Project Management

[jelly79]

Any recommendations for a Project Management Course please?

I have been in ops for many years and thinking of using PM as a different opportunity.

Think Prince 2 is a fairly well known one. Not a PM myself but know a couple of people that have this.

Just bear in mind that while there are lots of different PM methodologies out there, they are all much of a muchness. It is however useful to do the same as everyone around you, so that you use the same terminology as those with whom you are working.

Is there any chance of joining an in-house PM course, perhaps suggesting it as a way to improve communications with projects, if you cannot get a secondment ?

PM is basically very simple, only gets complicated because there are other humans in the mix.

A Prince 2 qualification is one of the cheapest it is possible to earn, if you do find yourself funding it yourself. Training without experience on the job will not get you very far, so do try and get sponsored internally.

All the best

It depends what industry you might be going into. Digital for example has a strong move to agile methodologies so something around agile project management would be useful or a certified product owner.

PRINCE2 is particularly still used in America and longer, larger projects. It's easy enough to learn but a thousand or so when I took it so not too cheap.

Agree with the previous poster who said it's mostly easy but people over complicate it. Learn the basics and then it's all people and relationship management.

Thanks so much for the replies. I have worked in people management in telecoms, insurance and banking. I am hoping to get internal sponsorship for the qualification and to get some experience / exposure with the company I am with over the next 18 months. We have a need for PMs so hopefully a benefit to both myself and the company 🙏

Sounds good, keep us posted on your progress

Move into IT, get some Agile! And come to me for a job.

Have a look at APM qualifications they are just as recognised as Prince2 www.apm.org.uk/

If you can get into IT Project management then you’ll probably get better paid than others PMs.

Read up on Agile if the company you’ll be working for is using this project methodology. Each organisation usually has a specific way of managing Agile projects so I wouldnt get any training

Thanks so much for the advice! I'll certainly look at the links tonight :)

Had a really promising meeting with my boss who would be happy to support my request and in addition get me some exposure in to some of the areas I've not worked in before. Finance, workforce management and IT are on my list!

I think I have a drive to absorb and learn as much as I can in the next 12/18 months so I can position a move internally that will allow me to go in to PM and work from home more which will suit my situation!

Definitely Agile. It's increasingly becoming the way to manage projects and is quite different to the waterfall plan approach.

Have you looked at the latest apprenticeship qualifications for PM? You don't need to be an apprentice to do them, but there is a rule about studying for 20% off the job I.e. day release.

There is a level 4 (HNC) Associate Project Manager as well as a degree in PM. If your employer pays the apprenticeship levy, this can fund it, if not, they only have to contribute 5% of the costs. For example a £27k degree would cost your employer £1350 spread over 5 years.