Get into Project Management - Cheap IT exams? Advice needed

ceanth

Hi all,

i want a change in my job. At present i do a technical support role with some project management but i really want to move into project work.

Been looking around and everyone requires "prince2".

Does anyone know of any sites which can advise what exams pr path i need to do to get into project management?

Also are there any cheap sites/companies offering cheap exams/books?


Thanks



c

sjc_2

https://www.prince2.org.uk

Training isn't cheap though but there are loads of info past papers etc available.

ceanth

thanks for the link but i dont seem to see any pass papers on here

sjc_2

Just looked as they used to be there. Then noticed they have changed the exam style from 1st September so possibly why no past papers.

Have a look on https://www.prince2.com loads of useful docs on there and sample stuff as well.

[Deleted User]

Ever thought of joining a firm that would eventually pay for your training? I know our firm will eventually send us on prince2 courses if we need it

Franko43

Hi Ceanth
I was in your positions a number of months ago. I seen PRINCE2 as the best way forward and bought all the books. Turns out that my firm (Global IT) really doesn't use PRINCE and the advice I got was it's never really used in full plus if you have a grasp of the PRINCE concepts it will be enough. Apparantly it's a more government public bodies type methodology where there is lots of dosh to spend doing things very structured. I've just read PM for Dummies, give you a grasp of all the terminology you'll need. My advice - PRINCE on it's own as a qualification isn't enough. Try and get some on the job experience first

pusscat

I am a Prince 2 Practitioner and an IT contractor so maybe can offer a bit of help.....

Prince2 (Projects in a Controlled Environment!) is basically the government standard way to run a project. It is a pretty cumbersome way and is relativley expensive compared to other "leaner" methods, therefore is a lot more popular in areas (such as Government) where costs are less of an issue.

What most employers are after is PM skills (and proof of those skills) of running projects using a methodology rather than "making it up as you go along" Most jobs that really require Prince2 skills will also ask to see examples of where you have used it in anger - as there are loads of people who have never really used it properly - just having the qualification is not really enough.

Bottom line is that if you read a book or two you could pretty easily pass Prince2 foundation - the questions are multiple choice and if you have a reasonable grasp of project management (it is part of your role at the moment) then you should be able to pass without too much trouble. There are "open centres" around the country where you can just pay to sit the exam.

http://www.prince2.org.uk/Qualifications/OpenCentreExaminations.asp

Practitioner is much harder - and in my opinion, self study would not have got me through the exam, you need to understand what the examiners are looking for, how the marking structures work etc. It is a 3 hour (IIRC) written exam - open book, but you are given scenarios and you have to apply the methodology to the scenarions - no room for bulls**t!
Practitioner is a professional quallifiction - you really need to know your stuff!

After having been a PM for 10 years (and worked in a Prince 2 environment for a few!) I went on an intensive weeks course to get my Foundation and Practitioner - I can honestly say that it was the hardest thing I have ever done!!!! There were some people on the course who did not have a huge background in PM skills - in the main they struggled badly or failed as they did not have much of the pre requisite knowledge which they don't teach you on the intensive course - PM skills not Prince2 skills IYSWIM.

Prince2 is really only recognised in the UK, it is becoming a bit more common abroad, but the interntional qualification is PMP (Project Management Professional) via the Project Management Institute. It is a pretty tough qualification, and you cannot just "do it" as you have to provide evidence of hours of study etc, plus pass an exam.
Prince2 will get you some credits towards PMP

http://www.pmi.org/CareerDevelopment/Pages/Obtaining-Credential.aspx

If I were in your position, I would look at what I was doing in my present role how much PMing are you really doing, is it using a methodology, is it structured, do you look at risks, issues, changes and manage them in a controlled way? The problem is that many people have the title Project Manager - this job title can range from a fully qualified person managing a mutli million pound project to the bottom of the scale where you make the tea and file the printouts....you need to establish were on the scale you are.

If you are in a company with a formal methodology, then get qualified in whatever that is, much better to be qualified in something you have used, than to have a paper qualification but no experience.

If you are not in a company with a formal methodology then I thnk that you would probably struggle to transfer your skills to other companys - the days of "just getting the job done" have long gone now, companys want to see controlled projects where there is a scope, change management, risks, issues, etc - this is especially true for any projects over about 500k - just winging it is no longer acceptable.

Feel free to ask any more questions - sorry this is a bit rushed, but I have o dash now

Puss

~annie~_2

Hi Ceanth,

I've been thinking of doing the same thing and saw a great link off here to BT Learning. They have a Prince2 course - you could study it then take the exam, although as the previous poster mentioned this might be impractical. They course is very cheap though (I think about 8 pounds) so still worth doing if you're thinking of going ahead.

The link is at http://www.btlearningcentre.com/adultlearning/info/Default.aspx

HTH

Annie

PasturesNew

I've got project management experience. 20 years' assorted IT experience, 10 years of that project experience (coordinator, project office, project manager). Hands on, able, multi-talented.

And I paid £2000 last year to get qualified as a Prince2 Practitioner as the adverts do seem to want Prince2 - and I figured the certificate would double the number of jobs I'd be able to apply for, although I also doubt I'll use it in a job I at least know by getting it I did my best to be able to apply for the most jobs I could.

So I am a Prince2 Practitioner.

Then I moved 200 miles ... to be closer to where there are jobs (I was right out in the sticks before)

And I've applied .... and do you know what ... even with experience and Prince2 they still don't always want you

Everything from £10/hour ... to £150k/year.

Don't be fooled into thinking all you need is experience, or all you need is a bit of paper ...

Your CV in specialisms also needs to be almost an exact match for exactly what they're looking for.

Then you also need to get an interview and get the job.

But good luck!

I know I will get a project job soon. They're just not out there to be plucked off trees unless your experience matches exactly what they're looking for today .... and nobody else applies today that's a slightly better match. And every one wants something a bit different.

heckler

PasturesNew

I am in the same boat as you, 19 years in IT 8 of those as a PM across a wide variety of technology for major corps and I am struggling to get a decent position after finishing my previous contract. As you say it's will come good but it has been a wake up call and a half!!!!!!

Cheers!

sjc_2

Would agree Prince2 is just how you can do it, it is the actual practical in the real world that you need and there is no substitute for experience.

I did the ISEB Project Management Course back in March 1998 at the Haven Hotel in Poole, it was a two week residential course with one of the tutors being Colin Bentley one of the co authors of Prince2 and its predecessor Prompt. The course was a continual assessment course where you run a project full lifecycle, all the meetings, reporting, plans, risks, issues and every day real world issues thrown in my the tutors who were acting as customers. At the end of the course you had a three hour written exam. Then if you passed the continual assessment to include the submitted coursework and the exam you were invited to London for an interview with the ISEB which if you passed you were awarded the qualification.

A lot of work and not easy, but very useful with practical experience and all based on the Prince2 methodology.