How To Learn Project Management: 2 Proven Methods
Experience Over Theory: Learning by doing is a great way to gain practical project management skills. Start small, take on manageable projects, and gradually build your experience with more complex tasks.
Network and Learn:: Connecting with and learning from other project managers (via our membership program) will keep you up to date on the latest methodologies and tools, and provide valuable community support.
Get On The Fast Track: Enroll in our certification program for a structured approach to learning project management. Access vital resources, templates, and a community of peers to enhance your educational experience.
So, you want to learn project management. Maybe your current responsibilities overlap with the project manager role (even if that's not your job title) and you want to improve. Maybe you're excited by the career outlook for project managers or the potential project manager salary you might earn.
Whatever the reason, it's difficult to know where to start, especially if you don't have any experience. In this article, I'll cover two main paths for learning project management (spoiler: the easiest option involves taking our certificate program) and getting the skills you need to succeed in this role.
Method 1: Learn By Doing (Free)
The first way to learn project management is harder, but free: learn by doing. This involves reading project management guides, seeing what works through trial and error, and networking with other project managers.
Read project management guides on everything from agile project management to project estimates, project kickoffs, and project plans. We have plenty of excellent free resources here at The Digital Project Manager, but you can also check out library resources or ask your network for recommendations.
You'll also need both hard and soft project management skills to be a successful project manager. This includes (but isn't limited to) defining scope, assessing and mitigating risks, assigning tasks and resources, tracking progress, handling change, and communicating with stakeholders. You can take courses or attend workshops, and, when you've built up enough experience, earn a project management certification.
Project management at its core is about people producing excellent work. People coming into project management have to know how to execute a project well, or how to run a perfect timeline, or how to stay under budget. But the core of it is how do I work with my team? How do I work alongside my colleagues who have conflicting priorities? And how do I work with my clients who have very specific needs? A lot of project management is about how you interact with people and how you show up.
You can also learn via trial and error. If you're not already in a role where you're carrying out project management duties, ask your manager if you can take on small projects. If you are in a project-related role, gradually increase the size and complexity of the projects you manage. As you gain experience, you'll start to develop your own project management style.
If you’re in a role that’s maybe not a project manager titled role or you’re not doing project-based work, ask for something. Create your own project. Think about whether there’s something you’re hyper focused on that you could create a mini project out of for your own benefit and learning.
Networking with other project managers is a great way to learn about new methods, tools, and approaches. You can connect with peers online (like via our membership program) or attend local meetups and events.
Method 2: Take Our Certificate Program
Free resources are great, but it can difficult to find all the information you need and get more specific questions answered. The second way to learn project management is more comprehensive: take our online certification program.
Our comprehensive course covers everything you need to know about digital project management and managing a project through the project life cycle, from how to create a project plan to communicating with stakeholders.
You'll learn the required skills for successful project management, and get access to 100+ templates and samples for important project documentation that you can download and edit to fit your specific project teams.
Students in our course will also get access to our thriving Slack community, where you can meet and network with other project managers, ask questions, and get specific answers from your peers.
What's Next?
Want to connect with other digital project managers to share resources and best practices? Join our membership community and get access to 100+ templates, samples, and examples and connect with 100s of other digital project managers in Slack.
