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Getting Your Career Organised With PMP or Prince Training...

Project Management has a place in all areas of industry. 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. If you have a methodical mind and can structure your thoughts well, this could be right for you. The ability to communicate well with others is a plus point as well, because much of the success of a project depends on everyone pulling together.

...Effectively And Professionally!

Industry and commerce has a constant need to improve on their quality objectives, whilst keeping price and time to a minimum. When a plan involves different but inter-dependent things happening at different times and in different places, it must be project managed all the way. Project Management is establishing itself not only as a professional career path, but also as a most effective way to control business.

You'll find a range of commercial colleges that provide Project Management training. You will learn skills that include preparing project plans; initiating projects; executing, monitoring, controlling and closing projects, cost estimations and planning and performing quality assurance.

Terminology

Many common terms have evolved to become key phrases for project managers. As well as learning about basic PM tools and techniques, it's essential to be familiar with common terms and the current ways of thinking. Different Project Managers use a number of different approaches, but whichever training route you take there is a lot of common ground.

A Long And Interesting History...

It sounds like a very modern application, but in fact you could say project management is as old as the pyramids! 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. The early 1900's saw the development of PM tools and techniques, with Henry Gantt producing his Gantt chart and Henri Fayol proposing five primary management functions and fourteen principles of management.

Fayol's five functions - namely planning, organising, commanding, co-ordinating and controlling have stood the test of time, though many have now replaced commanding and co-ordinating with leading.

Project Management In The 20th Century

Project Management as defined by today's standards started to unfold around the middle of the 20th century, as a more systemised approach came into play. 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. This led to the invention of the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT). Other mathematical project- scheduling models were also developed which quickly spread to private enterprises. In 1956 the American Association of Cost Engineers was formed as technology for cost control was developed.

International Project Management Association

The IPMA was formed in Europe in the late 1960's. Initiated in Switzerland, it was created to promote project management internationally. In terms of training, the IPMA offers a Four Level Certification program that covers technical competencies, contextual competencies and behavioural competencies.

The Project Management Institute

Two years after the IPMA was formed, the PMI (Project Management Institute) was founded in America. In the nineties it published its first version of the definitive guide to project management, the PMBOK Guide. It endeavours to provide standard fundamentals of PM that are applicable in the majority of cases. As it recognises 42 processes that come within five process groups and nine knowledge areas of PM, you could benefit greatly from the knowledge it contains. Learning programs can be accessed which teach the elements of the guide in great detail. 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.

PRINCE2:2009

In the UK, PRINCE2 is a very popular project management method, and there are many companies providing training programs in it. The method can work with most project management techniques, but it predominantly describes product based planning, change control technique and quality review technique.

Training programs will provide students with the ability to organise, plan and control projects using the PRINCE2 method. The model ensures that the focus is always on the viability of the project in relation to the overall business objectives. Based on management by exception, it's efficient and exacting.

Depending on your present level of knowledge and experience, you may wish to consider other college introductory courses. The best offer a blend of tools to use to save time and money, plus those all-important management skills that teach leadership, motivation and teamwork. Draw up a critical path now to work out the optimum career track for you.