A recent email I received from someone visiting the website, was great?
Hi,
I am interested in becoming a project manager.
Can you please guide me in what path to take and what I need to do as in what certification would I need and how can I study it as in through tafe?
How long does the course take and how much is it?
Answer
- Can you please guide me in what path to take?
- As you learn, apply the project management concepts. You can do so to almost any activity. When we stop looking at “project management” as a job title and understand it for what it is- a process, we find that the “processes of project management” are embedded in just about everything we do.
- I would look for a project coordinator position, or network with others to see if you can get your foot in the door in an entry level PM. I personally have moved over a dozen people from project administration roles into PM roles. Sometimes people in personal assistant (pa) roles outshine a qualified, certified person and they get the opportunity. Spend some time at Seek.com.au looking at job opportunities and the qualifications, certifications and experience required. This should give you a sense of what you need to do for your particular circumstances. Warning. I have hired over 150 Program Managers/ Project Managers/coordinators etc in the last 3 years – some of the entry level roles never make it to the recruitment agencies – they are given to someone who has shown promise and initiative.
- Network – Seek a mentor by asking questions of project managers. Go out to coffee or lunch and tap into their experience and build professional relationships.
- Volunteer at work, uni, professional associations and non-profit organisations – you’ll always be able to find volunteer roles at the PMI and AIPM and that will help with the next powerful
- If you are already part of a project team, start paying attention to what the project manager does. Offer to assist them in any way, even if you find it menial, and ask lots of questions.
- Start preparing a portfolio of PM competence. This means that you should start collecting evidence to demonstrate that you have had experience against all performance criteria listed in the nine units of competence ; the Australian National Competency Standards for Project Management shows the information about the nature of the evidence required.
- Get education – not just in project management, but in any business, management, communications, or personal skills. Training is important to build your underlying knowledge (and it doesn’t have to be formal training).
- Particularly useful are Project Management magazines, like the AIPM’s Project Manager magazine, or PMI’s Project Manager Today, but today there is a mass of free content, comment, information, ideas, and formal learning available on websites and blogs.
- Unfortunately, many organisations do not invest in training
- As I have mentioned elsewhere this is not often valued to help you secure a job, what helps secure the job and your demonstration on the job of the your competence – delivery, initiative.
- In addition, you may find many entry level roles are contract/ temp based rather than permanent roles – these still can be a pathway to a successful project management career.
- What I need to do as in what certification would I need?
- Certifications and education are great, but neither are going to make you a great project manager. They will however help you get ahead of the pack and win an interview. You’ll find information on entry level certification options here.
- How can I study it as in through tafe?
- Yes, you can study through TAFE and if you were going to complete a Certificate IV, Diploma and/or Advanced Diploma in Project Management, that would be my recommended approach.
- If you have extensive experience, you can complete the Certificate IV, Diploma and/or Advanced Diploma in Project Management via other Registered Training Organisation, but they typically factor in you completing an evidence workbook/ log to be able to be awarded the qualification.
- How long does the course take and how much is it?
- That varies by State. Some options are shown at my page of tertiary pm courses.
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