Getting into Project Management

[philelmer]

As a bit of background, when I was in the TA I used to look at the Officers and think "I'm sure I could do a better job than that..." - so a couple of courses, a spot of running around Barossa training ground and a little bit of foot stamping later, I proved my point, and without wishing to sound brash, I was quite good at it.

I'm now in a similar position at work. I look at the project management (not just on this project but on a range that I've worked on over the last 5 years) and think "can't be that hard surely". Now in the Army days it was easier, you just did some tests and went on a training course. In the professional field however I'm not sure where to start.

I'm self employed so I can't exactly go the annual review/job change route, and without a proven history of project management I don't think I'd look too favourable in the job market. Are there any short courses that anyone can recommend which a) don't cost an absolute arm and a leg and b) are industry-recognised? I'm aware of the PRINCE2 scheme but there must be others available for comparison.

Your help as ever is unreservedly appreciated.
Phil

[Don]

I never qualified as a Project Manager with anything like PRINCE or PROMPT or whatever - although I've run numbers of big projects. I used to work for Metier before they became Artemis and spent a LOT of time with Project Management software. Ironically most of the projects I ran were to build and deploy business/industry specific project management solutions.

If you want to work in Project Management consultancy you should

• Be an expert in the industry you intend to consult in (Utilities, Manufacturing..whatever)
• Be completely fluent in formal PM techniques: Critical Path Analysis, resource smoothing, and particularly earned value analysis.
• Be able to understand, set up and apply Risk Management using both qualitative and quantitative risk analysis methods
• Be experienced and expert in one or more project management software packages (choose the one suited to the industry you are in) which may be something else but will likely be Microsoft Project
• Be experienced and expert in a Risk Analaysis software solution

Getting into all that from a self-employed position may be hard. Recruiters will be looking for a proven background with successful projects delivered. One way to get into it is to go the "software expert" route. Learn the software tools and sell yourself as a project administrator. Two or three projects in and, hey presto, you've got the language to front out selling yourself as a manager. After that you'll find out if you can do it or not.

PMs vary in responsibility from being glorified administrators to being Captain Picard whose orders are followed without question. Being the latter is the best paid and riskiest.

[petclub]

PRINCE2 is the standard used by Govt and most LAs and the like. There are various courses and aspects (and I have no doubt there are other similar methodologies, but it's important as to whether they are recognised by wherever you plan to work).

IIRC the OGC 'own' PRINCE2 (Office for Govt Commerce) and have a web site.

The previous post is very good. In my experience, any methodology has strengths and weaknesses but you may need to be able to talk in PM terms. Risk management seems to be becoming the flavour of the month and is important to grasp.

Some organisations are very retentive about what they (think) they want. Good luck, Dave

[philelmer]

Cheers for that. A lot of the jargon in that first reply was complete gobbledygook to me so I think a week-long course will certainly be of benefit. For example Bristol Management School do a course incorporating PRINCE2 which they market as a kind of "zero to hero" scheme.

I think that even if I'm not able to immediately jump into a PM role, since my current work is all project-based it'll at the very least give me a better understanding of what the rest of the project team's up to. Another option of course would be to take a regular (PAYE - shudder...) job on for a year or two and then go (back?) to freelance PM work.

See how it goes I suppose. Thanks again for the replies.

[Noger]

PRINCE2 is a bit lightweight when it comes to qualifications, you can pick one up in a day of two. So hardly worth the paper it is written on. Experience in projects using PRINCE2 is another matter.

If you really want to transition, then you might want to look at the courses run by the PMI - leading to a Project Management Practictioner qualification. That is pretty heavyweight.

http://www.pmi.org/Pages/default.aspx

You will find it veryhard to get contract IT PM work with no experience. They tend to be "retired" consultancy PMs with a few decades experience. And it is often rubbish work, really the dregs. You get the worst project, with the least motivated people, and are expected to turn it round.

So an alternative if you feel your are a good organiser is the Project Office role. They often do the software side of it instead of the PMs, and a good PMO runs a tight ship and can wield a fair amount of power on a big project.

Good PMs are worth their weight in gold. Bad ones abound.

[sebo]

Can you narrow the field down a bit? Construction PM, IT PM ?

Agree - the previous posts are a useful guide. I disagree with the statement about getting a PRINCE2 in a couple of days. Possibly someone who has substantial experience in PM and has delivered to the methodology could but not a newcomer. PMI can be a 5 day course if you like.

I would agree with the PMO as a possible entry point although you may find you get peeved with supporting what you will may consider to be useless PM's.

I did PMO for 3 months at the start of my career and it was a very good training ground. It has also taught me the value of the PMO and to treat then as an asset as opposed to the view of some PM's that they are a lazy bunch.

p.s. PMO is Project Management Office

p.p.s I have PRINCE2 although I am looking towards the PMI / BOK acreditation as another ticked box. I don't think it will change my PM style particularly although I am keen to understand some of the terminology as one of our new clients works to that model.

[Don]

philelmer said:

A lot of the jargon in that first reply was complete gobbledygook to me so I think a week-long course will certainly be of benefit.

That stuff shouldn't be gobbledegook - it should be motherhood and apple pie if you are working in the PM industry. The good thing is that it's not difficult. The difficult bit in PM isn't the methods - its fixing whatever it is you are actually managing! Just knowing how late you will be ain't it (although you will be expected to know!).

[sebo]

philelmer said:

A lot of the jargon in that first reply was complete gobbledygook to me so I think a week-long course will certainly be of benefit.

Go to Google. Type define: and then type a word in front of it and hit enter. That should be an easy starter for ten.

edit for quote

Edited by sebo on Thursday 14th February 16:15

[petclub]

There are 2 usual PRINCE2 courses (I know there are others but I'm talking basics). The first is usually 3 days over 4 and comprises of a multiple choice exam.

That is a useful introuduction to PM.

The 2ns is Practioner, this one has much more of a value and has an exam with essay style questions. IIRC this course is also 3 days over 4 or similar. I cannot see how these two could be done in 2 days, after the day's course there is homework or mock tests etc.

They are certainly doable, but they do take a lot of thinking about especially if you don't work in the field. There are other course around risk, business analysis etc that supplement these. I'm not suggesting this is the best course of action (I simply don't know what is) but it is a methodology employed by organisations enagaing more than 3m staff so it clearly has a value. The books are hellish expensive!

Good luck, Dave

[LeoSayer]

Don said:

* Be an expert in the industry you intend to consult in (Utilities, Manufacturing..whatever)

Great post Don and this point is key for me.

Without this expertise, you will fail to earn the respect people involved in the project and you will find it hard to recruit and identify people with the right skills, getting you off to a bad start.

All the best project managers I know got into that position from being recognised as an expert and a leader. The administrator types aren't either of those, but they are certainly very useful on certain types of project.

[Sagacitas]

Being an industry expert is critical.

But if you want to learn project management, including all the jargon, the best course I have experienced is the Open University course M865. Not overly expensive and yet the most detailed and memorable course you can take in project management.

I liked the course so much that I have sent a number of my staff on it.

Richard

[Colonial]

Sagacitas said:

Being an industry expert is critical.

But if you want to learn project management, including all the jargon, the best course I have experienced is the Open University course M865. Not overly expensive and yet the most detailed and memorable course you can take in project management.

I liked the course so much that I have sent a number of my staff on it.

Richard

Yep. Industry experience is vital

I'm starting to become more and more involved in PM through work. I've approached it from an urban planning background, and am now essentially working as a development manager. I have no qualifications in the field of PM, just my industry qualifications and accrediations.

We have found that generalist PMs are not entirely the most useful people to have on board. Those with industry backgrounds are much more useful.

[philelmer]

Sagacitas said:

Being an industry expert is critical.

But if you want to learn project management, including all the jargon, the best course I have experienced is the Open University course M865. Not overly expensive and yet the most detailed and memorable course you can take in project management.

I liked the course so much that I have sent a number of my staff on it.

Richard

Good point. I intend to stay in the same field I've been working in as a non-PM for the last 7 years. Will have a look into the OU course though. On various forums PRINCE2 seems to be regarded as a bit regimented, but as mentioned above, and like a lot of other courses, you take from it what you feel to be useful and apply that.

Cheers for the replies.