Who is Managing Your Career?

Career management is, ironically, one of the biggest challenges facing today's project managers.

According to a survey conducted by Parity,¹ 64% of organisations consider project management skills to be the most important for their employers to learn, and 72% intend to invest in project management training for their employees. However, only 34% of the employees surveyed said they had the time to balance work commitments with professional training.

Too often, employees take a passive stance regarding the development of their own careers. They rely on managers to push them through the most necessary courses. Contractors are in an even more precarious position, having total responsibility for identifying and resolving their own development needs.

The options

There are three main development options open to project managers: a degree-level qualification, work experience and professional courses.

University

A degree is a big commitment, but the investment repays impressive dividends. Full-time and part-time (often online distance learning) courses are offered by most universities, at Foundation, Undergraduate and Postgraduate level.

Postgraduate courses require either an undergraduate degree, or an equivalent professional qualification, or extensive professional experience. They generally last up to two years part-time, and cost in the region of £5000 - £8000.

University funding is sometimes available. In some cases, it is also possible to ask your employer to fund all or part of your course.

Work experience

Arras People, in their 2008 Project Management Survey, demonstrated that the most highly-paid and sought-after project managers were those who were able to demonstrate significant practical experience.

Volunteering with a charity or a not-for-profit organisation is one route to gaining project experience. It is also a good idea to talk to other colleagues about the responsibilities and opportunities available at more advanced grades.

Secondments, when an employee spends a set length of time gaining experience of a different role within the same company, can be invaluable opportunities for learning new skills, widening your professional network, and proving your project management capabilities.

Professional project management courses

Short, work-related courses are perhaps the most popular vehicle for career development. Cheaper and more focused than a degree, professional certification in a recognised qualification demonstrates awareness, commitment and ability to a career in project management.

PRINCE2^® is currently the most widely-recognised project management qualification in the UK, while the PRINCE2 methodology is standard in the public sector and is also used by private sector organisations in the UK and across the world. Also available are the qualifications offered by the Association of Project Management (APM), which follow a four-tier progression from 'Introductory Certificate' to 'Certified Project Manager'.

What should you consider before taking a course?

1. Content: identify your training need, and select your course and training provider accordingly. Do you need a course that covers IT Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC)? Or are you more interested in gaining recognised project management qualifications?


2. Level: consider the different levels of qualification carefully to determine which is best suited to your needs, skills and experience. For example, if you need the PRINCE2 qualification, it is important to know the difference between PRINCE2 Foundation (aimed at project staff) and PRINCE2 Practitioner (aimed at actual/aspiring project managers).
   


3. Accreditation: if you are opting for professional certification, then ensure that you enrol with an accredited training organisation. The APM Group is the awarding body for PRINCE2, MSP™ and ITIL^®, and provides accreditation for training companies. Knowledge Train is an accredited training organisation for the APM Group.


4. Size of class: the ratio of students to trainer has an impact on how well you learn. Make sure that you will not be adrift in a class of sixty, or you may not even get to learn your trainer’s name. Equally important is to make sure that there are enough students in the class to create a dynamic learning environment. The ideal number is usually between four and fifteen students.
   
   
5. Trainer experience: you need to be confident that your trainer knows what he or she is talking about. Questions to ask yourself are, does the trainer have appropriate professional experience? Is the trainer qualified to teach the advertised course? Does the trainer have sufficient experience delivering and designing training courses to ensure a positive experience?

All trainers at Knowledge Train have worked as professional project managers and have extensive training experience. All our PRINCE2 trainers are Registered PRINCE2 Practitioners. To read more about them, please visit our project management trainers page.

¹Parity Group PLC

PRINCE2^® is a trademark of the Office of Government Commerce