Afternoon folks,

I am currently unemployed (not for much longer I hope) and I’m thinking that know is the perfect time for me to get on with some CPD and get a few additional skills to put on the CV.

I am looking further myself in Project Management as I have previously worked as assistant project manager and would like to concentrate on this rather than stay in quantity surveying, or move across to building surveying (8 years’ experience within QS/Estimating and a BSC Hons In Building Surveying).

I am looking into doing an online PMI course with the learning people which includes Prince2 and Microsoft Project training. I have been offered the courses for £1,200 and have been told it would take a few months to complete if I do a few hours a day. Good course, good value, realistic time frame?

I would like to hear opinions from anyone who has done this type of training, or from anyone in the industry that has any idea if it is worth me doing these courses, or if they think there may be any better options out there.
Thanks.

I've worked all my life in Project Management, oil and gas overseas mainly on major project (over 250MUS$), I've never seen Prince 2 used. Reading so much about it on here, I've started asking the questions of the Project people in the two major oil companies that operate here, so far I have not meet any one who has ever even heard of Prince 2. (they have bespoke systems that are similer, but telling them that actually P*8sed them off, as they paid a lot of money or the bespoke system)

Same with PMI I know lots of asian who collect qualifcations with it, but I only know two westerners and they are both from the USA.

If you are in QSing, you don't need to use the planning system, and Micro Soft Project is a bit Miki Mouse for a big project, doing a course actually makes you look a bit limited in your outlook, buy micro soft project and use it to learn how it works yourself, all you need to do is understand the terms, precedence, float etc, not operate the system, being able to operate MP will not help with Primevera 3, but undertanding the terms and the report formats of MP will help.

My only advice, as is usual in these circumstances, is to scan the job adverts (the Person Specifications are usually quite clear about what is essential or desirable) for the roles you aspire to, or speak to the specialist recruiters for your industry and see what the market is asking for; that would be my biggest clue to my future development. Good luck!

Hi Matt; suspect I didn't, sorry. Please do resend at your convenience.
Regards
Rog