Why Project Management Skills are Surging in Popularity

Chip Pham

Promotions Strategy Manager

“The world is moving fast, AI is taking over many tasks, and modern work management tools like Jira, Trello, Asana, and Monday.com are automating much of the progress tracking and reporting. This shift is creating demand for a new kind of project management.” – Masha Ostroumova (Enterprise Agile Coach)

Graphic depicting several coworkers planning a project

After 10+ years managing everything from website redesign overhauls to launching small businesses to now managing global promotion strategy, I have learned that project management isn’t a job title anymore – it’s survival skills for the modern workplace.

At one time, project management was a specialized role reserved for certified professionals. Today, project management skills are a core competency across roles, industries, and career levels. Whether you’re a developer working on product features, a marketing manager launching a new campaign, or a health care worker juggling resources, you’re probably managing projects, even if you don’t call it that.

Today’s fast-changing business priorities, leaner teams, and hybrid work demands structure and collaboration at every turn. That’s exactly what strong project management skills provide. The question isn’t whether you need them. It’s how fast you can get them.

In this article, let’s break down why this profession is skyrocketing in popularity and how you can quickly get career-ready with the best project management skills training courses.

More and More People Are Learning Project Management Skills

Last year alone, Udemy saw a 22% spike in people searching for project management courses. But here’s the kicker – many of these learners aren’t aspiring project managers. They are developers, marketers, healthcare workers, and team leads who realized something crucial to their career advancement: the people who get things done are the ones who get ahead.

The great thing about this increase in demand for project management prowess is that it’s showing up in unexpected places. Responsibilities such as task planning, deadline coordination, and stakeholder communication are increasingly used in job descriptions for software developer, UX designer, and digital marketer roles. They’re core project management skills that could help you stand out in job interviews and grow your career.

This shift is also reflected in Udemy Business data. Our Project Management for Non-Project Managers and Understanding Agile courses are trending, especially among employees in non-PM roles.

If you’re a professional who never set out to lead projects but find yourself doing it anyway, you’re what industry experts call an “accidental project manager.” There’s nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t matter how you got there, as long as you continue to enjoy your role and find new ways to upskill and progress in your personal development.

The message is clear: today’s professionals are expected to take on more than their core responsibilities. They need to find ways to become masters of deadlines and expectations and drive projects forward to achieve the best results.

“We’re seeing a shift in team structures. Building a team with real synergy takes time, so rather than forming temporary project-based teams and disbanding them afterward, more organizations are moving toward stable, cross-functional value teams (often called squads). These teams stick together long-term, taking on one project after another and becoming increasingly effective over time.” – Masha Ostroumova

Project Management Is Becoming a Must-Have Core Skill

The Project Management Institute (PMI) predicts we’ll need 25 million new project-oriented roles by 2030. But here’s what the statistics miss – most of these roles won’t have “Project Manager” in the title. Whether you’re working in health care, tech, education, logistics, or finance, the ability to lead, organize, and deliver is becoming as important as your creative or technical expertise. We’re living and working in a cross-functional world where project management and other niche skills are great tricks to have up your sleeve, especially when it comes to landing a job or promotion.

Remote work and hybrid teams may also have a hand in accelerating the need for more structure. Without the benefit of in-person communication, professionals need to be crystal clear on deadlines and timelines and ensure that everybody is on the same page regarding deliverables and responsibilities. That’s where project management skills shine, offering clarity, accountability, and momentum.

This shift presents a huge opportunity to build core PM skills and stand out in the market, regardless of your role. Employers are actively seeking team members who get things done, and project management training shows you’re ready to hit the ground running.

The Rise of the “Accidental Project Manager”

I love this term because it captures the real situation we’re living in. Most project managers I have met in my career didn’t start out wanting to be project managers. We became project managers because someone had to get things done, and we were the ones who stepped up. Maybe you are the developer who always ends up coordinating product releases. The marketing manager juggling 8 different campaigns simultaneously. The data scientist who somehow became the go-to person when leadership needs insights and analysis. If you’re responsible for guiding a task or team to completion, you’re a project manager. You may be doing this without any formal training, but your responsibilities require classic project management skills, such as planning, scheduling, communication, and risk management. You are already doing the work – you just need the skills to do it better.

The good news? You don’t need to completely change careers. That’s where targeted project management training comes in.

Courses designed for nontraditional PMs, such as Project Management Fundamentals, Agile Crash Course, and Scrum Essentials, are gaining popularity on Udemy because they provide immediate, practical value. These courses don’t train you for a new job title — they help you succeed in the job you already have.

Here’s what I wish someone had told me early in my career: learning project management doesn’t box you into one role – it makes you valuable in every role. For individuals, it’s a chance to gain confidence, lead projects with more clarity, and open doors to career advancement. For employers, this presents a major upskilling opportunity. Empowering non-PMs with project management skills helps teams run smoothly, meet deadlines more efficiently, and communicate more effectively.

To recap, project management is no longer a job, but a job skill. As more and more people find themselves in the project management chair, even without a formal title, the demand for this kind of upskilling will continue to grow.

Why Agile and Digital Transformation Changed Project Management

As more organizations embrace digital transformation, the way teams work is evolving rapidly, and so is the role of project management. Today’s businesses are under pressure to deliver results, adapt to change faster, and stay competitive in a fast-moving world. That’s where modern project management methods, especially Agile and Scrum, come into play.

If you work in tech, you’re probably familiar with Agile workflows. Originally used in software development, Agile principles are now utilized by marketing, operations, education, and HR teams, helping them to stay organized, iterate quickly, and respond to shifting priorities. These methods help teams work in short, focused bursts (called sprints), gather early feedback, and adjust course as necessary.

The shift to remote work also accelerated this trend. Without regular face-to-face check-ins, hallway conversation, and impromptu desk visits, it’s easy for deadlines to slip and responsibilities to become blurred. That’s why tools such as Kanban boards, sprint planning, and backlog grooming are becoming part of everyday workflows across industries.

Digital transformation is also turning more initiatives into full-scale projects. Migrating to new software? That’s a project. Rolling out automation? Project. Launching a new digital product? Big project with lots of moving pieces. That means coordinating cross-functional teams, setting clear goals, managing risks, and keeping everything on track.

Project management is no longer confined to the back office — it’s a business-critical function. As Agile principles continue to evolve and gain momentum, professionals who understand how to manage projects in digital-first environments will be well-positioned to lead.

“When I started as a project manager, I was often frustrated by how little I could do to truly impact progress. Chasing people for status updates felt like being a bystander constantly checking if the firefighters were doing their job fast enough – or worse, telling them there’s a fire as they’re already running toward it.

In Agile, the picture is very different. Your role really does matter – but not because you’re micromanaging. It’s because you’re enabling the team to work well together, communicate effectively, and stay aligned with stakeholders. You help address dependencies and remove obstacles. The true “art” of the project manager today is in building connections, facilitating conversations, asking the right questions, resolving conflicts, and providing timely, constructive feedback.” – Masha Ostroumova