As more fields realize how useful project management is in today’s world, the need for talented and experienced project managers continues to grow. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of job openings for project management workers will increase by 7% by 2031. They expect an average of 70,400 open project manager positions each year for the next ten years.

You can use the information and tools on this page to guide you toward finding your next project management job. If you want the best preparation resources, this list has everything you need to get started as soon as possible.

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Project Management Foundational Knowledge

How to Run Successful Projects: The Silver Bullet III

In my opinion, this is one of the best project management books you can have in your possession, period. This book brings a commonsense approach to project management: create a checklist, emphasize leadership and teamwork, properly plan and manage expectations, and communicate. These are the fundamentals of project management, whether you use the PMBOK standard in the United States or the PRINCE2 method in the United Kingdom. Overall, this is a fantastic book for rookie project managers in software development projects, and it is also full of insights and practices that any experienced project manager will appreciate.

Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager

This project management book is meant for new project managers who are just getting started in the profession.

It covers all of the fundamentals, from project planning to execution, monitoring, and signing off when everything is completed. The book is easy to read and blends conventional project management vocabulary with real-life examples to demonstrate how scenarios should flow once you’ve started.

This book is also aimed at people who occasionally manage projects or do projects on their own, as it demonstrates how to stay organized while juggling other responsibilities.

There are also some excellent tips for motivating your team, leading successfully, and creating formulas for planning your projects.

Project Management Body of Knowledge

If you haven’t read it before, this book is basically the bible for project managers. In other words, this is one of the ones you will come back to refer to time and time again. Especially since the PMP (Project Management Professional) Certification test is based on it. It is given by the PMI® (Project Management Institute). It has 425 pages, a good index, and a list of sources. This book, like all institutional books, is a good place to start for a strong base.

Agile Project Management

Agile Project Management with Scrum, By Ken Schwaber

Scrum is one of the most widely used Agile frameworks, and everything you need to begin using the Scrum agile approach in your department or company is contained in this book. Instead of aiming to produce a finished product with every component by a specific date, Scrum reflects what is actually happening in a project and promotes incremental development, which involves prioritizing requirements and delivering them in order of need. It’s the most straightforward approach you can use that will genuinely produce results. It does require a shift to the way that traditional organizations operate. But the result is that the project will always be motivated by the client’s needs, rather than by arbitrary long-term objectives. This book is a must-have for everyone interested in Scrum. 

Project Management Certification Courses

The Google Project Management Course and the IBM Project Management Capstone are the two BEST online courses I suggest enrolling in.

Google Project Management Certification

Get this course

I highly suggest this course since you will learn the finest techniques and lessons used by Google Project Management staff. This professional certificate includes 6 courses that cover everything you need to know about project management fundamentals, from waterfall to agile. The one thing I particularly appreciate about it is that it includes a Capstone Project, which allows you to apply everything you’ve learned in the course curriculum. What’s also excellent is that you’ll have built your own portfolio of project documentation, which you can use in future interviews to demonstrate that you have the knowledge and skills needed to lead actual projects. Another advantage is that you now have the ‘Google’ brand on your resume that you can highlight. This course is definitely worth the cost.

IBM Project Management Certificate

Buy this course

The Coursera IBM IT Project Management Certificate is intended for total novices.

To take the certificate, you do not need any prior knowledge, pre-requisite study, or other educational qualifications.

If you are seriously pursuing a career or industry change to IT project management and want a certificate from a well-known training provider, this is an excellent entry-level qualification.

Even if you don’t lead technical projects but work with individuals who do, or if you just want to have a better idea of what that job would be like if you moved into a digital PM or IT software project management role, this certificate course will provide you with a solid foundation.