What are the best ways to gain project management experience as a newcomer?

Indeed, project management is a dangerous place for young people. Many companies have a habit of burning them in project coordinator roles, where they have no chance of achieving. Neither do they have a standing toward their seasoned colleagues, nor do they understand the dynamics of power and politics. But here is good news: Youth is the only problem that sorts itself out over time. And here is my recommendation for the seasoned people: When you find a young professional getting burned out, help the person. Offer yourself as a mentor and step in when you feel, the person isn’t treated right. And for the young people, my recommendation is: Don’t take up risks that you (still) can’t manage. Getting seasoned is a process, not a leap.

1. key is to think through how all the delivery can fail , this way we prepare tactics to counter the failure touch points . 2. The task / delivery must be somehow quanitified , so then we can measure , if measurable - then easier managed 3. Start with the end in mind , fix target and work backwards , else the tomorrow and excuses will keep pouring in. 4. To be a seeker of bad news , no matter the planning things must go wrong - this is fundamental to projects, else it will be water melon reporting. 5. The greatest distraction at times is the Technology itself , we tend to overtly micro manage - this leads to focussing on important and urgent more than the critical itself.

Project management is everywhere. It's likely that there's an aspect of it in your current role. Search for it, uncover it, and expand on it. Do you have a task due next week? Break the work down into smaller chunks and estimate how long each will take. Are you working with a group and feel concerned about something? Gather your thoughts and share the risk with your team. Explain what you see could go wrong, what impact it would have, and offer any ideas you have for avoiding the risk or minimizing its impact. Are you planning a trip? Try to think about all the expenses you'll incur. Write them down and then compare to what you actually spent. PM skills of planning, estimating, tracking, and adjusting can be found all around you.

I offer project management experience with programming small enough to grasp concepts and gain key skills by doing. It's an incubator for new PMs wishing to learn more in an active project. I'm looking forward to feedback on this initiative.

To get the right form of work experience I'll recommend a voluntary role under a mentor with the right experience and qualifications. When I first arrived in the UK, I volunteered in my local church project and was only trusted with painting the radiators. We were led by a retired architect who later acted as my reference to the Architects Registration Board.

In the tech industry, aspiring project managers can enhance their skills through online platforms like Coursera and Udemy. These platforms offer affordable courses covering project management fundamentals, planning, execution, control, and closure. By completing these courses, individuals gain valuable knowledge, enabling them to apply best practices in real-world projects, fostering their project management expertise. Key takeaway: Online courses provide accessible and cost-effective ways to learn project management essentials. Acquiring these skills equips individuals with the knowledge needed to effectively manage projects, making them valuable assets in various industries.

Online courses are great to get started in building up your knowledge in project management; however, we have to emphasise the importance of also putting that knowledge into practice. Many aspiring project managers often know the theories but may struggle with knowing how to effectively start, control or close a project. My advice would be to marry the online courses with practical experiences to help you apply your learning to real-life scenarios. You can do this by reviewing project opportunities around you and getting involved with them. This way, not only are you gaining knowledge, but you are also recognising and building upon your skills, which will put you in a better standing than someone who is just taking courses after courses.

Online courses are everywhere, start with coursera (google PM) you'll have solid foundation and get to practice. I encourage you also to read listen to podcasts, watch YouTube, follow professionals on LinkedIn and engage with their content they are up to date with recent trends and can help you by guiding you. Projects are all over us, you just need to pick something and try implementing the knowledge on it. It can be a room renovation, moving to a new house/city, over even a body transformation or mastering a new skill. All these are helpful to gain and acquire PM skills.

I just told a group of my students this. Acquire skills that you can show value. Skills are as follows 1. Creative 2. Innovation 3. Technology or tools such as powerbi asana trello 4. Methodology 5. Confidence

Side Projects: Initiate your own projects, even if they are small. This could be anything from organizing a community event to managing a personal development initiative. Document your processes, challenges, and outcomes to showcase your project management skills. Shadowing and Mentorship: If possible, shadow an experienced project manager or seek mentorship. Learning from someone with practical experience can provide valuable insights and guidance. Online Courses and Webinars: Take advantage of online courses and webinars that focus on project management. Platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and Project Management Institute (PMI) offer various courses that can enhance your knowledge and skills.

In the marketing industry, building a project management portfolio is crucial. It can include successful campaign proposals, strategic plans, budget allocations, event schedules, and client feedback. This showcase demonstrates your ability to handle diverse projects effectively. Potential employers can assess your skills, boosting your chances of securing project management roles. Key takeaway: A well-curated portfolio serves as tangible evidence of your capabilities. Showcasing your achievements not only validates your skills but also highlights your expertise, making you a compelling choice for prospective employers, clients, or collaborators in any industry.

Building a portfolio of your project management work demonstrates your skills, experience, and accomplishments to potential employers. Include projects you've volunteered for, personal projects, or even simulations you've completed in online courses. Highlight your project planning, execution, and problem-solving abilities.

Creating a portfolio is an excellent way to showcase your skills, experience, and accomplishments, especially in fields like design, writing, project management, or other creative and professional areas. Select pieces that best showcase your skills and range of abilities. Include a variety of works that demonstrate your versatility, or focus on a specific area if you’re targeting a niche market. For each piece or project, include a brief description. Explain the objectives, your role, the process, and the outcomes. This context helps viewers understand your contribution and the value of your work.

Enhance your project management profile by developing a comprehensive portfolio that showcases your skills and accomplishments. Include project documents, artifacts, and testimonials, highlighting your involvement in diverse projects. Incorporate certificates, badges, and awards to demonstrate ongoing learning and credibility. A well-crafted portfolio serves as a visual narrative, allowing potential employers to assess your expertise and accomplishments, solidifying your position as a skilled project manager.

Document your project management skills, experiences, and achievements in a portfolio. Showcase successful projects, highlighting your role, challenges faced, and outcomes achieved.

In the technology sector, joining a project management community like PMI provides invaluable networking and learning opportunities. PMI offers resources, events, and certifications that enhance skills and knowledge. Engaging with professionals from diverse backgrounds fosters collaboration and exposes members to varied project management methodologies. Key takeaway: Project management communities provide a supportive environment for continuous learning and networking. By participating actively, professionals can gain insights, mentorship, and industry-specific knowledge, enriching their project management expertise and expanding their career opportunities.

Joining an active and effective community is a great way to enhance your knowledge and perspective. Interacting with people in the community who all have varied and diverse experiences gives you so many things that can't be achieved by just taking a course.

There are lot of communities like meetup and where everyone can contribute in some way - by learning, speaking etc. Project Management is a growing field with many organizations having adopted various methods and depending on the project. Talking to seniors, learning from the experiences and the stories that inspire us to adapt to the project circumstances. I personally believe spending some time with the experts in the industry via conferences, communities etc will help in expanding the learning horizon.

Expand your project management skills by joining professional communities tailored to your interests. Organizations like the Project Management Institute (PMI) provide resources and certifications, while local or niche groups offer specialized insights. Networking within these communities connects you with mentors, peers, and industry experts, fostering continuous learning and keeping you updated on the latest trends. Actively engaging in these circles not only enhances your skills but also strengthens your professional network, making you a more versatile and informed project manager

Engage with project management communities or forums online such as PMI. Participate in discussions, seek advice, and learn from the experiences of seasoned project managers.

To gain project management experience I'd recommend starting here, with a side project. Many domestic, family, hobby as well as work activities can be viewed as projects and so provide a great place to start exploring ideas and developing skills. The real beauty is that whatever it is you are doing should also benefit from you taking a project management approach to it. To use your side project to learn, develop and gain confidence you should approach it in a structured way, apply some of the project management tools and techniques to help you undertake it and write a note on what it is you are doing, why and what the effect was. Start with some planning and take it from there :-)

In the entrepreneurial sector, initiating a side project like launching an e-commerce store exemplifies applying project management skills in a real-world scenario. Managing tasks, budgets, and timelines while coordinating with suppliers and customers mirrors professional project management. Involving others hones leadership and collaboration skills. Key takeaway: Side projects offer hands-on experience, allowing individuals to practice project management principles. These ventures serve as testing grounds, fostering problem-solving abilities and enhancing overall project management competency, preparing individuals for larger, more complex endeavors.

1. Buddy up with a senior on a project. 2. Have a mentor. 3. Join the PMP-certified professional forum. 4. Apply new learnings in their current assignment.

Managed to keep your houseplants alive? You know the basics of project management! Whether it is launching a social media newsletter or planning a journey, side projects offer a hands-on experience that formal education often misses. At Morgan Stanley, I volunteered to organize networking events for employees, as it was an unique opportunity to enhance my ability to plan, communicate, and connect with diverse teams. Organizing group sports or a road trip is essentially a mini project. It teaches us about coordination, time management, and adaptability in real-world scenarios. These are valuable practical experiences that merge life skills with professional development, turning everyday tasks into valuable project management lessons.

In my experience you can apply a project management framework or mentality to anything you are doing. If you have the opportunity to step up and offer structure and accountability to an initiative at work (whatever it is), do it. Apply the PM principles and use the methodology and BOOM project management! It’s all about perspective.

For new comers, you can get project management experiences by participate as project intern ,project assistant or project coordinator. But not to confuse, project management experience cannot only gain by managing the projects , taking part in the projects can also gain project management knowledges and experience. So, whether you are domain experts or part of projcet team , you can still learn from each project members and can also gain required experience and knowledge.

Great points discussed above already. In addition, I always advice new entrants to project management to thrive to apply professional project management concepts in their day-to-day life as we all have personal projects now and then. Vacation, Trip, Events, repainting our apartments, Relocating to a new apartment or city, Etc. are all projects. Applying the concepts of project management to these minor projects give good insight to project management and prepare one to take up bigger projects.

Pursue industry-recognized project management certifications such Project Management by Google, CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management). These certifications required a person to take certain levels of training and can enhance your credibility and demonstrate your commitment to the field.

Consider approaching your organization's Project Management Office (PMO) or a Project Manager in your organization for an opportunity to shadow or receive a mentorship. Many experienced PMs are enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge and can provide guidance tailored to your professional background. Regardless of your career stage or field, it's likely that you have inadvertently applied project management principles in your daily operations. A mentor can help identify and harness these skills, enabling you to apply project management theories more deliberately and effectively.

As a newcomer, project management can be quite daunting. One of the things that makes this so is that theory learned & its practical application on job varies by quite a distance. What appears easy to do in theory can actually be stomach twitching in real world projects. Another thing that this is so because newcomers come with a mind guard that they shouldn't fail; what if they ask questions or help, they may seem incapable & so on. This makes it difficult for them to reach out for help/guidance before its too late on project. Lastly, expectations of company are considerable from newcomer & he/she is expected to do everything right, right away, leaving very little scope for error. Remember, nothing teaches more than practically doing it