{"id":14830,"date":"2019-09-17T14:56:19","date_gmt":"2019-09-17T02:56:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.psoda.com\/global\/?p=14830"},"modified":"2025-07-03T01:50:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T01:50:32","slug":"i-want-to-be-a-project-manager","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.psoda.com\/global\/2019\/09\/17\/i-want-to-be-a-project-manager\/","title":{"rendered":"I want to be a project manager"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the latest “Ask a project manager” blog. This week\u2019s question is about how to get a project management job:
\nHello, I\u2019m looking for some advice please. I\u2019m getting ready to graduate soon and want to be a project manager, specifically within IT. I\u2019ve got a general business degree and some office experience from holiday jobs. What should I do and where can I start?<\/em>
\nThat\u2019s a great question! It\u2019s fabulous that you want to join a growing and diverse occupation.
\nVery few project managers have actually ended up in project management by design, me included, it\u2019s more likely to have been a bit of a meandering journey.
\nOn saying that, there\u2019s a lot you can do to get you on your way, such as:<\/p>\n

Join a project management association<\/span><\/h2>\n

By joining a project management society such as the Project Management Institute<\/a> (PMI) or Association for Project Management<\/a>, you get to meet current project managers and start building connections with people in the industry. You are also able to access professional certifications, which will go a long way towards helping you in your career.<\/p>\n

Attend industry events<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are loads of different industry events which you can attend. Some will cost, but loads are free. They are great places to learn and network. Events to consider are: special interest groups, conferences, or monthly project management specific events \u2013 e.g. PMI have local chapter meetings once a month.<\/p>\n

Find a professional mentor<\/span><\/h2>\n

I can\u2019t emphasise enough how much benefit you\u2019ll get from having a mentor. When you have one that works, it can have a truly profound effect on both parties, so is worth nurturing. For a mentor the reward is in the giving and passing on their hard-won knowledge. And for the mentee, a guiding hand and invaluable expert advice.<\/p>\n

Contact specialist PM recruiters<\/span><\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re ready to start your job search, it\u2019s worth talking to recruiters that specialise in project management roles. They will be able to help you tailor your CV, provide you with guidance around the right kind of roles for your experience level and help you find employment. Some really good recruiters also provide free value-added services like CV writing and interview coaching.<\/p>\n

Get a project support role<\/span><\/h2>\n

You\u2019re really unlikely to get a project manager role straight out of university. I won\u2019t say it\u2019s impossible but unless you\u2019ve done some amazing project work during your holidays, it\u2019s not really going to happen.
\nThe best way to get your foot in the door is to take a support role, such as a junior project coordinator or administrator. That way you can learn on the job & build up some experience.
\nWith your business degree you could also consider looking at junior business analyst roles.
\nManagement consultancies are also a good option as most of their work is project based, so you\u2019ll get really good experience in different environments.<\/p>\n

Be willing to step outside your current boundaries<\/span><\/h2>\n

This might sound like a counter-intuitive suggestion, but it\u2019s worth considering roles outside of the IT industry. Any project management experience (including support roles) is better than none. Multi industry experience is a really good thing to show on your CV as it highlights your adaptability and flexibility. Both of which are great traits in project management.
\nI hope this is useful and that you land an amazing role soon!<\/p>\n

Psoda plug<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a tool to help you manage your projects, regardless of your experience level, then look no further than Psoda. You can sign up for a free personalised demo<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the latest “Ask a project manager” blog. This week\u2019s question is about how to get a project management job: Hello, I\u2019m looking for some advice please. I\u2019m getting ready to graduate soon and want to be a project manager, specifically within IT. I\u2019ve got a general business degree and some office experience from … I want to be a project manager<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":17799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ask-a-project-manager","category-project-management"],"yoast_head":"\nAsk a PM: How can I become a project manager? | Psoda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This week's question in our ask a PM series is from someone who wants to be a project manager. 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