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Project Management Course Choices Abound
This article outlines the top considerations for identifying the best PMC for you as an individual, as well as how to get the most out of it personally and for your career.
One way great way to begin to choose a PM course is to look at the problems you are facing today. For example, perhaps you are having some special challenges dealing with stakeholders. Maybe gathering requirements effectively is your current challenge. Often times you can identify communications problems on your project and would like to learn more about tools and techniques for managing these problems. Perhaps you would like to enhance your management skills. Perhaps also, you simply would like to learn a broad PM framework or methodology and earn a PM certification to enhance your credentials.
Once you have this idea in mind, it is also helpful to consider the method of delivery that you prefer for the PM course. The typical delivery methods include classroom training, audio training, and online PM training. Classroom training has the advantage that you can give it your full attention as you are away from daily distractions. There also is great value in being present with the instructor and students to discuss and absorb points on the spot as well as network. On the other hand classroom training is expensive, might involve travel, requires trading off work time, and needs to be scheduled.
An audio PM course can be very convenient, but lacks the visual learning aspect, so it often is a great supplement to other learning methods. Some PDA-based audio programs are beginning to also offer the video, which is helpful, but it important to make sure that the audio delivery taken alone is effective for this medium when you cannot look.
Online PM training includes both instructor assisted training and pure online training. With an instructor assisted online PM course, you take a live course over the internet, and the instructor is leading and facilitating the course. In this case, you may have the ability to interact with the instructor and students during the class. With pure online training, on the other hand, the course is self-contained and is available 24x7, and you can easily skip over topics of little interest and focus more on those of keen interest. Often for the pure online training a mentor or online help is available for assistance.
Another decision is about the topic of the PM course. For example, you might have a need to learn about a PM tool, so something like Microsoft Project training might be a good choice. You might be in the information technology field, and perhaps you are transitioning from more technical functions to PM. In yet another situation, perhaps an IT PMC would be a great choice. There are many other topics, especially in the soft skills areas like leadership, management, communication where you can select a sub-topic that will help take your current skills to the next level.
A final key is to choose and take that selected PM course right away! Once the decision has been made, the desire is most likely at its peak, and you will get the most out of the PM course at that time. If you wait even a few weeks, sometimes the issues you are facing may shift, and your ability to absorb like a sponge and immediately apply your new knowledge may diminish. You want to be able to realize the benefit rapidly, and also making that knowledge your own for the long haul.
In summary, the way to get the most out of any PM course. is to choose a topic related to something of very current interest. Select a PM course about a topic of current interest to you, something for which you have a current burning desire or need and that you will be able to apply right away. Pick the method of delivery of the course that best suits you, whether classroom, online, audio, self-paced, or other, and schedule yourself as soon as possible. When the time comes, take the PMC at your own pace, but make sure you can give it full focus when you do. Most importantly, apply what you have learned in the PM course right away!
About the Author John Reiling, PMP, PE, MBA is an experienced Project Manager and certified PMP. Project Management Course provides online project management training for beginning managers and for PMP exam prep and PDUs.
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