Project Management Careers With The PMP Course
Every area of industry and commerce can be improved with Project Management. Work in this sector can be very interesting and fulfilling, as you will discover if you explore the training routes available to enter the industry. It appeals to people who are numerate and logical, and who have a good technical aptitude. However, good communication and leadership skills are also a benefit as PM involves a great deal of interaction with other people.
...Smoothly And Efficiently!
Industry and commerce has a constant need to improve on their quality objectives, whilst keeping price and time to a minimum. Shareholders want profits and customers want value and convenience. Unless production is managed with a fine toothcomb, that's not going to happen easily!
Whilst training you could become a member of the support team in a project, then a programme officer or team leader for one section of a project.
Training courses in Project Management can be sought from various different companies. All project management training will cover certain fundamentals, but the more advanced the course, the more you will get into the complexities of planning and controlling large scale operations.
Terminology
There is a language within Project Management that trainees need to get to grips with. Along with learning about the essential characteristics of each project, you'll need to get in tune with modern accepted wisdom.
Do some research of your own to discover the different approaches used by Project Managers, and the various training routes that will prepare students for work.
A Recent Discipline?
Much of what we term Project Management today has been around for a very long time. Architects like Sir Christopher Wren in the seventeenth century and the great engineers of the early nineteenth century actually did their own style of project management.
At the beginning of the 20th century, American and French engineers F W Taylor, H Gantt and H Fayol were producing their own scientific management theories. Their works have been very influential in the development of modern PM tools. F W Taylor's great scientific management contribution is still in evidence today, as modern project management tools have their origins in much of his work including WBS (work breakdown structure) and resource allocation.
Fast Forward To Recent Times
It took another four decades or so for Americans to really start to embrace the idea that Project Management was a distinctive discipline arising from management techniques. The US Navy started on the project to build the Polaris Missile, and it became apparent that more sophisticated planning structures would need to be implemented. The answer was to produce a revival of Taylor's scientific management, a project model known as PERT.
Private enterprise quickly caught on to this and other mathematical techniques for managing projects. At the same time, technology was being developed in other areas, which led to the formation of the American Association of Cost Engineers.
The IMPA
Under the original name 'International Management Systems Association', the renamed International Project Management Association was established in the sixties. It brought together several PM associations from various different countries and now has members throughout the world. Member associations promote project management and provide information about trends and developments.
Project Management Institute
Shortly afterwards in 1969 the American 'Project Management Institute' was launched. The 'Project Management Body of Knowledge' from PMI is now an internationally recognised standard in the industry. It's designed to cover variables that will apply to the majority of projects throughout industry. Anyone looking to get into or further their career in Project Management today would do well to have a thorough understanding of this set of guidelines and best practices. Professional training programs can teach you what you need to know. If you invest time and energy into this training, you will be ready for the respected PMI certifications, which in conjunction with on-going experience in the field will really advance your professional career.
PRINCE2:2009
'Projects in Controlled Environments' (now version 2) is used extensively in PM, although it was initially designed purely for the management of IT projects. It offers a structured approach, combining the original PRINCE program with IBM's MITP (managing the implementation of the total project) methodology.
Students of PRINCE2 will learn how the method provides a framework covering the wide variety of disciplines and activities needed for a successful project. The model ensures that the focus is always on the viability of the project in relation to the overall business objectives. It's product focus clarifies to all what and when a project will deliver.
There are other project management methods and training schemes that you might find interesting, depending on the knowledge you currently have.
Essentially your training needs to cover skills and techniques that you can perfect as you build your real life experience in industry. Start looking for training now - and get your personal project on track!
