How Difficult is it to Learn Project Management?

Are you curious about learning project management but worried it might be too hard? Of course, the difficulty that comes with learning a new skill is somewhat subjective. The challenges of learning project management depend on factors likeprevious experience managing projects, which industry you currently work in, and the strength of your soft skills.

No matter your current schedule or comfort level with project management, plenty of tools are available to help make learning more accessible than you might think.

What is Project Management?

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.

What Can You Do with Project Management?

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.

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Project Management?

One of the most challenging parts of learning project management is that it requires a large and diverse skillset. Project Managers are expected to wear many hats and will need a well-developed repertoire of soft skills, hard skills, and project management education. Some Project Managers may need additional skills if they plan to specialize in an industry.

A Project Manager’s most important skill set is soft skills. Since soft skills are more abstract than hard hard skills, they can be more challenging to learn. For example, it’s easier to know that you’re learning statistics than leadership skills. They can also be more difficult to demonstrate on a resume.Some of the soft skills you’ll need to develop to become a Project Manager include communication, leadership, time management, resource management, risk management, conflict resolution, and budgeting.

A lot of the soft skills that Project Managers need to have are interpersonal skills which can be more challenging to learn. Professional Project Managers report that they spend around 90% of their time communicating. You will need to have impeccable written and verbal communication skills which can be more challenging to learn.

Gaining experience is another potentially challenging part of learning project management. It is a skills-based field which means that companies care more about skills and experience than degrees or more formal education. You’ll need to demonstrate that you have experience managing projects. While this may seem challenging at first, you can look for ways to gain experience while you’re still training. For example, you can look for opportunities to manage projects in your current job. Or, you could brainstorm volunteer projects that you could manage for your local community. For example, you might organize a fundraiser for a local dog rescue organization or manage a group of volunteers to clean up litter alongside the highway.

How Does Learning Project Management Compare to Other Fields?

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.

Scrum Master

A Scrum Master is an interpersonal coach who facilitates team progress on projects. They are in charge of daily meetings, improving teamwork, and increasing productivity on projects. The path to becoming a Scrum Master is slightly more structured than the path to becoming a Project Manager. Certification is absolutely required instead of preferred. You will need to select a professional certification and pursue training for the exam.

Product Manager

A Product Manager manages the lifecycle of a product instead of a project. The path to becoming a Product Manager is much less defined than the path to becoming a Project Manager. Some insist that a Master’s in Business Administration is necessary. However, Product Managers more commonly take courses and get certified like a Project Manager.

Freelance Project Manager

If you plan to learn project management to launch a career as a Freelance Project Manager, then you’ll need some additional training. If you want to be able to advertise your skills, you’ll definitely need to pursue a certification or a certificate to demonstrate your skills. For example, the digital certificate given to graduate’s of Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp.

Learn Project Management with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

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.