Hey everyone.
I'm Max Dalton and in this video I'll give you five tips for how to get into project
management.
Getting into project management without experience or a degree is difficult, but not impossible.
The objective of this video is to give you the information you need to kickstart a long
and successful career in project management.
Additionally, I'll link to some of the resources I've used and that I think will help you in
the description, so be sure and check those out.
Now let's dig into five tips that will help you become a project manager.
First, understand what the required skills are for a project manager and identify your
gaps.
Core skills that all project managers should have (regardless of industry) are organization,
communication, leadership, negotiation, and the ability to manage people.
Rank yourself in each of these areas to get an initial understanding of where your biggest
knowledge gaps are.
After you understand your knowledge gaps, a great way to shore those gaps up is through
books that focus on the specific subject areas, and also online learning platforms, such as
LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) and Pluralsight.
There are also a wealth of project management experts on YouTube who go above and beyond
in sharing their knowledge and expertise to help people on their journey to get into project
management.
Next, work toward earning project management certifications that don't require any industry
experience.
Becoming a project manager without experience or a degree where you focused on project management
makes the road a little longer, but it's definitely not impossible.
The Project Management Institute, which sponsors the highly-respected Project Management Professional
(or PMP) certification, offers an entry-level project management certification that's perfect
for people with no experience and no formal project management training who want to get
into project management.
While the PMP certification does require a minimum of 4,500 hours associated with managing
or directing projects, the Certified Associate in Project Management (or CAPM) certification
does not.
The only requirement to sit for the CAPM certification is 23 hours of project management education.
That's it.
To make it better, the test only covers project management terminology, and doesn't get into
the complex scenarios, math, or tricky questions you'll find on the PMP exam.
The biggest barrier is the cost.
As of late 2019, the cost to sit for the CAPM was $300; however, the cost of getting the
23 project management education hours can range anywhere from $500 to $1,500.
Alternatively, the Prince2 Foundation certification sponsored by Axelos has no barriers to entry,
but it will cost you somewhere in the ballpark of $1000 to sit for the exam.
Something else you can to do help you get into project management is to find opportunities
to run projects in your current position.
You don't have to have a project manager title to run projects.
Most organizations don't staff project management teams appropriately, and as a result many
projects aren't run by people with a project manager title.
Take a look within your own department and around your organization for new project efforts
that are coming down the pipeline and talk to your manager about getting involved.
Try to avoid large and complex projects, and try to find to find a smaller, low-visibility
effort that you can cut your teeth on.
Alternatively, if your organization does have a healthy project management office and you
can't find a small project to manage, ask to get involved as either a project coordinator
or project scheduler supporting an experienced project manager so you can both learn from
that individual and get experience.
Next, work to get plugged in with an experienced project manager who's willing to share their
knowledge and mentor you.
Good project managers are often great teachers and love to share their knowledge.
Ideally, find someone in your current organization who's willing to take you under their wings
and show you how they manage projects, let you sit in on some
of their meetings, and walk you through the templates and processes they use to be successful.
However, if you can't find someone within your organization, try attending local project
manager meet-ups to network with other project managers and see if you can find a mentor.
Local adult education centers are a great place to check for project manager meet-ups.
Additionally, the Project Management Institute that sponsors the PMP and CAPM certifications
also has regular project manager meet-ups sponsored by its regional chapters.
And finally, apply for entry-level project management positions.
Entry-level project management positions include project coordinator, project scheduler, and
associate project manager -- among others.
Because these are entry-level positions, you often don't need any experience to get them,
and if you have your CAPM (or other easily attainable project management certification)
when you apply, you should be able to easily get an interview, and you should have a great
chance to get the position.
Because these are entry-level positions, there is a high turnover generally associated with
them, and you shouldn't have a problem finding open positions to apply to.
Leave any questions you have in the comments below.
Also, let me know where you're at in your journey to becoming a project manager.
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