Getting Started with Project Management

I’ve been coaching aspiring managers for years, and I can tell you that the number-one most common roadblock (and it’s not even close) to learning about project management is: I'm not sure where to start.

I'd love to provide you with a resource you can bookmark - a one-stop shop for making your own plan to learn more about project management.

First things first - get your bearings. A couple of fast facts, coming at you:

• Understand that project management can be both/either:
  • A competency - something anyone from any field can practice, no matter what their level of education or title. When you organize, manage, and direct work with a specifically defined beginning and end, you are managing projects.
  • A professional identity and a field unto itself - you can become a professional Project Manager, complete with certifications.
• If you become (or plan to become) a professional Project Manager, you'll likely want to get involved with Project Management Institute (or PMI), the professional association for Project Management and Project Managers, the same way you'd get involved with NASPA or ACPA as a Student Affairs professional. Becoming a member will cost you $129/year, so I wouldn't do it until you're certain you're interested in the field - BUT, as soon as you're sure, I'd register that same day. PMI offers professional development opportunities at all sorts of levels, from free one-day workshops to for-fee, months-long certification processes. You can also find and join your local chapter to begin networking with folks nearby!
  • Note: I serve as the Vice President of Professional Development (obviously lol) on my own PMI chapter’s Board of Directors, so I’m happy to speak to all things PMI if you have questions!
• If you register as a PMI member, you'll also receive access to ProjectManagement.com, which is an absolute treasure trove of articles, webinars, templates (!!!), and blogs that are free to PMI members.

PMBOK

The Project Management Institute also maintains the PMBOK as its flagship publication.

The PMBOK is an actual, physical book that outlines the global standards for the profession. Even if you don't wind up joining PMI due to cost, please purchase the PMBOK. (Note that it's available as a free download to PMI members... but if you're the type of person who, like me, prefers a physical copy, it's worth it. You can purchase it on Amazon or Bookshop.org (this is an affiliate link and supports Boundless Impact if you use it to purchase.)

If you are attending a job interview for a PM-related role, you should have a passing familiarity with the PMBOK. Nobody has it memorized, but a hiring manager will want to see this familiarity if you're claiming knowledge and experience of PM as a profession.

As of January 2026, the most recent version of the PMBOK is the 8th Edition. It's substantively different from preceding editions, so please ONLY purchase the 8th.

Do I HAVE to get credentialed?

No. Unequivocally no - you do NOT have to get credentialed in order to start developing your skills in project management.

(Note - when we're discussing "credentials", I'm almost always referring to the Project Management Professional credential, which you'll see called the PMP. The PMP is globally recognized as the gold standard for Project Management credentials, and in my experience is the only PM cert that's recognizable by folks outside the field. Depending on your professional goals, that may make it the only one worth pursuing. If not, PMI does offer the Certified Associate in Project Management, which is more of a beginner cert. This might make sense if you're applying to jobs where folks have lots of familiarity with project management as a field and are likely to recognize the credential, and you have less time and money available than you'd need to apply for the full PMP.)

In any event, you do not need a certification or credential to pivot into many entry-level project management roles. In fact, many roles will frame it similarly to how CPAs are hired - with the expectation that you complete your credential, on the company's dime, within the first year of hire.

Now, that being said, there are definitely some situations where it might be easier to get your foot into a certain door depending on whether you're credentialed. For example, if you happen to be interviewing with a hiring manager that cares very much about whether their teams are credentialed project managers who can "hit the ground running", it may put you at a disadvantage to be interviewed without a credential. In my experience this happens in organizations where there are few project managers, and the PMs that do exist are expected to advocate for themselves and their own professional development.

I will also say that in 2026, it's no secret that the job market is tough. It may well be that you're not interested in an entry-level role, and that you're looking to take your skills somewhere that still gets you a raise and a title bump.

It's tempting to think of the credential as the make-or-break here, but I want to caution you that experience is really what levers you into these senior roles. The PMP can be a nice-to-have, especially in markets that are very tough – but experience is the must-have. This is exactly why I harp so much on making sure that you have truly wrung every bit of value from the narrative you're already building around the experience you already have: if you can't describe your PM skills effectively, a PMP will not save you in a tough job market and it won't distinguish you in a good one.

Okay, but SHOULD I get credentialed?

Haha - you are after my own heart :) My own answer is that in general, I wouldn't pursue the PMP unless it was funded by an employer. It's expensive - you need to pay for (at a minimum) the exam prep (required to test) and the exam itself, plus any other resources you're looking for (coaching, etc).

More on what my specific journey to the PMP looked like here.

That said, remember that project management principles are absolutely transferable to all sorts of roles. This means that project management certification is a wonderful use of professional development dollars even if you are not planning to leave the field. Formal PM education will make you more efficient and more effective as a leader in your current organization - and it may even provide you with some new ideas and approaches for work you're already doing!

If you're having a hard time getting your employer to pay for your credential, know that you don't need a cert to land many entry-level PM jobs (many of which are still going to be a step up from SA jobs), and that if you're doing full-time professional PM work, most employers will work with you to pay for a credential once you've already begun working.

So, the upshot here is - if you can get someone else to pay for your credential, I'd go for it, but I probably wouldn't pursue it if I was paying out of my own pocket. If I were in this boat, and choosing to defer becoming certified, I would definitely consider pursuing free education through Google, Coursera, Udemy, or other sources - all of which will be at least applicable, if not transferable, to any credential you pursue later on.

Anything else?

I'd close by just reminding you to stay curious. I have found project management to be an exceptionally welcoming field. I also don't know ANYONE who began their career wanting to become a project manager - we all found the field along the way. Just like you! :) So please do ask if there's ever anything else you want to know - otherwise, I hope this guide has been helpful!