Anyone got Prince2 / Project management quals?
Discussion
fatboy b said:
I haven't but guys around me have. In a nutshell - it's always useful to have stuff on the CV that's industry recognised, but like degrees, it doesn't really prove you can do a good job in practice - only in theory. I'm not sure Prince 2 give you the interpersonal skills required to be a good PM if you don't already have them.
You will learn useful tips but don't rely on it when hiring or being hired.
Prince2 is widely used in the UK in all business sectors, not just limited to the public sector. Its probably the most popular PM qualification in the UK hence the wide usage.
I have PMi which you will need to work multinationally and have made a very nice living from Project and Program consultancy for several years, mainly in the UK. Many jobs (not just Project Manager) have Prince or PMi as a pre-requisite.
The approach PMi takes to Project delivery does differ from Prince2, but the underlying disciplines (risk management, schedule control, financial management etc) are common to both.
So get one under your belt and you should be able to work in an environment where either is the preferred approach (with a small amount of cross training).
I have PMi which you will need to work multinationally and have made a very nice living from Project and Program consultancy for several years, mainly in the UK. Many jobs (not just Project Manager) have Prince or PMi as a pre-requisite.
The approach PMi takes to Project delivery does differ from Prince2, but the underlying disciplines (risk management, schedule control, financial management etc) are common to both.
So get one under your belt and you should be able to work in an environment where either is the preferred approach (with a small amount of cross training).
Cara Van Man said:
Despite having the qual, will I find it hard to find work to start with?
If you dont have experience then yes you will struggle. When I am interviewing PMs having one of the relevant qualifications just means your CV will actually reach my desk rather than just being filed in the bin. Experience is everything.Having said that, if you dont shoot too high then you should be able to land an Assistant PM, Junior PM or Project Analyst role. You can then build up the experience you need to move into Project Management.
ETA just seen your last post, if you already have the experience then the Qual is just the icing on the cake and will just help you to get interviews. There is still plenty of work out there for PMs with a proven track record you just have to search them out
Edited by bigdods on Thursday 24th September 12:46
dan101smith said:
Do you have PM experience already?
It depends how you class what I've been doing. I've been running a department providing training to 200 personnel for the last 3 years. this involves liaising with various outside agencies on contracts and a multitude of other jobs including instructional design and TNA stuff.....Cara Van Man said:
dan101smith said:
Do you have PM experience already?
It depends how you class what I've been doing. I've been running a department providing training to 200 personnel for the last 3 years. this involves liaising with various outside agencies on contracts and a multitude of other jobs including instructional design and TNA stuff.....
t to me. I'd start applying for binmen (waste management operatives) jobs.Edited by escargot on Thursday 24th September 12:55
Cara Van Man said:
dan101smith said:
Do you have PM experience already?
It depends how you class what I've been doing. I've been running a department providing training to 200 personnel for the last 3 years. this involves liaising with various outside agencies on contracts and a multitude of other jobs including instructional design and TNA stuff.....Prince2 training will give you a good grounding in all the project delivery disciplines then you will be able to work out where you fit and how much applies to the work you currently do
Edited by bigdods on Thursday 24th September 12:58
As kind of noted above, PRINCE wont teach you to be a PM, it is a framework for running a project which is supposedly used in Public Sector and big business. It is understanding what is needed to keep a project in control. If you can run a project by scheduling resources (people and material) and deal with management reporting and managing risks then it is a very useful tick in the box.
Lots of companies calim to use it but don't really and just use 1 or 2 elements of it but, it will cover all the major bits that a big commercial project would need.
Go for it.
Lots of companies calim to use it but don't really and just use 1 or 2 elements of it but, it will cover all the major bits that a big commercial project would need.
Go for it.
bigdods said:
Cara Van Man said:
dan101smith said:
Do you have PM experience already?
It depends how you class what I've been doing. I've been running a department providing training to 200 personnel for the last 3 years. this involves liaising with various outside agencies on contracts and a multitude of other jobs including instructional design and TNA stuff.....Prince2 training will give you a good grounding in all the project delivery disciplines then you will be able to work out where you fit and how much applies to the work you currently do
Edited by bigdods on Thursday 24th September 12:58
All good info, thanks.
The courses I have been offered are
1) Prince 2 Project Management (£1040 including vat + exam)
2) APMP Project Management (£900 including vat + exam)
from a lay point of view they appear much of a muchness......which way to go?
or do both?
Edited by Cara Van Man on Thursday 24th September 13:23
Personally I would go for Prince2, its much more widely understood IME than APM.
I have interviewed and recruited PMs for many large organisations in the UK over the years and never has a basic criteria been an APM qualification. Its usually Prince2, PMi or equivalent (APM being the equivalent).
But most hiring managers wouldnt have a clue about APM so tend to stick to what they do know a bit about - Prince2 and PMi.
I have interviewed and recruited PMs for many large organisations in the UK over the years and never has a basic criteria been an APM qualification. Its usually Prince2, PMi or equivalent (APM being the equivalent).
But most hiring managers wouldnt have a clue about APM so tend to stick to what they do know a bit about - Prince2 and PMi.
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