Receiving that first significant role in Project Management

Brian Nelson CEO Brain Nelson| One Source, Customer Care Chicago, IL, United States

Why does it appear that I'm meeting more people working in Project Management without the Project Management certification than there are people with the Project Management certification? The old adage of you need experience to work here vs getting experience has frustrated many who decide to go on to higher levels of education, and I'm no different. Truth is, certifications and higher education can become sources of frustration without the proper connections. Over qualified vs underqualified leads to under employment that is hard to get out of. Truth is either our education systems are broken or our employment processes can someone provide a real solution to this?

Posted: Apr 26, 2026 7:53 AM

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Francisco Herrera

Community Champion

Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico. Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico

Many people work in project management without certification because experience is still the first thing many companies look for. A certification is valuable, but it does not always guarantee a job by itself. In many cases, the best solution is to combine practical experience, certification, networking, and clear communication of results. The system is not perfect, but building experience step by step and making strong professional connections usually creates better opportunities over time.
Francisco

Posted: Apr 27, 2026 12:17 PM

Lissette Indhira Pimentel Sosa

Community Champion

Program Manager| HARPER SRL Santo Domingo / Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic

In many cases, people grow into project management through experience before getting certified.
The certification helps, but what usually makes the difference is being able to show what you’ve actually delivered, even if it started in a different role.

A lot of PMs begin by coordinating work, leading small initiatives, or taking ownership of parts of a project. Over time, that turns into full project responsibility.
It’s not a perfect system, but building experience step by step and making that visible tends to open more doors than certification alone.

Posted: Apr 27, 2026 2:41 PM

Syed Ashir Riaz

Community Champion

AI-Powered Social Media Strategist

Certifications are important, but experience and networking often matter more in getting the first PM role. Companies should provide more opportunities for skilled beginners to gain real-world experience.

Posted: Apr 28, 2026 2:39 AM

Eduard Hernandez

Community Champion

Product Operations Program Manager Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

As others mentioned, certifications alone don´t land jobs. PMP is often a nice-to-have and will increase the odds of landing a job, but there is no guarantee that a PM without a PMP will work better than a certified practitioner. In other words, having a PMP decreases the risk of failure but does not guarantee success either.

Posted: Apr 28, 2026 5:49 AM

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Receiving that first significant role in Project Management

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