Education · 1 of 5

The path

Nobody hires a 22 year old to run a $40 million project. You get there by coordinating small ones first.

1. 1

   High school diploma

   Grade 12

   Run something real: a fundraiser, a robotics team, a school production. Organizing other people is the whole skill and you can start now.

2. 2

   Bachelor's degree

   4 years

   Business, engineering, construction management, computing or health administration. The degree subject matters less than the industry you want to work in.

3. 3

   Project coordinator or analyst

   1 to 3 years

   Schedules, budgets, meeting notes, risk logs and chasing updates. You learn how work actually moves through an organization.

4. 4

   Run small projects yourself

   Year 2 to year 4

   A single workstream, then a whole small project with its own budget and deadline.

5. 5

   Certification

   After 3 or more years

   Once you have enough documented project hours, the PMP (Project Management Professional) is the credential employers recognize. There are entry-level options before you qualify for it.

6. 6

   Project manager, then program manager

   Ongoing

   One project, then several at once, then a portfolio and a team of project managers.