Comments on: Three Ways to Stand Out as a Project Manager in Today’s Economy http://pmstudent.com/three-ways-to-stand-out-as-a-project-manager-in-todays-economy/ Helping new and aspiring project managers reach their career goals! Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:40:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/ hourly 1 By: Erika Flora http://pmstudent.com/three-ways-to-stand-out-as-a-project-manager-in-todays-economy/#comment-20009 Erika Flora Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:22:59 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=4192#comment-20009 Paul, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I, myself, took almost a year of coursework in Project Management prior to taking the PMP exam and have taken numerous courses since. Thus, I encourage everyone to continue with on with their education after obtaining the PMP credential. With that said, there are some things to look for in a PMP prep course that will help you become a better Project Manager once the class is over. First, find a training provider that teaches the PMBOK concepts in a chronological fashion, the way you as a Project Manager would actually carry out the activities (rather than by the 9 knowledge areas). Second, check out the instructor and make sure they have extensive experience working as a Project Manager. This way, they are better equipped to bring real-life examples into the classroom. Last, find a course that provides templates for project management documentation mentioned in the PMBOK (Project Plan, etc.). This will help you immediately begin to apply your knowledge once you are back at work. In summary, do your homework and really look at what the different companies offer. Find the best option that you can afford as there is a wide range of quality out there. Paul, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I, myself, took almost a year of coursework in Project Management prior to taking the PMP exam and have taken numerous courses since. Thus, I encourage everyone to continue with on with their education after obtaining the PMP credential.

With that said, there are some things to look for in a PMP prep course that will help you become a better Project Manager once the class is over. First, find a training provider that teaches the PMBOK concepts in a chronological fashion, the way you as a Project Manager would actually carry out the activities (rather than by the 9 knowledge areas). Second, check out the instructor and make sure they have extensive experience working as a Project Manager. This way, they are better equipped to bring real-life examples into the classroom. Last, find a course that provides templates for project management documentation mentioned in the PMBOK (Project Plan, etc.). This will help you immediately begin to apply your knowledge once you are back at work.

In summary, do your homework and really look at what the different companies offer. Find the best option that you can afford as there is a wide range of quality out there.

]]> By: Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo http://pmstudent.com/three-ways-to-stand-out-as-a-project-manager-in-todays-economy/#comment-19978 Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:20:16 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=4192#comment-19978 Hi Susan and many other IT folks.... My best suggestion to you would be to FORGET looking for jobs as "project managers"..... That is, IMPO both an over-rated and notoriously vague position. If you are looking for a JOB, then my strongest suggestion would be to look beyond the world of IT and PMO's and set up a Google Alert for "PROJECT CONTROLS" or EARNED VALUE". Hardly a day goes by that I don't get 3 or 4 very attractive looking positions for what you call PMO people and the rest of the world calls Project Controls..... (Don't believe me, Google on "project controls" and "job") Now, most of these positions are CONTRACT rather than permanent, but hey, they pay pretty respectably and if you are unemployed, it beats going to the unemployment office every week..... Hope this helps a few of you anyway....?? BR, Dr. PDG, Jakarta, Indonesia http://www.build-project-management-competency.com Hi Susan and many other IT folks….

My best suggestion to you would be to FORGET looking for jobs as “project managers”….. That is, IMPO both an over-rated and notoriously vague position.

If you are looking for a JOB, then my strongest suggestion would be to look beyond the world of IT and PMO’s and set up a Google Alert for “PROJECT CONTROLS” or EARNED VALUE”.

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t get 3 or 4 very attractive looking positions for what you call PMO people and the rest of the world calls Project Controls….. (Don’t believe me, Google on “project controls” and “job”)

Now, most of these positions are CONTRACT rather than permanent, but hey, they pay pretty respectably and if you are unemployed, it beats going to the unemployment office every week…..

Hope this helps a few of you anyway….??

BR,
Dr. PDG, Jakarta, Indonesia
http://www.build-project-management-competency.com

]]> By: Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo http://pmstudent.com/three-ways-to-stand-out-as-a-project-manager-in-todays-economy/#comment-19975 Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:11:14 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=4192#comment-19975 Hi folks, Not to be a party pooper but I create and deliver some of those "expensive" courses, and in my travels around the world, I run into many graduates of the "prepcast", "PMP Exam for Dummies" and others from the "shake and bake" or "boot camp" crowd and all I can say is you get EXACTLY what you pay for. Now, I know Josh has an undergraduate degree in project management, so I can understand him taking the "prepcast" approach, but how many others have 4 years of solid project management education under their belt? Just before Christmas, I ran a three day "Advanced Project Management" course in Shanghai, China and in the class, I had two PMP's both of whom graduated from the most popular of the "cram courses"...... And guess what...... While they knew the definitions and even could remember a few of the formulae, they didn't have a CLUE about how to actually apply what they learned. Now, perhaps people think this is funny, but when people like that get their PMP (or any other credential for that matter) then go out in the world and haven't a clue on how to do anything but pass the exam, what do you think that does to the value of YOUR PMP? So before we all run around touting how cheap or how fast we were able to get our PMP, I would ask you to think seriously about the "Tetrad Trade Off" or "Iron Triangle"..... You can have it fast and good, good and cheap or cheap and fast, but CANNOT get it fast AND good AND cheap..... BR, Dr. PDG, Jakarta, Indonesia http://www.build-project-management-competency.com Hi folks,
Not to be a party pooper but I create and deliver some of those “expensive” courses, and in my travels around the world, I run into many graduates of the “prepcast”, “PMP Exam for Dummies” and others from the “shake and bake” or “boot camp” crowd and all I can say is you get EXACTLY what you pay for.

Now, I know Josh has an undergraduate degree in project management, so I can understand him taking the “prepcast” approach, but how many others have 4 years of solid project management education under their belt?

Just before Christmas, I ran a three day “Advanced Project Management” course in Shanghai, China and in the class, I had two PMP’s both of whom graduated from the most popular of the “cram courses”…… And guess what…… While they knew the definitions and even could remember a few of the formulae, they didn’t have a CLUE about how to actually apply what they learned.

Now, perhaps people think this is funny, but when people like that get their PMP (or any other credential for that matter) then go out in the world and haven’t a clue on how to do anything but pass the exam, what do you think that does to the value of YOUR PMP?

So before we all run around touting how cheap or how fast we were able to get our PMP, I would ask you to think seriously about the “Tetrad Trade Off” or “Iron Triangle”….. You can have it fast and good, good and cheap or cheap and fast, but CANNOT get it fast AND good AND cheap…..

BR,
Dr. PDG, Jakarta, Indonesia
http://www.build-project-management-competency.com

]]> By: Ommara http://pmstudent.com/three-ways-to-stand-out-as-a-project-manager-in-todays-economy/#comment-17766 Ommara Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:22:13 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=4192#comment-17766 This post was extremely useful. Especially the volunteering section and joining the PMI. Is a route I intend to explore further. Thanks Erica and Josh for posting this on pmstudent. This post was extremely useful. Especially the volunteering section and joining the PMI. Is a route I intend to explore further.

Thanks Erica and Josh for posting this on pmstudent.

]]> By: Susan de Sousa http://pmstudent.com/three-ways-to-stand-out-as-a-project-manager-in-todays-economy/#comment-15596 Susan de Sousa Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:55:45 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=4192#comment-15596 For me the most important thing has always been to manage my career in interim project management. I personally have never been keen on specialising in a specific area, so have ensured I have delivered big projects and programmes in most areas of IT and in numerous industries. Few people do this and after getting stuck in a rut find themselves unemployable. So what does this mean now? Well if you are out of work and are forced to take a lesser paid job, then don't despair. Think of what you will get out of it and how it will benefit your career. In the last IT recession of 2003 I was forced to take a contract paying half my normal rate but it got me into infrastructure project management which I had never done before. That in itself has opened numerous opportunities for me as so many projects / programmes nowadays have a software development and infrastructure element to them. So think consider the big picture of your career and keep networking. And remember, there may be a recession going on now, but if you have a track record of working in the right industries and delivering the right projects, your phone will still keep ringing for the simple reason that top notch experienced project managers are still very much in demand. Regards Susan de Sousa Site Editor http://www.my-project-management-expert.com For me the most important thing has always been to manage my career in interim project management. I personally have never been keen on specialising in a specific area, so have ensured I have delivered big projects and programmes in most areas of IT and in numerous industries. Few people do this and after getting stuck in a rut find themselves unemployable.

So what does this mean now? Well if you are out of work and are forced to take a lesser paid job, then don’t despair. Think of what you will get out of it and how it will benefit your career. In the last IT recession of 2003 I was forced to take a contract paying half my normal rate but it got me into infrastructure project management which I had never done before. That in itself has opened numerous opportunities for me as so many projects / programmes nowadays have a software development and infrastructure element to them.

So think consider the big picture of your career and keep networking. And remember, there may be a recession going on now, but if you have a track record of working in the right industries and delivering the right projects, your phone will still keep ringing for the simple reason that top notch experienced project managers are still very much in demand.

Regards

Susan de Sousa
Site Editor http://www.my-project-management-expert.com

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