Breaking into Project Management (Part 2)

Building the Skills You Need to Become a Project Manager

You don't need a project management title to start building the skills that matter. In fact, many successful PMs begin by applying their natural strengths and learning the right tools and techniques. This post focuses on the essential skills, tools, and training to lay your foundation.

Core Skills Every Aspiring PM Needs

• Communication: Clear updates, meeting facilitation, stakeholder engagement.

• Organization: Task planning, scheduling, prioritizing, and follow-through.

• Problem-solving: Anticipating roadblocks and finding practical solutions.

• Leadership: Inspiring collaboration, managing conflict, guiding teams.

Learn the Tools of the Trade

You don't need to master everything at once. Start with:

• Task Management: Trello, Asana, or ClickUp.

• Agile Boards: Jira or Monday.com.

• Documentation: Google Docs, Notion, or Confluence.

• Scheduling: MS Project or Smartsheet (intro level).

Pick one platform and use it for a personal or volunteer project.

Training and Certifications to Explore

You don’t need a PMP (yet). Start with:

• Intro Courses: Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, or PMI's free webinars.

• Certifications:

• CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management)

• Certified Scrum Master (CSM)

• Google Project Management Certificate

Action Steps:

1. Pick a tool (e.g., Trello) and organize a personal project.
2. Enroll in a beginner PM course (aim for 1-2 hours of learning this week).
3. Identify which core skill you already have and which one needs work.

Pro Tip:

Use personal projects to practice PM skills—planning a trip, launching a blog, or running an event can all be structured like real-world projects.

Next Up:

In Part 3, we’ll show you how to get real project management experience—even without the job title.