How to become a Project Manager with *no* experience
So you want to become a Project Manager but are not sure where to start? I’m going to share a few tips to help you get started on your journey and become a PM.
I started my career in tech sales then became a chartered electrical engineer in construction and shortly after that got into project management. I’m currently an Associate Director and I oversee multi-million dollar commercial real estate projects. This how I would get into project management if I had to start all over again.
I am going to assume that you already have a job but no project management experience.
The first thing you want to consider is if you actually enjoy doing the tasks that project management involves. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
Do you like working with and leading teams to achieve a goal? For instance, do you enjoy planning holiday trips for all of your friends?
Are you organised and do you think in a structured way? Do you enjoy making lists and timelines or developing processes?
Do you enjoy making budgets (this could be organising your personal finances)?
Do you often consider how a strategy could go wrong and develop a plan B?
Essentially, you want to use your day to day experiences to determine whether project management is something you might enjoy.
Another thing you should do is try being the PM for a task in your current role at work.
Volunteer to be the lead for an upcoming client pitch, oversee the development of a small product feature or campaign, plan an event for customers. These sort of activities will give you invaluable skills and experiences that are transferable to becoming a Project Manager.
If gaining direct PM experience isn’t currently possible, offer to shadow someone at work who is currently a PM. It’s worth mentioning that a lot of people who do project management as part of their job (usually those in managerial positions) may not necessarily have the job title. They may be called a team leader, delivery manager or a programme director for instance.
If you need some guidance on where to begin, let me know in the comments or send me a DM and share a brief description of what your current role involves. I’ll be happy to suggest a few first steps to help you get started with the process of becoming a PM.
Once you are in a situation where you are getting exposure to a project and project management, I would suggest that you then obtain a formal qualification. I would recommend the PMF and PMQ certifications by the APM. They will help you learn more about the core project management concepts and develop the right skills.
Project management is a well paid and super rewarding career path, particularly if you like making an impact and seeing tangible results. Let me know if you have any questions and like and follow for more project management advice.