aspects of projects
- Liaising with project lead and other project managers to maintain project schedule
- Assisting with material procurement, if necessary
- ing project implementation and gather data on project execution
- Coordinating with project managers and other project leads following project execution
The average salary for an Assistant Project Manager is $63,000 .
Project Coordinator
A project coordinator often works under the direct supervision of a project manager, ensuring a project runs smoothly and efficiently. They specialize in project budgeting and funding, and make use of spreadsheets, graphs, and other reporting tools. They make routine presentations to the project manager to report on project financials. The project coordinator also facilitates change management through budget analysis when unexpected expenses or financial shortfalls emerge.
Aside from budgeting-related activities, project coordinators are also responsible for coordinating and attending meetings, as well as developing strategies for projects.
Key responsibilities of a project coordinator include:
- Evaluating and finding solutions to potential problems during project implementation
- Planning and managing team goals, project schedules, and new information
- Coordinating team members to keep workflow on track
- Managing project-related paperwork and materials
- Preparing and reviewing project proposals
- Managing memos, meeting minutes, and correspondence
Project coordinators earn an average salary of $51,000 .
Read more: What Is a Project Coordinator? Job Description, Skills & Salary
Project Scheduler
Project schedulers often work under the direct supervision of the project manager. They focus on the scheduling aspects of project management, as well as managing different stakeholder expectations. As such, they are responsible for planning projects and monitoring their timely execution.
To do that, they often collaborate with other team members and use scheduling software to set short-term schedules and target dates for various parts of a project. A project scheduler identifies and finds solutions to potential schedule delays and prepares regular progress reports. This role also often entails making decisions on process control, procurement, sub-contracting, and risk management.
Project scheduler responsibilities include:
- Breaking down a project into timed phases with deadlines
- Identifying and find solutions to potential project setbacks
- Preparing and presenting frequent progress reports
- Decision-making for procurement, sub-contracts, and risk management
Project schedulers have an average salary of $88,000 .
Read more at CIOInsight: Entry-Level IT Jobs to Kickstart Your Career in 2022
Mid-Career Project Management Jobs
After some years of on-the-job experience in various project management tasks, the following opportunities may help you apply the business skills and knowledge you’ve acquired.
Project Team Lead
A project team lead provides structure to and motivates a team, manages conflicts, and makes final decisions after consulting with the entire team. This role reports directly to the project manager and is great training for a future project manager position. The main difference between the project team lead and the project manager is that project team leads have a vision for the project and are most concerned with the strengths and synergies of team members.
The project team leader is responsible for:
- Organizing team meetings
- Defining roles on the team
- Assigning responsibilities
- Testing product prototypes in certain contexts
Project team leaders have an average salary of $81,700 .
Business Analyst
A business analyst consults a project management team on client requirements, liaising between the project team and client. In finding the best possible solution to meet the client’s needs, the business analyst often negotiates with the project manager to deliver the best solution to the client.
Project managers rely on business analysts to provide project objectives, business needs analyses, tradeoff analyses, risk analyses, and cost-benefit analyses in order to fully understand the scope and possibilities of a project.
The duties of the business analyst include but aren’t limited to:
- Meeting regularly with clients
- Conveying clients’ needs to project management teams
- Negotiating between project feasibility and client requirements
- Identifying and communicating project objectives
- Conducting business, tradeoff, risk, and cost-benefit analyses
Business analysts have an average salary of $62,000 .
Project Manager
A project manager plans and executes projects to help organizations improve processes, develop new products, build structures, or complete other initiatives. They often supervise project coordinators, project schedulers, or both. Depending on the company size, a project manager may be the sole person responsible for project execution or report to a senior project manager.
A project manager guides a team through a project while ensuring the schedule, budget, and communications are aligned in order to fulfill project goals.
The role of project manager is quite versatile and can be applied in a variety of industries, including construction, healthcare, software development, finance, government, and IT.
Core tasks of the project manager include:
- Supervising assistant project manager, project scheduler, project coordinator, and/or project team lead
- Collaborating with the business analyst and program manager
- Communicating staffing needs to resource manager
- Ensuring alignment between the schedule, budget, and project goals
- Reporting to the senior project manager or director of program management
Project managers earn an average salary of $75,000 .
Read more: Difference Between Owner & Manager
Program Manager
A program manager has a long-term vision for how multiple projects serve an overarching business strategy. A program manager supervises a group of projects, and thus, also a group of project managers. The kinds of tasks that a program manager performs include defining project strategies and project success metrics. Multitasking and people management skills are highly valued in this role.
Key duties of the program manager include:
- Strategizing projects that align with business initiatives
- Defining and communicating project success metrics
- Supervising project managers
- Reporting to director of program management
Program managers earn an average of $140,000 .
Read more: Program Manager vs Project Manager 2023
Resource Manager
No projects get done without qualified, highly skilled team members. That’s why resource managers are a valuable aid to project management. They assist project managers with staff allocation and hiring new employees according to the project manager’s needs. Since a resource manager has a good grasp of employee strengths, they may also assign staff to projects based on their skills and experience.
Resource managers also perform the following tasks:
- Monitoring employee workload, schedules, and work time
- Administering HR processes such as compensation, benefits election, and training
- Documenting staff processes and changes
- Staying informed of the latest labor laws and regulations
Resource managers earn an average of $70,000 .
Scrum Master
The Scrum Master helps the project team by enhancing and streamlining the processes by which they achieve their goals. They sometimes lead team meetings, and coach teams on best Scrum practices. More specifically, the scrum master helps the team maintain their burndown chart and set up retrospectives, sprint reviews, and Agile Sprint planning sessions.
In contrast to the project manager, the Scrum Master plays a facilitating role rather than a leadership role.
The Scrum Master is charged with the following tasks:
- Facilitating meetings
- Sprint planning
- Removing barriers to project progress
- Maintaining open communication within the team
A scrum master earns an average salary of $94,000 .
Senior-Level Project Management Jobs
Senior project manager.
The Senior Project Manager position is an advanced project management role that involves overseeing larger projects, such as scaling processes across teams, developing complex products, or leading projects with longer time frames.
Senior PMs typically have at least 10 years of related experience supervising projects from start to finish, demonstrating leadership, strategic planning, organizational skills, time management, communication, and results orientation.
The duties they perform include:
- Developing project plans
- Identifying resource and budgetary needs
- Hosting project meetings with team and managers
- Providing feedback and updates on projects
- Managing project deadlines
- Coordinating with vendors and suppliers
The average senior project manager salary is $94,000 .
Director of Program Management
The director of project management is often the highest ranking employee in a company’s project management operations, overseeing project managers, and program managers, as well as leading company-wide projects and defining how these projects fit into a business’s strategic plans. The director of program management makes sure that projects are executed on time and liaises between initiatives.
A director of program management coordinates with internal and external parties, keeping them abreast of projects’ phase of completion. In this role it is essential to lead and encourage individual project teams and their managers to reach goals while also enforcing the company’s policies and regulations.
The director of program management is responsible for:
- Leading project managers and program managers
- Maintaining high-level understanding of company projects to align them with business goals
- Liaising between internal and external stakeholders
- Developing and implementing company policies and regulations as they pertain to project management
Average senior project manager salary is $143,000 .
Ready to Consider a Project Management Career Path?
These opportunities give aspiring and current project management professionals the chance to develop diverse skills that will serve them well on their project management career path.
Depending on where you’re at in your project management career, start investigating the required skills and background for one or more roles in the category that’s appropriate for your experience level. Some of these roles’ responsibilities overlap, roll up into one job title, or are broken up across a few different roles. The specific job title and responsibilities will differ depending on your company’s size and approach to project management.
There is plenty of space to move up as well as laterally within project management, making it an exciting field to enter.
Read next: 10 Must-Have Project Management Skills New PMs Overlook
Recommended Project Management Software
If you’re interested in learning more about top rated project management software, the editors at Project-Management.com actively recommend the following:
Visit website
Tackle complex projects with Wrike’s award-winning project management software. Break projects into simple steps, assign tasks to team members, and visualize progress with Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and calendars. Manage resource allocation and forecasting with software that’s easy to launch. Automation and AI features strip away time-consuming admin tasks so you can do the best work of your life. Streamline your practices, align your team, and ensure you hit deadlines and stay on budget.
Learn more about Wrike
ClickUp is one of the highest-rated project management tools today. Use Docs, Reminders, Goals, Calendars, Chat, scheduling, assigned comments, custom views, & more with this all-in-one project management tool. Used by 800,000+ teams in companies like Airbnb, Google, and Uber, it brings all of your projects into a single app! Built for teams of all sizes and industries, Our fully customizable & proprietary features make it a must-have for anyone wanting to keep project management in one place.
Learn more about ClickUp
3 Smartsheet
Smartsheet is an online work execution platform empowering organizations of all sizes to plan, manage, automate, and report on work. Over 80,000 brands rely on Smartsheet for project and work management.
Learn more about Smartsheet
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Project Management
How to Become a Project Manager Without Experience: Enthusiasm vs Professional Degree
Pavel Kukhnavets / Aug 12, 2020
Project management is not a simple and straight direction; this discipline requires a unique combination of skills and abilities.
Project managers in 2020 should manage their own fields of responsibilities and also teams, deadlines, all processes, and scopes of work. They should motivate and engage young talents to build a dream team able to perform efficiently, constantly thinking about project profitability .
It should be important for project managers without experience to not allow numbers to stifle the creative vibes of team members. They need analytical and budgeting abilities as well as a number of soft skills , so popular today. Without paying much attention to these skills, let’s simply remind the main of them:
- Leadership. It’s really crucial for project managers without experience to be able to inspire others, set the vision, and lead effectively.
- Communication . Effective communication and being understood are also important for people involved in project management, as this ability is the key to any relationship’s door.
- Negotiation . A project manager with good negotiation skills is an asset to the team as he/she seeks to resolve conflicts by finding the win-win scenarios.
- Trust building. Good project managers easily earn the team’s trust and can trust the team without a doubt.
- Motivation. One of the project managers’ responsibilities is caring about the personal and professional needs and goals of their team members and be able to satisfy them.
- Active listening is directly aligned with communication. Good listening allows PMs to learn more about their team members and clients and be more engaged.
- Decision-making . During the decision-making process , project managers with no experience should care about how others will be affected and consult their colleagues if needed.
- Influencing. When project managers are able to get people to change their minds, it increases their value and weight in the team.
- Conflict solving. The lack of conflicts is about an ideal world. Every project manager without experience should also evolve conflict management skills.
- Managing risks. Project managers should always stay on top of their projects by controlling risks and actively mitigating against them.
- Coaching is the skill that helps PMs to discover their own potential and elevate from their current skill level to the next step.
- Cost control or budget management. Those project managers have no this skill will be at a disadvantage because budgets are tight. It is critical for them to be able to deliver projects within the cost constraints and managing finances intelligently.
In the modern software development environment , a high-skilled project manager is not the only key to success. However, if he or she knows how to manage the main lever, their efforts can make a big difference in the project outcome.
Professional experience is also a key aspect of success in 2020. Just look at the screen from Payscale with the PM’s salary in the U.S. based on the professional experience:
How to become a project manager?
Can you be a project manager with no experience? The process of becoming a project manager is not a classic and canonical case, just because this position is quite a young one.
Some talents choose taking classes and getting certified, while others decide to be a project manager with unrelated degrees or experience, without formal training. Which path is the most effective? Which one is faster and painless?
It all depends on the globality of your goals. Becoming a project manager without experience may be a lofty purpose or just mere steps away. Anyway, the good news is that you have a choice.
The choice at the crossroad
Knowledge opens doors: the role of professional education.
As you can guess – the first way is about getting project manager education and certification . In fact, this way consists of the following steps:
1. Initial decision
How to get a project management job with no experience? If you decide to become a certified PM, not an informal PM, it is worth investing time to learn about the day-to-day project management routine. Then you can start working towards a certification.
2. Which certification will appropriate better
The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the center that provides the best and high-quality education for project managers. The institute offers two common certifications:
- CAPM – the Certified Associate in Project Management.
- PMP – the Project Management Professional certification.
The key difference between them is that you can get a CAPM certification without PM experience, while the PMP certification requires some experience – at least 4,500 professional hours. Both ways require taking and passing exams.
Evaluate your chances first and figure out which of the certifications you are able to get.
3. Starting professional education
There are several ways on how you can obtain hours of project management education. The main idea is that they must be completed before you sit for your exams.
You are able to choose training through the registered providers across the world to get these certifications. It’s also possible to add related university and continuing education classes towards your hours. Do not forget to track every hour. The next step is the most exciting… Yes, it’s about the exam.
4. Taking the certification exam
At this stage, you have to study the entire Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide published by PMI to succeed in both the CAPM and the PMP exams.
There are additional materials available to purchase that may help you prepare for the exam.
- The CAPM includes 150 questions and can be taken online or offline.
- The PMP has 200 questions and must be taken in a testing center.
5. Maintaining certification
Do not leave your certificate dusting on a shelf. Both certifications require maintenance in different ways.
- The CAPM requires passing the exam every five years and this exam itself changes periodically.
- The PMP requires completing 60 professional development units each year.
Would you like to get anything other than just a theory, for example, a third-party opinion? Here is an interesting case about getting a certificate and its importance:
Self-education is also education: how to become a project manager without a degree
The second path to being an accidental project manager is also very popular nowadays. You may take on the responsibilities of a PM without training and certification and you know what – you have great chances to succeed. Taking your training into your own hands is a widespread practice.
Many managers perform without getting any specific training, no matter what industry they represent – from construction project management to the IT-sphere. They come to this profession from completely different fields, but most often from development, marketing, or product management . The main idea is to be 100% sure that you want to find a way to how to get into project management without experience.
By the way, we’ve recently written about how to become a product manager without any experience as well.
If this option is what you need, just follow some steps in this process:
1. Evaluating your own experience
Thinking to dive into a project management role without preparation, you may already have some of the soft and tech skills required to be a PM.
Many specialists perform the things that certified PMs do in the course of their work, from planning schedules to sticking to budgets.
It will be useful to research formal project management positions and interview the experts in PM, develop a list of skills and experience you have that you will use.
2. Defining white spots
Identify what experience you lack and be prepared to learn a few technical skills. When you have a full picture of what you still need to learn, you will be able to create a plan of attack and take advantage of opportunities to fill in the gaps in your knowledge.
3. Looking for new opportunities
At this stage, it’s high time to start looking for opportunities to fill out your skillset.
If informal and self-guided learning is right for you, then try the classes offered by PMI or any online learning platform.
Of course, you may start with trivial things such as studying professional project management books and diving into the best project management online software .
Remember that you may pursue a certification any time you want. In any case, take advantage of all of the learning opportunities and resources you can.
4. Implementing what has been learned
Any theory should be continued by the practice. You will definitely notice many opportunities to use your new skills and apply resources effectively. Project management requires close cooperation and communication between team members, so do not hesitate to start using the skills you’ve learned in the course of doing your own work.
Another area for continuous development is the use of professional online tools. Every year more and more new project management software appear. Choosing the most suitable one is also a great talent.
How to become a project manager without experience: the industry does matter
The industry that a project manager represents may have a significant impact on yearly earnings.
For example, PMs in the following industries report the highest median income in the nation (according to the Project Management Institute):
- Resources (for example, agriculture) – $134,577
- Consulting – $134,149
- Pharmaceuticals – $133,246
- Aerospace – $129,732
- Food and Beverage – $124,559
By the way, the IT sector only ranks eighth on this list with $122,245.
Due to the rapid growth and demand in such industries as science, technology, engineering, and math, project management salaries look especially high. In top-paying project management industries such as the government, projects are more complex. They usually require specialized skills and knowledge of particular software, making PM salaries higher than average.
Mastering project management skills is a process that may never end. However, one day you will see a clear picture of what you want to do next.
The most logical way if your learning was self-guided is to pursue some more formal training or get a certificate. You will probably start looking for a formal project management position with advanced benefits and you’ll be right.
Keep learning and make sure you don’t get left behind. The career of project management is not the most difficult objective in the world and you have all the chances to succeed, no matter which of two ways you choose.
Hopefully, all the thoughts mentioned above were helpful for you in case you wanted to learn how to be a project manager without experience.
Related posts:
- How to Become a Product Manager Without Any Experience
- Two Global Ways for Those Who Decide to Become a Project Manager
- Changing a Job: How to Become a Project Manager?
- Fantastic Trio: How Can Program Manager, Product Manager and Project Manager Collaborate Together?
- Professional Advice for Successful Scrum Project Management
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Marketing Consultant Job Description (2023 Guide)
If you’ve worked in digital marketing for a while and are looking to switch things up in your career, you may consider taking on a job as a marketing consultant. But how do you know if this is really the right career move for you?
A helpful starting point is to familiarize yourself with the marketing consultant job description, as it touches on the key responsibilities and skills you’ll need to be successful in this role.
To give you a better idea of what marketing consulting entails , we’ve put together this job description guide covering the most common responsibilities, skills, and qualifications for marketing consultants in 2023.
If you’d like to skip ahead to one of the sections, just use the clickable menu:
- Marketing consultant job description: Overview
- Marketing consultant job description: Responsibilities
- Marketing consultant job description: Skills
- Marketing consultant job description: Qualifications (and how to get them)
Ready? Let’s get started!
1. Marketing consultant job description: Overview
A marketing consultant helps businesses and organizations reach their objectives by crafting strategic marketing maneuvers . Companies may seek the help of an experienced marketing consultant, either temporarily or permanently, when they want to boost their public profile, create a new content or social media strategy, launch a product, or rebrand their company with new visuals and messaging.
A marketing consultant’s primary role is to identify industry trends and implement marketing strategies that benefit the company. Generally speaking, this includes tasks like:
- Developing and executing targeted marketing campaigns
- Establishing relationships with potential customers
- Identifying emerging markets and opportunities for the company
- Researching and analyzing competitor strategies
- Developing customer segmentation models and personalized offers
- Analyzing data to identify trends in customer behavior
Though they must be knowledgeable in different digital marketing approaches , consulting marketing professionals typically don’t need to understand the technical details of each task in order to execute it— instead, they focus on the strategic work, leaving the hands-on work for others.
The best part about being a consultant is that it allows you to specialize in one particular area—whether it’s SEO, social media marketing, direct response marketing, or something else entirely—while always keeping the goal of helping companies connect with customers at the forefront.
2. Marketing consultant job description: Responsibilities
With this general overview of a marketing consultant’s role in mind, let’s break down the more specific tasks and responsibilities you’ll need to be adept at to make the most of this job. The following top ten points are based on a comparative analysis of marketing consultant job descriptions found on Glassdoor , Indeed , and Monster :
- Conducting market research to understand customer trends and needs and develop effective overall marketing plans
- Examining market trends, competitor activities, and customer feedback to optimize strategies for maximum performance outcomes
- Utilizing various media and digital platforms according to customer demographics and preferences to reach a broader audience base
- Crafting promotional materials, such as brochures, advertisements, and other marketing tools, to increase brand familiarity and recognition among target audiences
- Establishing connections with prospective clients and partners to ensure alignment in achieving business goals
- Setting objectives for marketing projects and monitoring performance metrics against those benchmarks as part of the decision-making process within the marketing department
- Tracking changes in digital technology, consumer behaviors, platforms, etc., to adjust existing strategies or create new ones as necessary
- Overseeing budgets for marketing efforts to guarantee cost-effectiveness over time while maximizing results across channels
- Analyzing key data points such as engagement numbers and website analytics to measure successes or areas of improvement for future marketing initiatives
- Composing comprehensive reports on campaign results with recommendations on how best to move forward with new strategies informed by data analysis
3. Marketing consultant job description: Skills
In addition to the responsibilities outlined above, a variety of broader skills are necessary for success as a marketing consultant. These include:
Communication skills
Effective communication is essential for marketing consultants to navigate the complexities of their clients’ businesses and markets, understand their needs and goals, and clearly outline strategies and solutions to advance their objectives. Communication skills are also a critical component of content creation, data analysis, and report writing.
Analytical skills
Marketing consultants must be able to accurately interpret and analyze data from various sources, such as customer surveys, A/B testing results, and website analytics, to identify trends and draw data-driven conclusions. So, Data Analytics is a key skill to develop if you’re planning to apply for marketing consultant jobs.
Research skills
Another required skill often mentioned in marketing consultant job descriptions is research. Consultants must be able to find relevant data, assess the data’s reliability and accuracy, and make sound recommendations based on their findings. So, a deep understanding of the research process, data sources, and analysis techniques is essential.
Strategic thinking skills
Strategic thinking is a must for any marketing consultant. They should be able to think broadly, identify trends and make strategic decisions on how to reach target audiences best. This requires them to have an understanding of their clients’ goals, the market landscape, and strategic tasks and objectives.
Organizational skills
Like all marketing professionals, consultants need to stay on top of tasks and deadlines, manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize their workloads for maximum efficiency. Developing strong organizational skills can help them keep on top of their projects and deliver results on time.
Project management skills
Along with organizational skills, marketing consultants should possess project management knowledge and experience. This means they can effectively manage the timelines, resources, and budgets of their campaigns, ensuring that they are on track to meet their clients’ expectations. Project management experience is advantageous for any marketing consultant job.
Negotiation skills
And finally, negotiation skills are also important. Marketing consultants must be able to negotiate external vendors, contracts, and terms as part of the project management process. For example, they may need to identify the best deals for media buys or negotiate rates with influencers. This requires a good grasp of the marketing process and negotiation experience.
4. Marketing consultant job description: Qualifications (and how to get them)
If you’re serious about becoming a marketing consultant , earning a marketing degree or certification might be helpful. But it’s important to understand that this is by no means a requirement. The benefits of having marketing qualifications depend on the type of marketing strategy you plan to use, any prior education, as well as the marketing experience you already have.
That said, both marketing degrees and professional certification programs can provide an extra edge when applying for marketing consultant jobs.
Academic qualifications
Formal academic qualifications are particularly useful for those who are just starting out in digital marketing or do not have an undergraduate degree or postgraduate qualification in a related field. This could include a degree in marketing, business, communications, or economics, such as these three examples:
- BA (Hons) Digital Marketing
- BSc (Hons) Digital Marketing and Data Analytics
- MSc Strategic Digital Marketing
The difference between BA and BSc undergraduate degrees is that the former typically involves more broad-based learning, while the latter focuses on developing specific skills and technical knowledge.
Professional certifications
Taking on a four-year degree (or longer, if you choose to go the post-graduate route, too) isn’t for everyone. Another great option is to pursue professional certifications. This has the advantage of providing valuable evidence of your knowledge and experience in the field without the need to commit to an entire degree-level course.
If you’re interested in getting certified, check out this list of the best digital marketing courses in the world right now .
These online courses, too, can help demonstrate your commitment to the field and provide potential employers with further evidence of your digital marketing knowledge.
5. Next steps
If you’re looking to take your career in digital marketing to the next level, becoming a marketing consultant could open up some exciting new opportunities. However, as this overview of the marketing consultant job description has shown, there is a lot to consider before taking the plunge.
Research the job in detail to make sure you possess—or gain—the skills and qualifications necessary to succeed. And, of course, always stay up-to-date with the latest trends and strategies in digital marketing.
Want to get a hands-on introduction to digital marketing? Why not try out our free, 5-day short course ?
If you found this blog post helpful, we’re confident that you’ll love these related posts as well:
- SEO Specialist salary guide
- What are the best entry-level digital marketing jobs?
- The ultimate guide to digital marketing in B2B
- Back to Jobs
Southwest Airlines
Senior product owner, job description:, as a senior product owner, you can expect:.
- Fly for free, as a privilege, on any open seat on all Southwest flights—your eligible dependents too.
- Up to a 9.3% 401(k) Company match, dollar for dollar, per paycheck.*
- Potential for annual ProfitSharing contribution toward retirement - when Southwest profits, you profit.**
- Explore more Benefits you’ll love: swa.is/benefits
- There is a limited group of states or localities ineligible for Employees to regularly perform their work off-site.
- Those ineligible locations are Alaska,?Delaware, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
- For eligible Leadership and individual contributor roles, additional bonus opportunities are available and awarded at the discretion of the Company.
Responsibilities
- Provide innovation and the end-to-end launch of integrated solutions/products across multiple Agile Teams
- Collaborate with Business Partners and Product Managers to co-develop a roadmap and drive products and features from concept to launch in a fast-paced environment across multiple Agile Teams
- Work with senior stakeholders and customers across the organization to inform the product vision, strategy, features, and prioritization
- Translate product roadmap features into well-defined product requirements including features, user stories, and acceptance test criteria across multiple products or complex solutions
- Turn data insights into products with actionable outcomes to the ultimate customer
- Oversee the design, construction, and implementation of integrated solutions ensuring functionality meets business requirements
- Coach and mentor other Product Owners across multiple Agile Teams to build, refine, prioritize and maintain their Team backlogs
- Review, approve, and drive iteration content by prioritizing user stories and accept user stories as complete
- Define and prioritize solutions to complex issues and effectively communicate dependencies, risks, issues and cope for complex solutions
- Coach and mentor Product Owners and Scrum Masters in the successful delivery of Scrum ceremonies such as iteration planning, iteration reviews, and demos
- May perform other job duties as directed by Employee's Leaders
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Ability to make decisions independently and demonstrate skills to support, guide, and mentor other Product Owners in the same business domain
- Ability to understand technical issues across multiple business systems and how business areas interact in order to drive toward the best solutions
- Ability to be analytical and problem solve with a high attention to detail
- Ability to show initiative by anticipating risks, issues and opportunities, and escalating them accordingly, while mentoring and coaching
- Skilled in presentation, facilitation, communication, and negotiation across multiple stakeholders and levels in the organization
- Ability to search for opportunities, focus on business value and the Return On Investment and act proactively on possible risks and threats
- Ability to effectively manage complex tasks that are not well defined
- Ability to balance priority, risk, value, learning opportunities and dependencies and effectively uses product / Team backlog to manage them
- Ability to effectively communicate complex problems, risks, progress, or new ideas to diverse Stakeholders and influence direction
- Knowledge of industry trends and new technologies in order to provide innovative product guidance to the Business or Product Manager
- Expertise in Agile including the value and principles, and how they are applied in enterprise environments
- Required: High School Diploma or GED
- Required: Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience - BS, Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems or related field or the equivalent formal training
- Required: Advanced-level experience, seasoned and specialized knowledge in:Agile and Scrum software development methodologies
- Business analysis, project management or software development delivering enterprise products and solutions
Physical Abilities
- Ability to perform work duties from [limited space work station/desk/office area] for extended periods of time
- Ability to communicate and interact with others in the English language to meet the demands of the job
- Ability to use a computer and other office productivity tools with sufficient speed and accuracy to meet the demands of the job
Other Qualifications
- Must maintain a well-groomed appearance per Company appearance standards as described in established guidelines
- Must be a U.S. citizen or have authorization to work in the United States as defined by the Immigration Reform Act of 1986
- Must be at least 18 years of age
- Must be able to comply with Company attendance standards as described in established guidelines
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Manager, global education content.
Copy Manager
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Become a project manager by building skills and experience, earning a certification, or working your way up on a team. Project managers organize teams of people to accomplish a specific goal, or project, for companies and other organizations.
If you're interested in building a career in project management, but don't yet have the experience, consider these steps: 1. Showcase foundational skills Hiring managers may look for candidates who display the skills of a project manager in their resume and during an interview.
How to get hired for project manager jobs? Start applying project management principles If you're serious about becoming a project manager, the best thing to do is to study up. There are plenty of resources online about project management principles and how they can best be applied.
Project manager roles take different job titles: project manager, delivery manager, scrum manager, agile coach, product manager. The titles can vary depending on the country or region you're in ...
How to become a project manager: Working your way up from a non-managerial position or junior position can be a good way to start. Earning certifications like the Project Management Professional (PMP), or others in Scrum or Agile, can be helpful. Read more: What Does a Project Manager Do? A Career Guide course How to Manage a Remote Team
There are a lot of places to find project management jobs. The most popular methods involve online job sites like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and Glassdoor. We also recommend looking at LinkedIn as well as freelancing sites like Upwork or Freelancer. Job Boards Job boards are extremely helpful because they often contain recent and reliable job postings.
To sit for the CAPM certification exam, you'll need to have 23 hours of project management education and a high school diploma or associate degree. You can obtain the former by taking an exam...
You can typically work as a project manager in a wide variety of fields, like customer service, marketing and healthcare. In this article, we share common careers for project managers to pursue and their key responsibilities. Get the latest trending stories, job search tips, career advice and more! Why are these great careers for project managers?
A project management job description must include a job brief, responsibilities, educational qualifications, experience and any other requirement as per your organization. You should also...
Option 3: Become an assistant project manager. This is a GREAT way to gain project experience. You are not directly in the "hot seat" of the project manager, but still you work together with the manager in charge and support him in his daily work. Also, you are the first point of contact if he is not in the office.
How do I become a project manager? There are two main roads on the career path to becoming a project manager. You can either go the "traditional" route — i.e. set out to become a project manager, get a qualification, and take a role as a project manager.
Study the Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide. Studying this book is needed to pass the both of the two most common project management exams. Obtain a CAPM certification. The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification is available for entry-level candidates and administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
The first step to becoming a project manager is to learn the basics. There are many free courses available online that can help you understand key terms, methodologies, and best practices. Joining ...
A project manager is a professional who organizes, plans, and executes projects while working within restraints like budgets and schedules. Project managers lead entire teams, define project goals, communicate with stakeholders, and see a project through to its closure. Whether running a marketing campaign, constructing a building, developing a ...
An individual development plan is one of the tools employers can use to help employees improve their job performance and achieve their career goals with external encouragement. Individual development plans and their action plans are especially effective when employees and team leaders collaborate honestly in specific ways that benefit the employee, manager, team and the company as a whole.
Get the Appropriate Online Education. 3. Know How to Use Helpful Tools and Applications. 4. Create a Strong Resume. 5. Apply for Entry-Level Jobs. To Wrap Things Up. Blog Use Cases Top 5 Ways to Become a Project Manager Without Prior Experience.
At its simplest, there are two ways to get your first Project Management job. But do note that it unusual for your first job to be as a Project manager. More typically, you take your Project Management experience from your first job roles and trade them up to your first Project Manager role.
Manage all contractors and their work at each stage of construction. Manage materials and costs and communicate with General contractor…. Remote Project Manager Project Management Cost Control Construction Management Project Scheduling Construction Estimating Communications Material Take-Off. See More.
Get started in the high-growth field of project management with a professional certificate developed by Google. Discover how to manage projects efficiently and effectively, using traditional and agile methods. Get started. on. No relevant experience required. 100% remote, online learning. Under 10 hours of study a week*. Watch a quick intro video.
Project Management Specialists. Project management specialists or project managers (PMs) lead projects from start to finish, considering the timeline, personnel, and budget. The median annual income for this role was $94,500 and jobs are projected to grow as fast as average from 2021-2031, according to the BLS.
Entry-level project management jobs will help you to get your foot in the door, gain experience, and prove that you are ready to lead. Assistant Project Manager Assistant Project Managers support the project manager in administrative and technical tasks, making sure teams complete projects on time and within budget.
I need a solid project manager to join my team. Expectation is 20 hours per week, M-F with availability daily between 9am - 2pm daily (4 Hours per day in that window) Job Description: The Virtual Project Manager will oversee multiple projects of varying type and length. Some projects will be completed in a week, others may take a month or two to complete. The project manager will be introduced ...
The PMI membership comprises students, seniors, aspiring Project Managers looking to explore potential development opportunities, Project Managers and certified Project members. This seminar is aimed at members that want to become Project Managers but do not know how to do it. This webinar will address how to become a Project Manager.
1. Evaluating your own experience. Thinking to dive into a project management role without preparation, you may already have some of the soft and tech skills required to be a PM. Many specialists perform the things that certified PMs do in the course of their work, from planning schedules to sticking to budgets.
Marketing consultants must be able to negotiate external vendors, contracts, and terms as part of the project management process. For example, they may need to identify the best deals for media buys or negotiate rates with influencers. This requires a good grasp of the marketing process and negotiation experience. 4.
Job SummaryServe as the Customer proxy, and responsible for working with Product Management and other stakeholders including other product owners and other teams to define and prioritize the Team Backlog so that the solution effectively addresses program priorities while maintaining technical integrity.