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This question is about project management internship.
Can I be a project manager with no experience?
No, you cannot be a project manager with no experience. There are two paths towards becoming a project manager -- one path is to work within your field and be promoted to project manager; the other path is to study project management and gain an internship or entry-level position.
Project managers are needed in a variety of industries and, in many cases, need to have a strong understanding of the field they are working in, as well as project management skills. For example, an engineer or software developer may move into a project management role over time once they've been working in their respective fields for several years.
In these cases, it is not unusual for a company to provide additional training opportunities (e.g., PMP certification) or mentorship with more senior project managers.
Another path is to focus your studies on project management versus working your way up in the field in which you want to do project management.
The growing popularity of project management positions has led to more and more universities offering project management programs. You can also learn everything you need to know about project management, including the software and methodologies commonly used online.
However, it doesn't matter how much you know about project management at the end of the day. Without project management experience, you are not a project manager. It's one thing to learn about the different stages of the Project Life cycle, but it's a completely different situation to apply these concepts in a real-world setting.
It is for this reason that to become a certified project manager requires several years of experience managing projects.
For example, the prerequisites for the PMP certification exam are as follows:
A secondary degree (high school diploma, associate's degree, or the global equivalent)
7,500 hours leading and directing projects
35 hours of project management education
OR
Four-year degree
4,500 hours leading and directing projects
35 hours of project management education
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