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.

How do you get a project internship?

To get a project internship requires researching potential companies, creating a polished resume/cover letter, and knowing the right time to apply. A project management internship can be a lucrative first step towards a career as a project manager. An internship provides a foot-in-the-door and the opportunity to begin to build your resume.

What qualifications do you need to be a project manager?

The qualifications required to become a project manager depend on the industry you're working in. Because of the large scope of responsibilities, the project manager needs to have had a relevant education. Typically candidates have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in computer science or business.

How To Become A Project Management Internship: What It Is and Career Path

What is a project management internship and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Christopher Gehrz Ph.D.,

Kathleen O'Keefe

Project management is a skill that is highly valued and transferrable across different jobs. Nearly every major business activity requires a project manager. If you have enough awareness, passion, and time, getting an internship while you pursue your studies is a wise and smart decision to make to prepare for your long-term career.

A project management intern is involved in duties such as maintaining project documentation, perform project research, and assist in data entry tasks. Besides that, they help prepare reports, produce project materials, and organize operations schedules. The project management intern also assists vendors in site logistics and responds to any customer inquiries.

Employers generally require interns to be pursuing their studies towards a degree in business or relating to project management and demonstrate good academic standing. This role earns, on average, $14 per hour.

What general advice would you give to a project management internship?

Christopher Gehrz Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Bethel University

First, be sure to sustain the life of the mind. You're no longer a college student, but you're still a learner, so you need to keep exercising those muscles. And you won't have people like me giving lectures or assigning books anymore, so you need to find your own ways to nourish your interests, sustain your passions, challenge your assumptions, and enhance your understanding.

Second, keep in touch with your college professors. Not only might you need to ask people like me for recommendations at some point down the road, but in turn, you can provide something to your alma mater more immediately meaningful than donations: helping us answer questions like these from newer students wondering how they'll connect their studies with their careers. (For example, I keep a list of several dozen alumni in various fields who have told me they'd be willing to be interviewed by first-year students wondering what they can do with a History major.)

ScoreProject Management InternshipUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,909

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.69%

Asian 6.66%

Black or African American 9.28%

Hispanic or Latino 16.35%

Unknown 4.95%

White 62.07%

Gender

female 49.80%

male 50.20%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress level

8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a project management internship

Explore project management internship education requirements

Most common project management internship degrees

Bachelor's

77.4 %

Master's

10.3 %

Associate

8.2 %

Start to develop specific project management internship skills

Skills	Percentages
Management	27.48%
Leadership	20.13%
Project Management	9.68%
Customer Service	7.51%
Portfolio	3.57%

Complete relevant project management internship training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New project management interns learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a project management internship based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real project management internship resumes.

Research project management internship duties and responsibilities

Manage QA and exploratory testing in order to deliver regular and ad hoc error reports.
Manage chart completion (ICD-9-CM and CPT coding/abstracting), chart assembly, patient admission and patient information privacy/security.
Manage retail sales systems (SPRS, POS) documents, create reports on merchandise stock, and help purchase merchandise.
Propose, develop and modify performance reports, utilizing VBA to automate and optimize efficiency.

Prepare your project management internship resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your project management internship resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a project management internship resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable project management internship resume templates

Build a professional project management internship resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your project management internship resume.

Apply for project management internship jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a project management internship job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average project management internship salary

The average project management internship salary in the United States is $33,909 per year or $16 per hour. Project management internship salaries range between $26,000 and $43,000 per year.

Average project management internship salary

$33,909 Yearly

$16.30 hourly

What is a project management internship and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a project management internship?

Project management internship career paths

Key steps to become a project management internship

Explore project management internship education requirements

Most common project management internship degrees

Start to develop specific project management internship skills

Complete relevant project management internship training and internships

Research project management internship duties and responsibilities

Prepare your project management internship resume

Choose from 10+ customizable project management internship resume templates

Apply for project management internship jobs

How did you land your first project management internship job

Average project management internship salary

How do project management interns rate their job?

Project management internship FAQs

Can I be a project manager with no experience?

How do you get a project internship?

What qualifications do you need to be a project manager?

Search for project management internship jobs