Project management is a much sought after competency in the world today where you want to complete small and large projects on time, within budget and according to specifications. It is a guaranteed means to put deliverables on the table.
Many people aspire to be employed by organisations in the project management discipline. One way to improve the chance of employment is to acquire a formal project management qualification. Thousands want to obtain this qualification. The road is not easy to become an international certified project management professional (PMP) offered by the PMI. (Project Management Institute). The examination does not test your ability to memorise and reproduce information. Practical experience is blended with the ability to analyse and apply knowledge. The following is required to qualify for sitting for the examination.
To apply for the PMP, you need to have either:
- A four-year degree (bachelor’s or the global equivalent) and at least three years of project management experience, with 4,500 hours leading and directing projects and 35 hours of project management education.
OR
- A secondary diploma (high school or the global equivalent) with at least five years of project management experience, with 7,500 hours leading and directing projects and 35 hours of project management education.
From: http://www.pmi.org/Certification.aspx
Qualifying in terms of the above requirements is no guarantee that you will pass the PMP examination by diligently studying the PMBOK guidelines (Project Management Body of Knowledge), because they don’t test your ability to reproduce facts and information. The PMP examination is done from the viewpoint of managing and experience on large projects. Your insight on managing large projects will be tested. Many people do not meet those requirements. This should not deter you if this really part of your career plan.
The reality today is that unemployment ranges from 1% – 97% in the world depending on where you live. In many instances, you either work for yourself or not at all. Although not working for a small or large company an entrepreneur needs project management skills. A person with project management skills can still obtain part-time employment by working on a contract basis on a project. Working for yourself or on a project contract will build your skills base with the view of progressing up the ladder to bigger projects or full-time employment. Today some entrepreneurs are so successful that they won’t even think of working for a boss.
A very big problem for entrepreneurs is to raise funds for a project. A proper business case and project plan will enable you to qualify much easier for a loan. If you a skilled in project management you will learn the skills to draw up a good business plan.
Whether working for a company, other institution or for yourself you can now enroll for a practical project management course aligned with PMBOK so that you will start building your project management vocabulary and skills base for work on a project and later enrolment on the PMP certification program. This e-learning course is making use of a user-friendly learning management platform also used by universities, colleges, and progressive training institutions.
This course will enable you to run or manage your own projects or performing a role in any company or organization on a project.
To learn more about the course go to https://www.peterjoubert.com/introduction-project-management/