How to Become a Project Manager

Louise Petty

August 21, 2024

5 min read

Project managers are highly organised individuals that ensure projects and events run smoothly. All companies will benefit from an efficient project manager who can successfully run a project from start to finish, on time and with the business’s best interests in mind. If you’re looking to become a project manager, then this article will help you understand what skills and qualifications you’ll need plus provide you with some guidance on how to get a job in project management.

What Does a Project Manager Do?

A project manager is someone who plans, coordinates, manages and completes a project from start to finish. The job role is also sometimes known as a project coordinator or project officer, and you can also be a junior or senior project manager.

Project managers can work or specialise in any industry, including office-based and site-based companies. For example, marketing and advertising businesses will often need a project manager, as do construction sites, engineering firms and food catering companies.

The project manager is in charge of people, timings, resources and budget. They need to be able and confident to set realistic deadlines, delegate tasks, manage staff members, keep track completed work and handle any bumps along the way to ensure the project is successful.

Key tasks that a project manager is responsible for include:

Researching the initial project and working out budgets, resources and team members.
Assessing risk, checking feasibility and coming up with contingency plans and solutions to the risks identified.
Working alongside the client and/or stakeholders to find out their needs, set objectives and establish a schedule and completion date.
Defining roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in the project, coordinating the team members and motivating them to complete key steps of the project.
Using computer–based project management tools and software, like Gantt charts, flow charts, critical path diagrams, PRINCE2, Miro boards and sites like Monday.
Monitoring the project constantly to keep it on track, on time and on budget and implementing any changes.
Communicating with clients, stakeholders and other managers regularly and clearly.
Closing the project at completion and evaluating successes, difficulties and changes for next time.

What Qualifications Do You Need to Be a Project Manager?

You can become a project manager with all sorts of qualifications and there’s no specific course or degree you must take. Instead, employers look for candidates with good grades in relevant qualifications, plus strong soft and hard skills that’ll make you well-suited for the role.

Project Management Undergraduate Degrees – you can enter a job in project management with a university degree in any subject, but more relevant ones might include business, management or engineering. If you’re looking to enter a role in a specific industry, like project management in construction, then an undergraduate degree in a related subject would be useful.
Project Management Masters Degrees– if your undergraduate degree is completely unrelated to project management but you’d like to pursue it as a career, studying a postgraduate Masters in project management may increase your chances of getting a job. This is particularly true if the course is accredited by the Association for Project Management (APM) such as the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) or APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ).
Project Management Apprenticeships – an apprenticeship enables you to earn money as you learn by working in the role at the same time as your training. Pursuing an apprenticeship in project management gives you the hands-on skills you need for the role, gives you access to important industry contacts and can sometimes lead to you being hired once the training is complete. Look for an apprenticeship as an assistant project management, a project coordinator or a project support officer.
Project Management Work Experience – work experience is usually voluntary, unpaid work but it’ll give you good experience, knowledge and skills in key areas of project management. Contact companies local to you who have project managers and see whether you’re able to shadow them for a week or two.
Project Management Online Courses – taking an online course in a related subject, such as Project Management, Event Management, Leadership and Management, Time Management, Microsoft Excel or PRINCE2 shows that you’re committed to personal and professional development and will give you important project management certifications that you can put on your CV.

You’re also able to join a project management professional body as a student member, which can give you a chance to network with people in the industry and keep up-to-date with relevant news, training and job opportunities. Take a look at the APM (Association for Project Management), PMI (Project Management Institute) and the CMI (Chartered Management Institute) for more.

What Skills Do You Need to Be a Project Manager?

Project managers need a wide range of skills if they are to be successful and efficient in their role. Many of the skills you need to be a project manager are ones that you’ve learnt through previous training, work experience or education and which can be applied to the role of project manager – these are your transferable skills, so be sure to highlight them on your job application and CV.

Project management skills can be divided into two main categories: soft skills and hard skills. Examples of each are listed below:

Project Management Soft Skills

Soft skills are the attributes, qualities and personality traits you have in addition to the qualifications and certificates you hold. They’re sometimes referred to as interpersonal skills or people skills and are non-technical. Soft skills demonstrate your efficiency, productivity, initiative and proactivity.

Examples of project management soft skills are:

Time management – creating a project timeline, managing your own workload and coordinating the schedules of team members to ensure the project is finished on time.
Delegation – being able to prioritise and delegate tasks will ensure the project’s milestones are achieved.
Organisation – the ability to plan the project from start to finish, manage resources, budget and people, and stay on top of what’s happening at all times.
Communication skills – being able to motivate a team, communicate updates to clients and stakeholders, ensure everyone knows what they’re doing and manage expectations.
Leadership – if you have a team of workers, being able to inspire them, manage them and lead them to complete the project.
Negotiation skills – being able to finish a project whilst ensuring everyone is happy and all needs have been met. This may include negotiating with people, but also negotiating resources, schedules and budgets.
Initiative – thinking on your feet, making decisions under pressure and taking the lead when things go wrong or need to change.

Project Management Hard Skills

Hard skills are the technical proficiencies you need to perform a particular job role. Without them, you’d be unable or unqualified to do the job in question. Hard skills are obtained through education or training and usually result in a certificate or qualification. Hard skills demonstrate that you’re qualified to perform the role.

Examples of project management hard skills are:

Project planning skills – knowing the techniques needed to plan a project and being able to document the project in an industry-recognised way, e.g. PRINCE2.
Risk management – the ability to identify risks, predict risks and manage risks to ensure you stay in control of the project and have solutions ready.
Digital literacy – knowing how to use computer software, apps, handheld devices, etc. and being able to keep up with advancements in technology or changes to the computer programmes used.
Data reporting skills – being able to report project data in a visual format for clients and stakeholders to see and understand, whether it’s in a report, chart or other format.
Budget management – being able to decide the budget, allocate costs, plan a contingency fund and keep the project within the agreed budget expectations.

How to Get a Job in Project Management

Jobs in project management can be found in all industries, including business, advertising, marketing, manufacturing, construction, engineering, entertainment and food. When looking for jobs in project management, therefore, don’t narrow down your search too much unless you want to specialise in a particular sector.

Project managers also work in both public and private organisations, large companies or for self-employed people. A typical starting salary would be £20,000+ in a position such as a Junior or Assistant Project Manager. From there, you can progress to a more senior role such as a Programme Manager – someone who has responsibility for coordinating a whole team of project managers. Smaller companies or self-employed people may hire a freelance project manager, in which case it’s up to you to set your hourly rate.

You can find a job as a project manager by searching online or by looking at specific company websites. The National Careers Service is the best place to start if you’re looking to find an apprenticeship or training course related to project management and the Government’s Find a Job service can help you look for available project management roles in your area.

Before applying for a job in project management, ensure your CV and cover letter are fully up-to-date and showcase your skills, certificates and qualifications. Take a look at our article on How to Write Your First CV for more tips and guidance.

A career in project management requires strong organisation, communication and leadership skills if you are to be successful in guiding projects from start to finish. A qualification in project management, whether a degree or online training course, will also help you on your way to obtaining a project management role in an industry that inspires you.