Project Management skills are high in demand worldwide, and the field is booming. if you’re interested in becoming a project manager or want to develop your professional carrier in PM, then you should seriously consider learning about Project Management though, online video courses, certification programs or even you can go for a full-fledged Project Management degree (Bachelor/Master/Ph.D.).
Project Management – Art or Science?
Remember, Project management (PM) is the art and science of getting things done in a given timeline and budget.
Many times, you will realize that the PM concept & techniques are simple which you might be using in your daily life work. But when it comes to managing a project in the professional world, things become quite challenging and many projects fail.
So, Project Management is an art because there is no one definitive answer for how to best manage a project. Also, PM is a science because there are well-developed techniques and process that can help the Project manager to complete a project successfully and meet it objective.
Where to start and study?
There are plenty of options available, question is that where to start? Well, it depends on the current status of your professional journey and aspiration. The below table is going to guide you on where you can start your journey of managing projects.
|
Qualification |
Where to study Project management |
|
|
1 |
Student- pursuing high school or below |
Online courses (Coursera, Udemy, YouTube videos). |
|
2 |
High School Graduate/ Diploma holder |
Online courses (Coursera, Udemy, YouTube videos). Certified training courses (Offline as well as Online mode). |
|
3 |
Bachelor (Fresher / Looking for entry-level job) |
Certified training course (Offline or Online). Learn basic Project Management Techniques courses. Best ways to learn is to start working on small projects. |
|
4 |
Bachelor with Experience (0-5 years) |
Certified training course with accredited certification. Pursue full time/online University course in Project Management Learn advance Project Management tools & Software. Through working on medium size projects. |
|
5 |
Bachelor /Masters with Experience (+5 years) |
Certified training course with accredited certification. Peruse specialised University course Learn about domain specific Project Management Methodology. Work on medium to complex size projects. |
Irrespective of wherever you are on your professional journey, you will need to continuously learn new techniques and upgrade your skills. PM is a very dynamic field, constantly deals with various types of complex projects.
Many managers and industry-specific leaders find themselves working as project managers, without having any prior project management certification or degree. This is because that different business has a specific type of PM practices. Such type of PM requires business-specific knowledge as well as skills to manage project work. Without preparation or training, these can seem like daunting tasks.
Conclusion
There is not any specific requirement for studying PM. However, if you want to develop your career in project management, then you should carefully plan the learning curve.
As there are plenty of options available, it is up to you how you choose to study PM, based on the current status of your professional journey.
Tell me how you are planning to learn PM for career development? Let me know by leaving a comment below right now.
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