How to become a project manager – in 9 simple steps

Updated: 12 July 2024

Are you an organised problem solver looking for a flexible and varied career? Why not use your skills to become a freelance project manager?

Small (and large) businesses everywhere need the help of experts like you to help with budgeting, planning, and problem solving.

But how do you become a project manager? We take a look at the key skills and characteristics you’ll need to kick-start your project management career in nine easy steps – plus the qualifications you need and the salary you could earn.

9 steps to becoming a project manager

1. What is a project manager?
2. Choose an industry to work in
3. What qualifications do you need to be a project manager?
4. Register for tax
5. Get project manager insurance
6. Join a professional body
7. Find project management work
8. How much does a project manager make?
9. What makes a good project manager?

1. What is a project manager?

Before embarking on any new career, you need to know what you’re letting yourself in for.

A project manager is the person who’s responsible for making sure a project is delivered on time, on budget, and within scope. So, to be a good project manager you’ll need to be a skilled planner with a passion for organising people and resources.

All of the project’s stakeholders will look to you to make sure what was promised will actually be delivered. This means you’ll need to manage expectations if issues crop up along the way, which may affect the delivery timeline or project costs.

What does a project manager do?

A project manager makes sure those with responsibilities for delivering a particular part of a project know what’s expected of them – and when they need to deliver it by.

Project managers usually work closely with other roles on a project, including:

• designers and other creatives
• developers
• stakeholders
• vendors and suppliers

While some project contributors will only work during specific phases of a project, project managers lead the whole process, from kick-off to retrospective.

Your first task will be to work out all the risks associated with the project and decide how to manage them.

So organising regular check-in meetings as well as meetings about more specific areas of the project will be a key task on your to-do list. You’ll also create project plans and budgets – project management software and tools like a Gantt chart could help you here.

2. Choose an industry to work in

Almost any industry or organisation can employ project managers to help them achieve their aims and objectives. Areas can range from business and finance, to construction, to government, to IT, to retail.

If you want to become an engineering project manager, for example, you may need more specialist knowledge than if you work in a more general business role.

3. What qualifications do you need to be a project manager?

You don’t officially need a formal qualification to become a project manager. But to get the best choice of roles and projects, a university education and project management course could be very beneficial to your career.

It’s common to start off in more junior roles such as assistant project manager or project management officer – but career progression can eventually lead you into the role of project director.

Project management degrees

Project management qualifications in the UK range from undergraduate degrees to courses in specific project management methodology. It really depends on which area you want to work in.

For example, you don’t necessarily need a business degree if you want to work in general business project management. But it could prove very useful to your understanding of project requirements and risks.

If you want to work in an engineering project management role, you’re almost certainly going to need to understand the engineering industry to at least some degree. This will be the same for other specialised areas – making it a great choice for people who studied a specialist subject but then decided they didn’t want to progress into the traditionally associated roles.

You can study a three or four-year undergraduate degree, or masters in project management (over one or two years), at many universities in the UK and overseas.

Project management certification

Many project manager job descriptions will also require applicants to have training in a specific project management methodology, such as PRINCE2 or Agile.

Project management certifications can be completed online or in person, with PRINCE2 courses lasting from a few weeks to several months, depending on the level of qualification and the amount of time you can dedicate to studying.

How to become a project manager without experience

If you’re looking to start your career as a project manager but don’t yet have experience, you still have a couple of options. As mentioned above, you can transition into a project manager role in a specialist field after studying a related degree and perhaps working in the industry for a while. The benefit of this is that you have industry knowledge and experience to better understand the projects you work on.

You can also find volunteering or internship opportunities to gain experience – either in project management or in the specific field you want to work in.

4. Register for tax

If you decide to set up as a self-employed project manager, you’ll need to register your business with HMRC. This is so you can make sure you pay the tax you owe and avoid any penalties.

You’ll have a number of options for your business structure, including sole trader, limited company, and working under an umbrella company.

If you’re not sure which one would work best for you, read our article on the difference between setting up as a sole trader and a limited company. You may also want to consider whether you want to register for VAT.

5. Get project manager insurance

Working for yourself and being your own boss can bring lots of freedom to your working life, but there’s usually also greater responsibility.

That’s why if you decide to be a self-employed project manager, you should think about project manager insurance, which can protect you in case the worst happens.

Covers contract project managers tend to consider include:

• public liability insurance – covers legal expenses or compensation claims if clients, suppliers, or members of the public suffer personal injury or property damage because of your business
• professional indemnity insurance – covers compensation claims and legal fees that may arise if a client suffers a financial or professional loss because of your work
• business equipment insurance – covers you if your equipment is damaged or stolen, allowing you to replace it quickly and comfortably, and get on with the job in hand

As well as these covers, employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ anyone.

6. Join a professional body

It’s possible to join the Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered body for project managers, as a student. You can progress to associate and then full membership once you’ve been in the job for more than five years.

Becoming a member is a great way to stay ahead of what’s happening within the project management profession.

7. Find project management work

Good project managers are highly desirable in today’s job market. So the first thing to do is to make sure your LinkedIn profile and business page are set up and kept up to date.

You’ll want to showcase what you can offer in the best possible light so that recruiters can easily find you, giving you the widest choice of the most relevant and interesting projects to you.

You can also find project management work on freelancing websites or in online job advertisements.

Our guide on how to get clients as a freelancer has even more tips for finding work.

8. How much does a project manager make?

According to Glassdoor, the average project manager salary in London is £48,000. This will depend on your years of experience, as well as the industry you work in.

Additionally, freelancers are often able to charge a higher rate than traditionally employed project managers. Check out our guide for more information on how to set an hourly rate as a freelancer.

9. What makes a good project manager?

But what does it take to be a good project manager? Coincidentally, the skills needed to work in project management are similar to skills needed to be a successful freelancer.

Some areas to focus on include:

• planning and organising: including defining project scopes, setting timelines, and allocating resources
• attention to detail: project managers are often hired to ensure work is completed without error, so good attention to detail is key
• communication and negotiation: as project manager, you’ll need to manage stakeholder expectations and make sure team members are communicating well together
• budgeting: creating project budgets and tracking project expenses
• leadership: resolving conflicts and encouraging team collaboration
• risk management and quality control: assessing potential risks and ensuring all produced work is free of error

Are you thinking about becoming a project manager? Tell us more in the comments below.

Not sure if project management is for you?

If you’re not sure about project management but still want to start a new self-employed business, read our guides on alternative careers:

• How to become a teacher
• How to become a self-employed accountant
• How to start a recruitment agency
• Business consulting – how to start a consulting business