Being a project manager is a career path that’s well suited for people who enjoy learning new things regularly. Sure, some principles of effective project management remain the same over the years, but there’s a lot to catch up on. New PM software options appear regularly, and fellow managers share their best practices via blogs, podcasts, or ebooks. There are so many resources for project managers available online that one can get easily overwhelmed. This is why we’ve decided to create a round-up of free online resources for project managers – read on to get inspired and add several links to your bookmark collection.
Whether you’re planning to become a certified project manager or not, the chances are that you might be looking for e-courses that will help you grow as a project management professional.
It’s easy to find paid online courses, but you can also stumble upon free options that are worth a try, especially if you’re looking for materials that can support you in, say, exam preparation. When looking for free online courses for project leaders, check out these platforms:
With podcasts blowing up in the next couple of years, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that there are podcasts dedicated to project management. While we don’t suspect that PM channels will become the next true crime podcasts in terms of popularity, you’re certainly able to find some interesting shows:
Some time ago, we published a list of free ebooks for PMs: make sure you browse it when looking for free project management resources. It contains entries for seasoned professionals but also aspiring PMs. Use these books to learn more about project management methodologies, the best practices of resource management, or how to get started as a PM.
Now, let’s dive into books that are more about managing people who work on your project team. As a project manager, you need to be able to build rapport with your team members, boost their productivity, and maintain high spirits. Check out these ebooks and guides, if you want to learn more about managing people and get leadership inspiration:
When it comes to ebooks, Humble Bundle is a website that is definitely worth following. Sure, you won’t be able to get completely free resources there, but in our opinion paying $1 for a bundle of books still qualifies as a pretty great bargain. On top of that, a share of Humble Bundle’s sales is donated to selected charities (e.g., Save the children or Girls Inc.). The available bundles are time-limited, so it’s worth checking this website regularly and be on the lookout for project management-oriented collections of ebooks.
Let’s take a look at web-based project management resources: blogs. websites or discussion groups. We’ll start with a platform that has already been mentioned above when we discussed podcasts for PMs: the Digital Project Manager. It’s full of valuable resources: articles, guides, software comparisons, you name it! Plenty of resources are available for free, but you can also subscribe to the DPM Membership program for extra value: a chance to participate in workshops, masterminds, and office hours plus a massive collection of editable samples and practical ebooks.
When talking about places for a project manager to learn, we can’t skip the PMI Learning hub. You’ll find a lot of free resources there as well as paid project management training opportunities. Browse the Thought Leadership section of this website to find research-driven insights and commentary, including an annual publication called Pulse of the Profession.
Yet another website we want to recommend is Girl’s Guide to PM created by Elizabeth Harrin. Pro tip: sign up for her newsletter to get access to a library of free resources including a career planner, an Excel Gantt Chart template, and a project status report outline.
Every project manager can benefit from interacting with other PM professionals. If you want to actively discuss effective project management strategies and ways to build a successful project, you could sign up for PM discussion communities.
One of the easiest ways to get started is to join a Slack chat group. Standuply has published a great list of Slack communities where you can find groups dedicated to product and project management or agile.
Keep an eye on Reddit discussion boards e.g., Project Management Professional (10k members) or 项目管理 (31k members).
It’s understandable that, when looking for free project management resources, you’re more inclined to rely on sources that are not directly connected to, say, a PM software company. You might be afraid that company-owned platforms’ bias affects the quality of their content. It’s a valid argument, but we strongly encourage you not to give up on branded sources completely. Of course, one reason is that our own blog falls into that category, and we want you to stick around with us. The main reason, however, is that corporate blogs, ebooks, or videos are very often highly reliable and valuable for PMs. Here’s a list of platforms we follow to be in the loop about the latest trends in project management or tips of effective PM strategies:
And if you’re new to Teamdeck’s blog, make sure to check out these posts created for project managers:
There you have it – a list of free online resources for project managers, including ebooks, podcasts, or blogs. Whether your plan for 2020 is to change your career path and become a project manager, or you’re already working as a PM and want to develop your expertise further, we hope that this collection of free resources will prove to be useful.
We would love to hear from you about your favorite free project management resources. Let us know which blogs, podcasts, ebooks or courses should appear on this list!
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