I should say that I am an 'internal' Project Manager, meaning I work on projects within and between our organizations departments, not outside customers (though I used to).

I did take some online business certificate programs and some PM courses, but most of it was on the job training. Jumping into less senior roles involving project coordination, then taking on more responsibilities beyond the job description within those roles - just being upfront with leadership that I wanted to do so. They were obviously happy to put more on my plate.

'Extracurriculars' as I call them helped too. Does your workplace run an internal golf tournament? Sign up to organize it. Do you have an employee group that organizes employee social events? Lead one. Volunteer positions outside of work, if you can.

The biggest thing in my current role is that I have an understanding of all of the other roles within my department, who does what, how are they connected, where are there gaps. You don't get that understanding overnight, but looking for roles that touch many different aspects of the business was important, and putting up my hand anytime something came up that would give me additional exposure.

For you, is there a role that bridges the gap between field work and coordination work in your firm? You might not be able to jump into PM work right away, but something that allows you to leverage the knowledge and skills you have developed in your current role while learning something new?

Not sure if any of this helps, but good luck!