How to Become a Project Manager Without Experience in 2025

So. You’ve been searching for a career that’s challenging, fulfilling and plenty of opportunities to climb the ladder (and showcase a chic corporate wardrobe while you’re at it) and you’ve stumbled across project management. In this article I’ll be walking you through exactly how to become a project manager without experience in 2025.

Welcome.

But how exactly do you break into a career as a project manager when there are so many options and every job listing wants 3-5 years’ experience before you even set foot through the door?

How to become a project manager with no experience

If you’re interested in project management, you might be wondering: is it even possible to get a project management job without experience or a relevant degree?

The good news? Yes, it’s entirely possible, as project management involves so many skills that can be transferred from other jobs and requires a lot of soft skills like communication, problem solving and organisation.

Becoming a project manager without experience is all about being proactive, taking a little initiative and positioning yourself well.

Understand the role of project management

Get familiar with what project managers do and what kind of skills are required. This is something that often varies by industry, so if you have an idea of what kind of industry you’d like to work in (e.g. tech, finance, etc.) this will be helpful in understanding what you need to know.

Check out job listings for project managers and make a note of the skills, experience and qualifications that come up again and again in job descriptions, and you can create a plan to demonstrate or obtain them.

Tip: look at actual job listings as these will give you up-to-date, real world information about what employers are looking for.

Find your relevant experience

You’ve probably managed some kind of project before, even if your official job title isn’t project manager, and if you haven’t done it at work, you’ve probably organised a personal event like a party, study plan or wedding before.

Think about the skills you had to use when planning a project – what skills do you have that made the project a success? What skills do you use at work that match the job descriptions you’ve seen for project managers?

Learn the tools of the trade

As a project manager, you’ll use software to help you plan and manage your projects, and if you have experience using them, you’ll have a much better chance of securing a role.

Research which tools are most commonly used in the industry you want to break into and start using them to start planning your work in your current job (most of them have a free version) – this will give you real, practical knowledge of how the tool works, so when you secure your first project manager role, you can start work with confidence that you know your way around the software.

As a project, and now program manager in the tech industry, my work has usually involved using Jira, Confluence and Trello, but I’ve also worked at companies using Asana, Smartsheet or even Notion, and I’ll be honest – if you can get your head around one (especially Jira), you’ll probably find learning the others a piece of cake.

Incorporate project management into your current role

Okay, let’s get some practical experience under your belt.

Think about where you can start developing some project management skills within your current role. Are there any ongoing or upcoming projects you can take responsibility for, or maybe even pitch for a project to go ahead in your department?

If not, what are some areas you can start honing transferable skills like communication, problem-solving and leadership? Project management often involves being proactive and taking ownership of things, so now is your time to prove that you can do it.

If your company has project managers, it’s well worth connecting with them and even asking if you can shadow or support them on a regular basis to get a feel for the role. Not only will this help you to see the day-to-day goings on, but you’ll create a valuable connection with someone already in the industry.

Start with entry level jobs

There’s no rule that says you have to start at the bottom, especially if you have experience in a role with a lot of skills that transfer to a project manager role, however, if you have no or very little experience, you might want to look at entry level positions such as project assistant, administrator or co-ordinator.

Get a qualification

While some employers will pay for their staff to get qualifications, the reality is that most of them won’t. But that gives you the power to work towards a qualification on your own terms, and trust me, it will be well worth it.

Getting a qualification not only teaches you the theory of project management and how to manage projects, but it shows employers that you’re serious about the industry, and having the desired qualification is one more thing that gets your CV through the automated checkers and into the hands of an actual human being.

If you’re in the UK, I highly recommend studying PRINCE2 (or PRINCE2 Agile if you want to work in tech), as this is the main project management qualification here.

However, it is quite expensive – if the cost is too much, I’d recommend the Google Project Management Professional Certificate.

And there you have it. Follow these steps and you’ll be on the right path to your shiny new career in project management in no time.

If you found this helpful, or know someone who’s interested in project management, please share this article with them.