Project Management & Prince2

[Malx]

Any news on how the resit went TC?

[TotalControl]

Actually, yes. I failed. But it was my fault entirely. I got to the exam late (train issues from Watford) but still tried to do the exam. Result were worse than before too.

I think I'm going to wait before booking it again. I'm trying to find a junior PM role now so that I can get the company to pay for the exam when I'm ready.

Quite gutted but in all fairness, the exam was a lot harder than before.

Personally, I've done the exam twice so am pretty confident I can take the interviews well.

However, I'm not giving up. Just need to find the right time to do the exam as dealing with 3 kids and a poorly father are taking up too much brain power at present.

I'd love to keep this thread going though, to help others who may be in the same situation.

[Malx]

Sorry to hear that, I was hoping you'd have passed it having come so close before. Going into the exam stressed is a recipe for disaster so a break might be a good idea.

I literally walked (drove) from my foundation exam to a meeting with HR to inform me that I was at risk of redundancy. Thankfully I passed it but I think I'll skip the practitioner exam until I have more hands on experience of projects. Might got for the ITIL exam next.

I think trying to keep this thread would be a very decent idea.

[marctwo]

That's a shame. Doing anything when you have 3 kids is pretty challenging!

As you say, don't give up. Just give yourself a chance to catch your breath back.

[CAPP0]

I've recently did P2 Foundation and Practitioner, and for me the courses were far more focused on learning how to take the test than learning how to be a PM. With apologies to the poster above, I received the results this week and passed both.

More of my project life has in fact been at Proj Board level than at PM, but it does seem to me that P2 was written by civil servants for civil servants, and seemingly only to justify their existence at that time. Massively over-complicated in what it does and aims to do.

Still, I will be heading back into the lovely world of contracting in a month or two and P2 Practitioner will be handy to have on the CV.

[TotalControl]

Well done CAPPO.

I'm going to start revising again as I have a little time to myself to do so now. Although I'm not sure I want to sit the exam via The Knowledge Academy as there is no Practitioner help that is given, only methods of taking the exam.

It seems that all the interviews I've been to recently put a huge emphasis on obtaining the Practitioner. A bit sad really as I'm sure real world experience would be far better (but I have minimal there too. Drat.).

Anyone recommend any other Training centres bar TKA around Watford/London?

[Moonhawk]

I'm doing Prince2 at the end of May. I have already done a little bit of project management - hoping this will give me a better understanding of the tools.

[K50 DEL]

griffgrog said:

I recruit IT professionals all the time for an IT consultancy firm.

Matt,

If you're still in this industry I'd be interested in having a chat with you, just about to come back to the UK after 8 years working in Africa/Dubai as IT Manager for an Oil and Gas Company... 7 years IT experience in the UK for a PLC before that.

Looking for my next role and wondering if you might have anything that would suit?

[Greg-]

I don't mean to drag a thread off topic, but how often do you PMs actually use the contents of PRINCE2 in your day to day working?

I'm a software engineer who uses Scrum to manage our work, but our finances etc are managed by a PM, couldn't tell you how they do it, but they always look very stressed...

[Troubleatmill]

Very easily.

All agile methodologies are great if you are doing a small, mid size project.

But agile is limited.

Try and do a project like.... Build an aircraft carrier, oil rig, channel tunnel etc etc using agile. You just wouldn't.
It isn't a negotiation...


There are a lot of projects where agile methodology is just not suitable.
And if you ask the lawyers.... there are seeing a lot more business due to client / supplier fall out due to agile.


Agile is a great methodology - when it is used in the right environment.
Ditto for Prince2.
But.... other methodolgies/ standards are available.



Oh... and be adaptable..


Tailor the methodology to suit the environment.

Manage by exception

Edited by Troubleatmill on Friday 26th June 20:06