How To Become a Project Manager With No Experience
- Michele LePage
- Oct 14, 2022
- 4 min read
If you've decided to pursue a career in project management, getting started without having much experience can be a challenge. When starting my career over ten years ago I was in a similar position. Although I had recently graduated and had a University Degree in a technical field, I had no idea where to start. Organizations are looking for someone that already has detailed knowledge of managing projects, so it is difficult to get your foot in the door right away.
I'd like to share some helpful tips that should help you get started and overcome the no experience barrier.
Foundational Skills
Being a project manager requires a lot more than just experience, the first step you should take is to build your basic foundational skills.
Organizational Skills: Every project has various components you must oversee as a project manager. A project manager must have a high level of attention to detail and organization to ensure that a project remains on schedule and within budget.
Leadership Skills: As a project manager, you sometimes have to manage individuals who you haven't worked with before. Improving your leadership skills can help new team members feel comfortable with you and your role as project manager. Having their respect will help motivate team members to complete their tasks on time.
Communication Skills: Communication is the key role of a project manager as they have to manage the conversation between various individuals involved in the project, either as stakeholders or team members. Improving your communication skills will help you meet goals and keep stakeholder's informed of a project's status.
As projects have been increasing in complexity, the demand for skilled project managers is now higher than ever before. The demand is highest for those with a mix of competencies— you should have a combination of leadership and technical skills plus strong business acumen.
All of these skills will help you better manage any project team. A good way to work on improving or acquiring these skills is being a member of a project team yourself. Observe the project leaders around you and see how they use their skills to come up with solutions or resolve issues. This will help you see what skills you need to improve and allow you to increase your chances of landing a project management role in the future.
Professional Development
When starting off your career, you will not have the necessary working experience to land a job. Focusing on your own professional development and taking your education and certifications seriously is the best way to start.
There are many education options out there for project managers. There are several courses available online from the project management institute or other providers at a reasonable price. Taking courses and learning from experts in the field will help you get a grasp at the basics of project management. Some of my recommended options are below:
Free courses:
Project Management Tutorial for Beginners - Simplilearn
PMP Basics - SkillUP
Paid Courses and Certifications:
CAPM Training - CBT Nuggets
PMP Training - The Knowledge Academy
Any of these courses will allow you to learn the basics on how to run a project team and be a good project manager. If you don't have access to a formal diploma or degree for project panagement, many organizations will accept accredited certifications. Make sure you understand the requirements for these certifications. The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is a highly recognized project management certifications, but just to take the exam, you must have at least three years of project management experience and a specific amount of formal education. If that is not an option for you, the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification requires less experience and is a great addition on your resume.
Employers can be willing to compromise on experience, but you have to show your worth by being adequately prepared. An employer will expect that you know the project management basics in an interview so take the time to perfect your resume and practice your interview skills.
Start Small and Take Initiative
It is very likely that you will be unable to find an entry-level project manager positions. You should look for roles that can help you develop key project management skills. Some of the job titles I would look for are project coordinator, service coordinator, project assistant, or office manager. Most of these roles play a part in managing project processes, and assigning tasks to other people. If you show strong initiative you may even be able to work your way into a project management position in the future.
The first job you look for should always be an entry-level one. I started initially as a project resource before moving into a project coordinator role. Through hard work and taking initiative I was able to gain the experience that gave my employer the confidence to move me into a more advanced position. I can't promise that it will be easy, you need to go above and beyond to set yourself apart.
Learn the Tools
In addition to the general skills you need as a project manager, there are also many hard skills that are required. Project managers need to use the tools that are available to them, which often differs depending on the organization. This could be using different project management software, Microsoft office, various email software etc.
When you apply for a new role its up to you to understand the tools and show up willing to learn. Since project management can be highly standardized, most tools should be fairly similar. Understanding the fundamentals of the different tools will make you a more valuable resource for any organization and help you run your team better.
It is possible to get a job in project management with less experience, especially if you're flexible, show willingness to learn and have the soft skills project management requires. A project management career is a journey, and you need to invest the time to be successful. Focus on learning the right skills, terminology, and project management fundamentals before you apply for a project management role.
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