Interested in a career as a project manager? With an expected growth of 22 million jobs by 2027 and enticing six-figure salaries, this guide will provide you with various ways to learn project management, free resources to utilize, and an insight into the careers that commonly use these valuable skills.
Project Managers are responsible for all aspects of the management of projects from start to finish. Project management is a scorching career path, with over 2.5 million Project Manager jobs added for the next five years. If you’ve always wanted to learn project management but can’t figure out how to get started, this guide is for you. Here, you’ll learn more about the various ways to learn project management, free resources to take advantage of, and the careers that commonly use these valuable skills.
Project management describes the process of managing the successful completion of a project. A Project Manager guides a project through the different stages of what is known as “The Project LifeCycle,” which comprises five stages: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. A Project Manager’s most important goal is ensuring that a project is completed on time and under budget.
A Project Manager is responsible for creating a project plan to establish project goals and deadlines, delegating tasks to team members, motivating team members to meet deadlines, risk management, communicating with upper management, and resource management. Experts in Project Management estimate that around 90% of a Project Manager’s time is spent communicating. Soft skills such as communication, leadership, time management, and budgeting are required in Project Management.
Project management as a field is defined by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) created by the Project Management Institute (PMI), which outlines best practices, methodologies, and processes for professional Project Managers. Aspiring Project Managers will want to seek out training in PMBOK as well as experience in managing real-world projects.
Project management is a hot career path that is expected to add over 22 million jobs by 2027. In addition to this booming job growth, Project Managers earn lucrative, six-figure salaries. The average salary for a Project Manager is around $115,000 annually. That’s more than double the national average across all occupations.
Read more about what project management is and why you should learn it.
There are no limits on what can be done with project management skills. Project management is a versatile career path as Project Managers are needed in every industry and in various roles. You could continue to work in the same industry even after completing your training in Project Management.
Some Project Managers work for companies on specific projects or as part of a project team. Some Project Managers work as freelancers or consultants who assist clients on specific projects.
Project management is a very hot career path because the Project Management Institute (PMI) predicts that Project Management will increase by 33%, with 22 million new Project Manager jobs created by 2027. A significant number of Senior Project Managers are expected to retire, leading to even more job openings for those with training in Project Management.
Many of the essential skills in project management are soft skills, including communication, leadership, management ability, time management, delegation, conflict resolution, and multitasking. Project management experts estimate that around 90% of a Project Manager’s time is spent communicating. Aspiring Project Managers should have impeccable communication skills and well-developed leadership skills.
Project managers often specialize in a particular industry, such as IT, healthcare, or construction. Skills already acquired in these industries could be combined with project management training for a new career within your industry.
Project Managers are needed in every industry, and more companies recognize the need for Project Managers. The Project Management Institute (PMI) predicts that the demand for Project Managers will continue to increase, with over 22 million new Project Management jobs being created by 2027. Manufacturing and Construction, Information Services, Finance and Insurance, Management and Professional Services, Utilities, and Oil and Gas are expected to add the most project management jobs. There will also be a significant number of Senior Project Managers retiring, particularly in the Aerospace and Defense industries.
Salaries for Project Managers also vary by industry. The average salary for a Project Manager in any industry is more than twice the national average at around $115,000 a year. However, Project Managers who work in particular industries earn even more. For example, the average salary for an IT Project Manager is around $125,000. Project Managers in the Oil and Gas Industry currently make the highest average salary at over $150,000 per year.
Specializing your project management career in a particular industry may also require you to acquire additional training. For example, a Construction Project Manager might want to train in AutoCAD. Or, a Software Project Manager might need familiarity with programming languages and software development methodologies.
CNBC ranks project management in the top five most in-demand non-technical skills. Project management is a hot career path expected to increase by 33% over the next five years, with over 22 million new Project Manager jobs expected to be added by 2027. There is currently a significant talent gap within project management as the number of Project Manager jobs continues to outpace the number of people with the appropriate training.
Forbes has called project management “a great way to get a tech salary without tech training.”
It’s a very lucrative career path: Project Managers earn an average salary of around $116,000 annually. That’s more than double the average salary of $52,000 across all occupations. Project Managers who specialize in an industry, such as IT or Oil and Gas, can earn even higher salaries.
Project Management is a skills-based job in which experience and certification are prioritized over more traditional education. Regardless of your education level, you can become a professional Project Manager by training in project management. You can also become a specialized Project Manager within the industry where you already work. For example, if you’re in healthcare, you can train to become a Healthcare Project Manager, which may result in an even higher salary.
Read more about why you should learn project management.
One of the fastest ways to launch a new career as a Project Manager is through learning project management methodologies. There are several options to consider when deciding which Project Management education path is right for you.
Northeastern University’s program in Project Management describes a “customized, non-traditional” approach to Project Management education, including self-guided education, on-the-job training, mentorship, and certification. One recommended path to becoming a professional Project Manager is taking project management classes and pursuing PMI’s entry-level Certified Associate in Project Management.
Live classes, either in-person or live online, are the best method for studying project management. Because the course is live, you’ll be able to ask questions and interact with your instructor and classmates in real-time. Noble Desktop is a business, design, and coding school that offers live in-person and live online Project Management courses and bootcamps. A PMP-Certified professional Project Manager teaches all of Noble Desktop’s project management courses. They also offer a free retake option, allowing graduates to retake the course for up to one year to refresh their skills or further prepare for certification.
Self-paced study is another option, especially for those who already have a career, since they allow you to learn in your spare time. However, self-paced project management courses lack the interaction and mentorship that comes from having a live instructor.
Read the full guide on how to learn project management.
Suppose you’d like to dip your toes into project management but are not quite ready to commit to an entire course. In that case, Noble Desktop offers free live online seminars which provide a sneak peek of their highly-reviewed, hands-on approach to live online instruction. These seminars allow you to see if project management interests you without fully committing to the career.
Microsoft Office proficiency is the most-requested hard skill for entry-level Project Managers.
Noble Desktop offers a free online Top 10 Beginner Tricks for Microsoft Excel That You Need To Know, which is recommended for aspiring Project Managers. One of the most critical responsibilities of a Project Manager is making sure that projects are completed on budget. For aspiring Project Managers, sound financial planning skills and Microsoft Office proficiency are required.
Another option would be Udemy, which offers short, online project management courses for a fee. Some popular Project Management courses offered on Udemy include Project Management Fundamentals, Lean Project Management, and Project Management with MS Project. However, all of these courses have a fee, so you won’t be able to learn about project management for free.
Read about more free project management videos and online tutorials.
Project management can be stressful since it requires juggling tasks, responsibilities, team members, resources, and time. You’ll need the right temperament, organizational skills, and leadership ability to be a successful Project Manager. When it comes to getting hired, hands-on experience and project management education are required.
You’ll need to acquire some real-world experience managing projects before applying to entry-level Project Manager jobs. You can look for ways to do this at your current job by looking for opportunities to manage projects. You could also organize a charitable or community project, such as fundraising for a local charity or cleaning up a nearby riverbed.
Professional Project Managers are also expected to know about project management theories and practices. One way of demonstrating this is by seeking a professional certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI). Another way is to attend a bootcamp, such as Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp, to develop your Project Management skills.
Prices for project management courses vary, but it is a lucrative job field. The average salary for a Project Manager is around $115,000 per year. That’s more than double the average salary across occupations, meaning that project management training could double your salary.
Read about how difficult it is to learn project management.
Forbes recently called project management “a great way to earn a tech salary without tech training.” The average annual salary for a Project Manager is over $115,000 annually. That’s more than double the national average across occupations.
Training as a Project Manager could lead to a 6-figure salary, but it requires much less intensive technical training than other hot career paths, such as data science or coding. Aspiring Project Managers need to train in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) which includes project management terminology, processes, and best practices. While it is rigorous, it does not require the same level of technical ability as many careers with comparable salaries.
Project managers must have many skills and experience; however, the skills required vary by what kind of Project Manager you plan to become. Some careers require learning software applications or coding languages.
Project management can require some of these skills, particularly if you specialize in an industry. For example, Construction Project Managers might need to know AutoCAD, while IT Project Managers might want to be familiar with coding.
Project Managers will need to be proficient in Microsoft Office. If you’re pivoting into project management, then you’ll want to make sure you can demonstrate advanced skills in Microsoft Office by taking a Microsoft Office course or bootcamp. Aspiring Project Managers will also want to be familiar with standard management and communication tools such as Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Project.
When considering whether to become a professional Project Manager, the most crucial factor to remember is how you plan to use these skills. Do you plan to apply to companies for an in-house Project Management position, or do you plan to be a Freelance Project Manager? Are you planning to be a general Project Manager or specialize in an industry? Establishing your career goals is a great first step to making decisions about your Project Management education.
Noble Desktop offers free seminars that work as previews of your career interest if you’d like to test being a Project Manager but aren’t committed to a more intensive course. These free seminars offer a preview of taking a live online technical course so that you can see if online learning is right for you.
If you’re more serious about pursuing a new project management career, you should consider a bootcamp, such as the Project Management Bootcamp offered by Noble Desktop. This bootcamp offers a complete introduction to the processes and practices that make up the field of Project Management.
If you’re wholly committed to becoming a Project Manager as a new career, you should consider seeking the Certified Associate in Project Management certification. Noble Desktop offers a bootcamp that helps to prepare graduates for CAPM certification.
Noble Desktop is a coding, design, and business school based in NYC. They offer courses on various topics, including project management courses and bootcamps, both live online and at their state-of-the-art campus in Midtown Manhattan. All of their classes feature small class sizes and are taught by instructors who are experts in their industry. PMP-Certified professional Project Managers teach all their project management courses. Graduates can retake their course for up to one year for free to continue developing their knowledge and refresh their skills.
Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp provides hands-on instruction in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) theories and methodologies needed to get hired as an entry-level Project Manager. Students receive hands-on, project-based training in topics that include the five phases of project management, creating project proposals, and working with a project team. Graduates receive a verified digital certificate of completion to help them get hired as an entry-level Project Manager. This bootcamp is also recommended for those planning to pursue either a CAPM or a PMP Certification. Both certifications require formal project management education, which this bootcamp provides.
Graduates seeking professional certification should consider Noble Desktop’s CAPM Certification Bootcamp, which guides students through PMI’s entry-level Certified Associate in Project Management Certification Exam. This four-day bootcamp includes 35 hours of hands-on instruction, live project-based training, an exam preparation guide, a video curriculum, lessons taught by a PMP Certified Project Manager, and a digital certificate of completion.