Project Management Qualifications

Totes

Hi all, I'm new and just have a question about qualifications for project managers.

I am a project manager with around eight years’ experience working on various different projects. I’m thinking I may move jobs in the next year or so, and am considering trying to gain some project management qualifications before I do so. I’ve never done any courses in project management or anything, but I really enjoy it as a job and would like to continue working in this field. I have a few questions:
1) I’ve been looking around at various jobs and am a bit undecided about whether it’s worth it or not; some seem to like it and others aren’t fussed. What are people’s experience with this? Did having a recognised qualification help you?
2) Looks to me like PRINCE2 are the best ones to go with, and perhaps better than doing a masters or something (certainly more practical to study for). However, do correct me if I’m wrong, but it looks to me like PRINCE2 is a sort of construct for how to run projects? If your organisation doesn’t use PRINCE2 management is it still a useful tool for you?
3) Any experiences of other similar qualifications
4) There are some online courses offering PRINCE2 teaching and access to the exams for around £400. Is there some sort of catch?!?!
Any other info greatly appreciated :-). Thank you all!

thebigbosh

Have you followed any kind of methodology for your projects? It may be worth doing some research into standard methodologies out there and comparing against it, certainly your experience in the area would be more identifiable to a company if they could associate it with something they already knew.

PRINCE2 courses will definitely give you some weight but (as I understand it) there's no official accreditation for it. However, in my experience it is the methodology most referenced in the UK.

Project Management Professional (PMP) does give you accreditation, however there's a large amount of pre-work to do for it and a 4 hour exam. Given that you've got the experience, you should be able to learn it and test without too much pain, however it'd take some homework. I went through the process but ashamedly never booked the exam!

There are many other methodologies out there and it's worth some research to understand what they are and how they work. Most organisations will give you a good written overview of what it means without you having to go through the course.

Reading back through my answer I realise I haven't directly answered all your questions but hopefully this is an initial start and other forumites can weigh in on the subject too.

Cheers

Little_Vics

I'm a PM with 14 years experience. I don't have Prince II and have never been out of work. I think there comes a point where 'time served' equates to the same as the qualification.

Having said that I'm sure that at some point I'll do it if I have to - I wouldn't imagine it would be that tough.

hood-winked

Well I hope you can be more diligent than the 'Project Manager' I hired on a £115,000 job... pop this into Google and weep with me.. project-management-iom.info

DKLS

P2 is often considered as a gateway qualification, its often a minimum requirement especially in the public sector, although you will probably not use P2 in its truest sense, where I work currently we have a mish mash of methodologies.

But its a doddle to pass the exams if you can get your head around the dry content of the book.

robertjake9

I agree with DKLS.

There is a foundation P2 followed by practitioner P2. I've completed the former. In answer to your questions:

1) Yes. It looks good on the CV (I work in the public sector)
2) P2 is a project methodology. It is intended to be applicable to any project from the smallest to the largest. I think it is a very sound methodology, but in practice I doubt many organisations will be prepared to follow it to the letter. However, it can still be useful even then if you apply the basics.
3) A similar qualification is 'Managing Successful Programmes'. A programme is a suite of projects which the programme manager oversees to make sure they work well together. If you were choosing between the two, I would stick with P2.
4) I don't know. The foundation course I completed involved three days in a class room going through the P2 book, and then completing the multiple choice at the end. I would say £400 to do it all online is a bit of a rip off, but then I know classroom approach is also expensive.

Other points to add - the course is entirely theoretical - you will just work through the supporting text, without any reference to real life, which means it can be very dull. Also, you will probably find that few people actually follow P2 meaningfully in real life (sometimes with good reason - there can be lots of processes - sometimes not).

Looking purely at whether it is worth doing it to boost job prospects - you can't fail the course (really is very easy test at the end - nobody fails) and it is widely respected.

saintjammyswine

thebigbosh wrote: »

PRINCE2 courses will definitely give you some weight but (as I understand it) there's no official accreditation for it. However, in my experience it is the methodology most referenced in the UK.

It is accredited by APMG and delivered by many FE Colleges & Private Training providers.
Foundation is 3 days with the exam on the last day, Practitioner is usually 2 days with the exam on the last day. Usually put together to make 5 days although there is a requirement for homework in between.

Ideal methodology for larger projects but can be used in smaller ones, just needs adjusting.

Often used & referred to within IT, Public Sector & MOD projects.

Useful to get a foot in the door and often ticks a box in applications but by no means the be all of PM training and experience will be more useful.

reason2

project manager here.. not done prince and no qualifications, got the jobs from experience and knowing what to say.. i guess it varies... currently at manchester united so experience served me well.. saying that im only 27 so may have to do it at some point

TrickyDicky101

I did PRINCE2 last year to boost my CV (not that I'm in project management though) and searched around for classroom based courses - I found that if you have reasonable flexibility over when you do the course, leaving booking until close to the course start can result in you making substantial savings on the fees as they get 'desperate' not to have empty seats in the classroom. The risk of course is that you aren't able to book the specific dates you want (as the course may be full).

I think for a week's classroom based training it cost me £700 inc VAT (this included the exam fees too).

I see no point doing just Foundation - what you learn (sorry, memorize) in the three days are applicable to the Practitioner so kill two birds and do both.

Neither exam is designed to be failed, although there were a couple on my course who did not pass Practitioner.

InsideInsurance

saintjammyswine wrote: »

It is accredited by APMG and delivered by many FE Colleges & Private Training providers.
Foundation is 3 days with the exam on the last day, Practitioner is usually 2 days with the exam on the last day. Usually put together to make 5 days although there is a requirement for homework in between.

Its been a long time since I did my PII (and mine has lapsed) but Foundation was really 2 days class room, 1/2 day revision/ practice and 1/2 day exam

Practitioner was 1 day revision/ practice, 1/2 day exam

The two are based on the exact same material, in my day the Foundation was multiple guess and the Practitioner was a written paper and so could go into more detail. Now both are multiple guess.



Ultimately Prince2 is a methodology and it is always good to know about multiple methodologies even if your current employer/ client doesnt use it (or uses a variant on it).

For almost all cases, and particularly in IT or public sector, then Prince2 Practitioner is simply expected, something higher or in the programme management space is the nice to have.

There are a very small number in business strategy project management who may be less keen on seeing Prince2 on your CV but there is few that itd be a show stopper for

Sarah_k

Hiya,

I recently took the PRINCE2 course online and passed! I really recommend taking PRINCE2 if you want to get into project management and be successful. Seems to be all the rage nowadays!