Project Manager Career Path 2022

Let's start with the random project manager route.

Method 1: How to Become a Project Manager Without Exceptions

Earlier in this guide, we talked about the fact that more people are project managers than they realize.

 Most work involves projects. And most projects have many moving parts – such as research, planning, budgeting, coordination, resource management, and more – all of which need to be properly managed and monitored to ensure your project stays on track.

If you find that you love the thrill of project management more than any other aspect of your job, here's how to get into project management without a degree.

Find out where the gaps in your project management knowledge are: 

No matter what your role - marketer, designer, developer, whatever - you've probably been honing your project management skills over the years.

As per the Project Management Institute's Guide to Project Management Knowledge Courts (or PMBOK Guidelines), there are 10 main "knowledge areas" for project management:

 • Integration management

• Scope management

• Schedule management

• Cost management

• Quality management

• Resource management

• Risk management

• Communication management

• Order management

• Interest group administration

Think about a project you were involved in recently. In which areas have you been involved?

 You may have played an important role in shaping the project plan, schedule, or scope.

Maybe you're the one who sketches out budgets and manages to keep things off track when unexpected expenses arise.

You may have helped reallocate resources among team members to ensure no one is overloaded.

These are all project management skills every great project manager needs to know.

On the other hand, you may not have much experience with some other areas of knowledge such as: Risk management or stakeholder management. In this case, you'll know exactly what to focus on to get the experience you need to become an all-in-one project manager.

Gain (more) experience in project management

Once you've identified where to grow, it's time to put your plan into action. 

Because if you want to be an inexperienced project manager, the first thing you can do is gain that experience.

Projects are all around us, so volunteer if you can. Take on additional responsibilities and develop your organizational skills, planning skills, personnel management skills - everything you recognized in the first step.

Learn all about project management

Always look for opportunities to develop your project management skills and knowledge.

Learn How To Do It. Learning on the job. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from other project managers (at your company or elsewhere). Find a mentor who can teach you project manager tips.

If you want to train yourself to be a project manager but don't feel ready to get fully involved yet, take a look at one of the many online project management courses offered on platforms like Udemy or Coursera.

You can also search for local conferences or networking events that will help you keep up with new industry trends and meet people who can help your project management career.

Start using the right project management software

Using the pm tool can help you expand your experience with project managers.

 It enables you to work in automation, quickly assign tasks to team groups and easily view projects, and manage all your project resources from one place.

Using flexible and intuitive project management tools like Teamwork to manage your work also means you can get started without spending a lot of time on training or customization.

Method 2: How to become a certified project manager? 

Whether you've been a regular project manager for some time and wanted to add a formal qualification to your resume, or found out as a child you wanted to be a project manager, a qualification is a great signal to employers about your experience and commitment to your career by PM.

While there are no formal qualifications required to become a project manager (see: all above), it's still worth considering whether you're really serious about upping your project management game.

Not only does it give you more job opportunities and higher profitability, it also teaches you some of the best project management practices and techniques that you may not have known before.

Understand what you need to know that if you want to become a certified project manager.

Decide which project management certificate is correct: 

PMP, PRINCE2, CAPM, PMI-ACP… have the entire project management degree alphabet. That's not possible. So, how do you have the knowledge about which project management certificate is right for you?

The first step is to review your options. Which qualifications are the most common in your industry? Which of the following do you see most often in job descriptions that interest you? Which is best for your time and budget? Which process is better suited to the type of process your company uses? In which world do you want to work?

There are many things to consider. Here's an overview of some of the most popular project manager degrees to help you get started with your formal project manager education.

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification is a certificate from the Project Management Institute (PMI), the world's leading organization for project management experts.

It is one of the most popular and recognized degrees in its field - and it can have a huge impact on your paycheck. According to PMI, project managers (and other project management experts such as PM consultants, PM specialists, and program managers) with PMP certificates report an average 23% higher salary.

PMP qualifications are based on PMI standards and guidelines as set out in the Project Management Knowledge Court Guidelines or PMBOK Guidelines.

It is aimed at people who already have experience in project management (more precisely at least 4,500-7,500 hours), as well as 35 hours of project management training or a CAPM certificate.

While this isn't for beginners, it's definitely something to keep in mind when building your project management portfolio.

Projects In Controlled Environments (PRINCE2)

PRINCE2 stands for Projects IN Controlled Environments, which also highlights the differences between PMP certifications.

While the knowledge-based PMP certification - ie. focuses on general project management knowledge and best practices for each project phase - PRINCE2 is a method based on the project and the process itself.

Unlike PMP, it doesn't have the same prerequisites, so it may be more suitable for someone seeking basic PM skills early in their project management career. Also available in Foundation and Practitioner versions for every phase of your project management journey.

When deciding between a PMP and PRINCE2 certificate, there are several other factors that will influence your decision, such as: B. Industry and geographic location (both can affect the qualification of choice).

 After all, it's not a this-or-that situation. Both certificates have their advantages and they can actually complement each other.

Certified Associate In Project Management (CAPM)

Certified Associate In Project Management (CAPM) is an entry-level qualification in project management offered by PMI. This can be self-certification or you can use it as one of the "prerequisites" needed to get the PMP.

CAPM provides you with basic project management knowledge based on the standards and guidelines described in the PMBOK manual.

Agile certificate

If you work in an industry where flexible practices are the norm, you can (or!) opt for an agile certificate instead.

PMI offers a special qualification for flexible practitioners, the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP).

There is also a PRINCE2 flexibility-specific certificate, PRINCE2 Agile, available at the Basic and Practice levels.

Depending on which flexible method you (and your company) prefer, you can also specialize further. For example, if you are a Scrum fan, you can choose to become a certified Scrum Master with the Scrum Alliance.

It all depends on which processes and frameworks your industry (and company) prefers to use - so do your research, talk to others in the industry, and decide which flexible certification is best for you.

Earn (and maintain) your project management qualification

You might think that there are more steps to becoming a certified project manager than just:

Decide which project management certificate you want.

However, once you've decided which project management certificate is right for you, it's all about tackling, timing, and preparing for the certification exam. You may also need to register more hours of practice and allow time for the entire training.

There are many online prep courses that can help you study and prepare for exams, but in the end it all depends on your investment of time and effort. (You can do it! We believe in you!)

Once you receive the certificate, you must maintain it.

Most project management certificates - such as PMP - expire within a few years. This means that you will have to retake the exam every few years to demonstrate that you are still up to date with PM best practices and standards.

Master the trading tools

As a project manager, you are always looking for ways to increase efficiency and improve processes.

Finding the right project management tool will help you apply everything you learn in your project manager training. This allows you to monitor your projects more clearly, make more accurate estimates, manage your resources more efficiently, and report more accurately.

Good project management tools enrich the work of project managers: they help you deal with day-to-day details so you can focus your skills where they have the greatest impact. It works with you to improve your best practices and increase the success of your projects - so learning how to use your PM tools to your advantage and save a lot of time and money in the long run is important.