How to start your career as a project manager

Following a project management career path is a good route into the security cleared jobs market, but you’ll need to gain the right skills and experience. Take the appropriate steps and you’ll find yourself in an interesting, worthwhile and rewarding position.

The growing demand for project managers

Every project manager goes on their own journey, but whatever background or experience you’re starting from, there are common steps to success. The current talent gap means there’s not enough candidates to fill project management roles, putting your skills at a premium once you’ve qualified.

Sectors as diverse as IT, construction and healthcare are looking for project management team members, so you can choose an area that interests you. If you couple your project manager qualifications with a security clearance, you’ll find even more opportunities are open to you.

What does a project manager do?

The key roles and responsibilities of a project manager include defining project goals, creating timelines, coordinating teams, managing budgets and problem solving. Overseeing a project from its initial stages right through to its completion requires multiple skills and complex time management.

Your area of specialisation will have a big impact on what you do day-to-day as a project manager. After all, an individual working in IT’s day will look very different to one focusing on real estate, but once you’ve completed the standard project management training, you can diversify into a specific sector.

A project manager leading a tech product launch would systematically work their way through a checklist they’ve created. It would include stages such as:

• Building a product roadmap
• Testing the product
• Developing the customer journey
• Creating a launch strategy
• Training multiple departments on areas of the launch
• Designing marketing collateral
• Implementing a timeline
• Setting up performance metrics
• Organising a launch event
• Gathering feedback

How to become a project manager: Key steps 

The key steps in becoming a product manager are:

1. Education: Tailor your learning path

Project manager careers begin with the appropriate education, such as an undergraduate degree in business or project management. Masters programmes accredited by the Chartered Association for Project Management (APM) are a good way to steer yourself towards the role if you took an unrelated subject for your first degree.

Non-degree holders can pursue a career in project management with industry-specific certifications like Agile, project management professional (PMP) and PRINCE2. Online platforms like Coursera and Udemy are affordable options for those transitioning from different careers.

2. Develop transferable skills

Essential qualities like leadership, risk management and communication are crucial project management skills. For candidates moving across from a different area, many of these attributes will have been developed elsewhere. For example, teamwork can be gleaned from a customer service position or leadership from a previous management role.

If you’re finding your project manager CV is lacking these elements, then volunteering, interning or working on smaller projects can be a good place to start. Honing these skills will be key to landing the right role for you.

3. Certifications and specialised training

Advancing your continued professional development with relevant certifications and specialised training is the best way to ensure you’re moving up through the project manager ranks. Consider certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) or PRINCE2 Project Management.

Specialised certifications for niche industries like Agile for tech or Lean Six Sigma for manufacturing can take your career in a different direction. Think carefully about where you see yourself in five and ten years before committing to a specific sector. If it seems right for you, a project management certification in one of these areas could prove a lucrative career move.

4. Build experience

Project management experience can come in many forms and if you’re already employed by a firm that offers opportunities, be sure to take advantage of them. Put yourself forward to be in charge of a small project and be open to learning along the way, as it’s unlikely you’ll know everything from the beginning.

Both formal and informal mentorships can be hugely worthwhile, so see how your organisation handles this type of working. If that’s not an option, then seek an internship, where you can learn the basics of project management from the ground up.

5. Leverage entry-level roles

Entry-level project manager jobs offer a good foundation for future career moves, so applying for project coordinator, assistant project manager or junior project manager roles to gain hands-on experience before moving into full project management could be a savvy move.

Often, these starting positions can naturally lead onto more senior roles within the same organisation, but it’s worth looking around if you feel you’re not progressing in a timely fashion. Project management experience is the best way to prove yourself capable of the role’s many responsibilities.

Beyond the basics: Career progression and specialisation

Accomplished project managers can advance onto roles like program manager or portfolio manager and lead multiple projects simultaneously. These lucrative positions tend to come late on in a career, but can be something to strive for.

Specialised career paths, such as IT project management, construction management or marketing project management are also worth considering. You can shape your project management career to suit your skills, interests and leanings.

Check out our range of project management roles to get started in your career.