What to Learn After Microsoft Project

Mastering Microsoft Project is necessary for aspiring Project Managers. Microsoft Project has been the industry-standard in project management software since the 1980s. If you know how to use Microsoft Project, you might consider learning Microsoft Office and Microsoft Power BI and pursuing project management education and certification. We’ll cover these relevant skills below so you clearly understand what skill you want to tackle next. 

What is Microsoft Project?

Microsoft Project is the project management software in the Microsoft Office suite of programs. Microsoft Project is the world's most widely-used project management software and has been since its release. MS Project currently has around a 66% project management software market share. Proficiency in Microsoft Project is a must-have skill for aspiring Project Managers. 

Project management is a booming field: the number of Project Manager jobs is expected to increase by over 33% over the next five years. The Project Management Institute (PMI) predicts that over 22 million new project management jobs will be created by 2027. Project management is growing rapidly because more companies recognize the need for professional help managing projects. However, there are already more Project Manager positions than employees trained in project management. 

Microsoft Project assists Project Managers in prioritizing tasks, defining expectations, delegating tasks, tracking and managing resources, creating and tracking budgets, and sharing calendars with your team. Project also includes project management methodology tools, such as kanban boards and Gantt charts. Some of Project’s major features include tools for project planning, communication and collaboration, progress tracking and reporting, roadmaps for project tracking, financial management and timesheets, and resource management. 

Project is fully integrated with Microsoft Teams, allowing team members to share files, attend meetings, and chat easily. Its scheduling features are automatic, which can help teams stay on track with less direct supervision from the Project Manager. Project also incorporates the cutting-edge Microsoft Power BI dashboard, allowing project teams to visualize and analyze data in real-time. 

While Microsoft Project may seem easy to learn because of its familiar Microsoft Office interface, you will need to learn its advanced features to use it effectively. Senior Project Managers praise its power to manage multiple complex projects. Developing your ability to manage complex projects is the key to a successful career in project management. 

One of the biggest advantages of Microsoft Project is its full integration with other Microsoft Office programs. Microsoft Office is the most widely-used software suite in the world. If you’re serious about pursuing project management as a career, you’ll want to consider training in the entire suite of programs, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 

Read more about what Microsoft Project is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Microsoft Project?

Project management is a hot career path: the Project Management Institute (PMI) predicts that over 22 million new Project Manager jobs will be created by 2027. Even without this 33% increase in job positions, there is already a significant talent gap in project management, with more companies seeking Project Managers than qualified candidates. 

Another perk of a career in project management is a high salary: the average salary for a Project Manager is around $116,000 annually. That is more than double the national average of approximately $50,000 across all occupations. Training in project management could lead to a lucrative career. 

Project Managers need to have many skills, including soft skills such as communication, leadership, and time management. Project Managers will also need to have advanced skills using Microsoft Project, the world’s most widely-used project management software tool, for decades. 

Microsoft Project is the industry-standard for managing complex and multiple projects. Its powerful project management features include interactive dashboards for project monitoring, integrated project timeline, task prioritization and delegation, team dashboard, report generation, resource tracking and management, and the Master Project Plan for managing multiple projects.

Additional Skill #1 Microsoft Office

Microsoft Project is part of the Microsoft Office family of productivity software products. The primary suite of Microsoft Office includes Word (word processing), Excel (spreadsheets), PowerPoint (presentations), and Outlook (email client). 

Microsoft Office is the most popular productivity software in the world and is currently running on over 1 billion devices. Microsoft Office has been a critical part of our lives at work and school for the past few decades. Most people are familiar with its most popular programs, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. However, fewer people can claim advanced skills or mastery over the suite’s group of programs. 

Entry-level job postings for Project Managers frequently request advanced skills in Microsoft Office. More entry-level Project Manager positions require proficiency in Microsoft Office than a four-year degree. While you’ll be using another program, most likely Microsoft Project, for project planning, Project Managers need to have advanced skills in the other Office programs. Project Managers can use Word to generate reports or take notes at team meetings. Excel is an excellent resource for budgeting and tracking. Project Managers will need to give presentations to teams and stakeholders using PowerPoint. 

As an aspiring Project Manager, you’ll need advanced Microsoft Office and Microsoft Project skills. NYIM offers comprehensive training courses in Microsoft Office and all of its programs. Graduates of their courses receive a Certificate of Completion, which can be shared on Linkedin or included on a Project Manager resume to demonstrate Microsoft Office proficiency. NYIM offers bootcamps in individual office programs, such as the Excel for Business Bootcamp, PowerPoint Bootcamp, or Microsoft Access Bootcamp. Or, you can take a bootcamp on all Office products, such as Microsoft Office Fundamentals Bootcamp, to master the essentials or Complete Microsoft Office Bootcamp to become an expert. 

Additional Skill #2 Project Management Education and Certification

Aspiring Project Managers will also need a project management education. They will also want to consider seeking professional certification in project management to help them get hired. 

The Project Management Institute (PMI) has outlined the field of project management through the creation of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Gaining mastery of PMBOK is critical for aspiring Project Managers. Noble Desktop offers two levels of project management education, both live online and at its state-of-the-art campus in NYC. 

PMI offers certification for entry-level and aspiring Project Managers, the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). To apply for the CAPM exam, you must complete hours of project management education. Live online classes are a great way to meet this requirement. For example, Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp offers comprehensive training toward becoming a Project Manager and hours toward professional certification. 

When you’re ready to take the exam, you can enroll in a certification bootcamp, such as the CAPM Certification Bootcamp offered by Noble Desktop. This bootcamp is specifically designed to prepare you to pass the CAPM certification and includes 35 hours of hands-on instruction, a proprietary exam prep guide, and a video curriculum taught by a PMP-Certified instructor who will mentor you through the exam process. 

Additional Skill #3 Microsoft Power BI

Project Managers should consider learning the additional skill of Microsoft Power BI.

Microsoft Power BI is an interactive data visualization dashboard primarily used for business intelligence. Power BI transforms raw data into actionable business insights and is excellent for Project Managers to improve forecasting, project monitoring, and visualizing the data relevant to a project. 

Aspiring Project Managers will want to learn Power BI to harness its project management capabilities within Microsoft Project. Microsoft recently updated Project to be fully integrated with the Power BI dashboard. Mastering Microsoft Power BI is an impressive skill for an aspiring Project Manager that could help set your Project Manager resume apart from the rest. 

NYIM offers a Microsoft Power BI Bootcamp, which provides comprehensive training in using Power BI for data and project analysis. Topics covered include data extraction, data transformation, data visualization and analytics, data transformation, and using Power BI services to publish reports. Graduates earn a Certificate of Completion to share on Linkedin or their Project Manager Resume. 

Key Insights

• Aspiring Project Managers should develop proficiency in Microsoft Project.
• After learning Microsoft Project, other skills one should consider are Microsoft Office and Microsoft Excel, project management theories and concepts, and Microsoft Power BI.
• You can receive comprehensive Microsoft Project training through an in-person or live online course with NYIM.

Learn Microsoft Project with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

If you’re an aspiring Project Manager, you’ll need to train in Microsoft Project. NYIM is a business, design, and coding school based in NYC. They offer tech courses and bootcamps both live online or at their state-of-the-art campus in Midtown Manhattan. 

All of NYIM’s courses have guaranteed small class sizes and are taught by instructors who are experts in their industry. NYIM uses a unique hands-on approach in which instructors give a “micro-lecture” and then immediately guide students through applying what they learned using real-world projects. Graduates can take advantage of NYIM’s “free retake” option, which allows them to retake the course for free for up to one year to refresh or further develop skills. 

Live online courses are a great option if you don’t live in the NYC area. Because the class is happening live, it works exactly like an in-person class: you’ll be able to ask questions, interact with your instructor and classmates in real-time, and even receive direct feedback on your work using screen-sharing software. 

NYIM offers many options for learning Microsoft Project and the other programs in the Microsoft Office suite. In their Microsoft Project Level I course, students learn essential project management concepts and the fundamentals of using Microsoft Project to manage projects. Some of the Project skills that graduates will develop include defining projects, creating and organizing tasks, analyzing task relationships, creating a work breakdown structure, creating a resource calendar, resource management, creating baselines, sharing project plans, and finalizing project plans. Graduates earn a Certificate of Completion, which is sharable on Linkedin and your Project Manager Resume. 

NYIM’s Microsoft Project Level II covers more advanced techniques, including managing multiple projects. Instructors guide students through hands-on projects to develop skills using Microsoft Project to execute a project, monitor progress, control a project plan, create progress reports, and use advanced customized features. Graduates earn a Certificate of Completion to share on their Project Manager resume or Linkedin. 

If you want to study project management or pursue project management education hours toward CAPM Certification, you should consider a course like Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp. A PMP-Certified instructor trains students in project management theories and methodologies to help them launch a new career as Project Managers. Topics covered include the Project Management LifeCycle, project scope, project planning, resource management, risk management, financial management, team management, and becoming a professional Project Manager.