Plan For A Career With PMI Project Management...
There are so many advantages to good Project Management. Training for a career in Project Management will lead to some really absorbing and satisfying assignments in industry. People who are well organised and have good spatial logic can make very competent project managers. Other skill-sets that are useful to have are an ability to explain things well to others and good management skills.
...With Ease And Efficiency
The number of project management teams has increased over the years as commercial organisations realise their worth. Large scale projects can involve a complex mix of time lines, tasks, people and organisations. We're all project managers to some extent, but if you learn how to use the tools and techniques for commercial productivity, you can build a very lucrative and interesting career.
There are many colleges and training companies offering courses in Project Management. You'll be taught about project planning, lifecycles, initiating executing and completing a project, time management, scheduling, budgeting and cost control and people management among other things.
Basic Concepts
Students will need to be introduced to the idioms used in Project Management. It's vital to get on the right wavelength with the terms and ways of thinking, and with the skills and tools used in the profession today. Different Project Managers use a number of different approaches, but whichever training route you take there is a lot of common ground.
Older Than The Pyramids?
Even in ancient times, project management was used as a tool for controlling resources and the workforce - though motivational techniques would have differed greatly! In the Industrial Revolution, civil engineers such as Thomas Telford and Brunel would have taken responsibility for project managing their own builds. Around a hundred years ago, several forerunners to current project management techniques were developed - namely 'The Principles of Scientific Management' by F W Taylor, 'Fayolism' by Henri Fayol and the 'Gantt Chart' by Henry Gantt.
Frederick Winslow Taylor could be regarded as one of the first management consultants, and was one of the leaders of the Efficiency Movement in the US. He maintained there was always one best way to fix a problem.
Let's Bring It Up To Date
You could begin the story of modern planning project management in America in the 1950's, but of course it hadn't yet really got into the human attributes of motivation and leadership. New methods had to be developed to deal with the complexities of building the Polaris Missile submarine programme. The PERT technique, developed by Booz-Allen & Hamilton was the answer.
The Critical Path Method (another mathematical technique) was also developed around this time. In 1956 the American Association of Cost Engineers was formed as technology for cost control was developed.
The International Project Management Association
The IPMA was formed in Europe in the late 1960's. It was an amalgamation of several national Project Management associations, and now boasts worldwide membership. The International Project Management Association offers a four level certification track ranging from Associate to Director.
The PMI
Then in the US in 1969 the Project Management Institute (PMI) was formed. A project management guide, the 'Project Management Body of Knowledge' from PMI is now on its fourth edition. It provides the fundamentals of Project Management as they apply to a great cross-section of projects. In addition to the general guide, specialised extensions have now been produced which cover the unique aspects of certain industries (e.g. Government, construction etc). Specialist colleges provide training on each of the processes covered in the guide. Once trained, you will be ready to take the global standard PMI certifications, which come under the headings of Project Management Professional and Certified Associate of Project Management.
PRINCE2 - PRojects IN Controlled Environments
In the UK, PRINCE2 is a very popular project management method, and there are many companies providing training programs in it. PRINCE2 2009 describes forty different activities that can be organised into seven processes. Students undergoing this training will learn how to manage projects within a clearly defined framework. The adoption of PRINCE2 promotes continual learning and improvement for staff members and organisations. Based on management by exception, it's efficient and exacting.
There are a variety of other qualifications and training levels, such as the entry level APM UK Introductory Certificate in Project Management. Learning how to lead and help people understand the processes will prove just as important as learning the processes yourself. Take time to go through all the training options available to you.
