By Oliver F. Lehmann
February 19, 2025
Lisa was thrilled when she landed her first role as a project coordinator. Fresh out of university, armed with a coveted degree, a lot of academic knowledge, and an eagerness to prove herself, she was ready to take on the corporate world. What she didn’t expect was just how brutal this world could be.
Project management seemed like an exciting challenge on paper—coordinating teams, meeting deadlines, adhering to budgets, and delivering results. However, Lisa quickly realized that while she was held accountable for many things, she had little real authority. Her managers had expectations, the requestors and clients wanted results, and her team—many of whom had been in the industry for decades—were skeptical of taking directions from someone so young.
One of Lisa’s first projects was a high-profile software implementation project for a paying customer. She was determined to make it a success, so she worked late into the nights, ensuring everything was in place. But the moment things started going wrong—delays, budget overruns, and technical failures—her lack of experience became a liability. The leadership team wanted answers. The client was furious. And worst of all, no one seemed to have her back.
Lisa didn’t know then that project management is as much about navigating politics as it is about managing tasks. Powerful stakeholders pushed conflicting agendas, and her attempts to keep everyone happy only made matters worse—every decision she made upset someone. When the project eventually failed, and the customer terminated the contract, she found herself an easy scapegoat.
Another problem for which the University did not prepare her was ambiguity in the use of words. Indeed, ubiquitously used terminology, including words such as “stakeholders,” “resources,” and more, as well as acronyms and abbreviations, had different meanings for different people, and when she thought she finally understood what they meant, she met someone who used a word or acronym differently again. How could she provide clarity about the project to stakeholders (here: everyone who matters for the project) when she was surrounded by confusion caused by the inexistence of an authoritative glossary?
She wasn’t alone in this experience. Many young professionals enter project management without realizing the risks involved. The pressure is immense, the expectations are often unrealistic, and the emotional toll can be overwhelming. Young PMs are frequently caught between demanding executives and resistant teams, without the experience or authority to push back. And often, they are assigned to projects when experienced managers expect failure and wish to have a person to blame instead of standing to their own accountability.
Some young people burn out. Others quit or get fired before the end of their probation period—haven’t they been selected with high hopes and now found to have achieved nothing? These assignments damage the two most important assets young people must build early in their project management career: Persuasive bios and self-esteem.
How Organizations Can Help Young Professionals Thrive as Project Managers
Compare Lisa’s story with Jake’s: When Jake joined his company as a junior analyst, he never imagined he would one day lead projects. He had always admired the project managers in his firm—their confidence, their ability to make decisions under pressure, and how they handled complex challenges. But when his manager suggested he step into a project management role, he hesitated. He had no formal training in it, and the thought of being responsible for a team made him nervous.
Thankfully, Jake’s company didn’t just throw him into the deep end. They had a structured approach to developing young project managers, starting with certification programs. His employer sponsored him to take the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) exam, an entry-level certification whose preparation program helped him grasp the fundamentals of project planning, risk management, and stakeholder communication. It was a starting point to get into project management and later do the upgrade to the Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification, which added even deeper insights into leadership and strategic thinking.
Beyond certification, the company assigned Jake a mentor, an experienced project manager who had been in the field for over a decade. His mentor didn’t just teach him technical skills; she shared insights into navigating corporate politics, dealing with difficult stakeholders, and managing stress when things went wrong. The mentorship helped Jake avoid the common pitfalls that many young PMs face.
Another helpful step the organization took was to ensure a clear project champion, a manager in a governance role who acted as an escalation channel for emerging problems and as a powerful force to keep Jake and his project team free from resolving obstacles and impediments beyond their authorization. The organization’s standing policy was that each project had a project charter written by its project manager and issued by the project champion. However, this was seen as particularly important for projects with young project managers.
The most significant advantage was allowing young professionals to gain hands-on experience in a controlled environment. Rather than immediately leading high-risk projects, Jake was assigned smaller, internal projects, some of them just sub-projects. These “safe-to-fail” initiatives allowed him to build confidence, make mistakes, familiarize himself with corporate policies and guidelines, and learn without jeopardizing critical business goals.
As he gained experience, the organization also invested in soft skills training, teaching him how to negotiate, handle conflicts, and build relationships with stakeholders. These skills proved invaluable when he later found himself in high-pressure situations, especially in customer projects that had much higher stakes.
The Value of CAPM Certification for the Organization
CAPM is a piece of the puzzle of developing young professionals into seasoned project managers. Many professionals entering the workforce between the ages of 22 and 35 find themselves working on projects across various departments—whether in IT, marketing, operations, or finance. While they may contribute to project teams, they often lack the experience required to pursue the Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification. Here, the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) steps in.
Figure 1: A schematic path of how “accidental” project managers’ maturity grows over time and what certifications they find helpful on the way.
For those just beginning their careers, CAPM serves as a stepping stone into the world of project management. The exam preparation class provides a solid foundation in essential principles, ensuring that young professionals understand project approaches and methods and use unified terminology. Earning this certification early gives them a competitive edge, proving their commitment to structured project management and positioning themselves for future leadership roles.
From an organizational perspective, experienced project managers who already hold a PMP greatly benefit from having CAPMs on their teams. These certified professionals bring a structured approach to project work, reducing the learning curve and minimizing the common inefficiencies that arise when junior team members lack formal training. They can support team coordination and progress tracking, manage documentation, and assist with risk assessments. This enables PMPs to focus on strategic communication and decision-making rather than day-to-day administrative tasks.
Beyond immediate contributions, CAPMs represent the next generation of project leaders. By working alongside experienced PMPs, they gain real-world exposure while bringing fresh perspectives and disciplined practices to the table. Their presence strengthens project teams, enhances efficiency, and ensures a well-prepared talent pipeline for future project leadership roles.
In essence, the CAPM certification is more than just an entry-level credential—it’s a way for new professionals to accelerate their careers and for organizations that are committed to building stronger, more effective project teams.
Oliver F. Lehmann
Oliver F. Lehmann based in Munich, Germany, is a project management expert with over 30 years of experience. A pioneer in project business management, he helps organizations master cross-corporate collaborations under contract. Holding an MSc in Project Management from the University of Liverpool, he is a certified PMP, former President of the PMI Southern Germany Chapter, and founder of the Project Business Foundation. Through his books, workshops, and global consultancy, Oliver has inspired professionals to excel in inter-organizational projects and tackle complex challenges with actionable insights.
Title image: Created by Oliver F. Lehmann based on Unsplash/Ira Ostafiichuk
