How to Become a Project Manager

Many people are required to become a project manager as their employers demand them to perform certain tasks that often equate to taking on a project management role. As a result, the choice to become a Project Manager may happen by accident as an individual advances through their career with experience and knowledge of their field propelling them into a new role and career they had not foreseen opening to them.

This exposure to a new career path as a project manager then leads many individuals to seek out further opportunities in the field with the aim to increase their skill set and push them higher up the career ladder.

Unfortunately, whilst the company that exposed the individual to their initial project management role may have done so out of their own trust and knowledge of the employee’s ability, the opportunities may not replicate themselves in the project management job market. The project management job sector is highly competitive and when the individual tries to take their new found knowledge into a formal Project Management role on the open job market they will often do so without success.

Therefore, if you are looking to actively seek out project management as a career choice it is essential that you look to bolster your experience and expertise in the field with industry recognised certifications. Official certifications are often an HR tick box and without them, it is very difficult to get your CV noticed. Project management certifications will lead to more interviews, less out of contract time and greater financial rewards.

Project Manager Certifications

There are a number of popular project management certifications to choose from. The general advice is that the more certifications you have, the better your chances will be at landing a job and having the potential to develop a career in project management. Most certifications in the UK are governed by the Association of Project Management Group (APMG), although some PMI and APM certifications will also hold favour with employers.

Due to the fact that roughly 70% of job advertisements in the UK will ask for PRINCE2 on an individual’s CV, this has become an essential certification for prospective and current project managers to have. You must hold a PRINCE2 certification at Foundation level at least to get anywhere in the project management sector.

In addition to PRINCE2, the Agile project management methodology is growing in popularity and well worth adding to a CV in order to differentiate you from the rest of the qualified project management job applicants.

Becoming a Project Manager can be a very lucrative and rewarding choice of career with senior level project managers working on short term contracts that can easily command rates of £500 per day. Even in junior roles you can expect to earn around £250-350 per day.