Hi everyone,
Here's a Thursday Thought: Project Management. Who here has official training or a certification? I have a pot of staff education money I can take advantage of, and I'm wondering if official project management training (and/or certification) would truly be a benefit to me, or if the money would be better spent elsewhere. I've been a part of so many projects over the years, but still, training I wouldn't have to pay for... :-) What would you do?
I've gone through a Google Coursera certification program that was quite good. It walked through the timeline of a project, the constituent parts, data artefacts, and so forth. No one course will be fully comprehensive, but I found that one to be well-paced and very educational. Would recommend!
If you can get your org to pay for it (Professional Development!) then that's even better.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/project-management-foundations
I did a two day course that covered all the basics and principles which was really beneficial. I think something like PRINCE2 can be beneficial depending on how your org works, but might be a bit much as a starter.
I went through Prince2 back in Aus (so, 10 years ago now!). But with v16 coming up for real this next season (and with free professional development money), I figured some kind of refresher couldn't hurt!
I recently completed a certificate in Project Management through the University of Washington Continuing Education Program. They have options to do it on your own time or asynchronous with a group (they call it "group paced"). I thought the first course was especially useful. I could see just taking that first (and maybe second course) and not bothering with completing the certificate. The third course is a capstone project, and I would say unless you are planning to change careers or really want that certificate on your resume, it may not be worth it.
I think those skills are essential and sorely lacking in most NFP arts projects to the point they cost a lot of potential revenue.
I got my PMP from Project Management Institute back in 2019 after 6 months of courses, study and Atlanta PMI meetings. It was an interesting experience meshing my stage management past experience with work experience and filling on the "blanks" of why projects I had worked on or saw went shall we say sideways. The required continuing education to maintain the certification keep the principles fresh in my brain as time moves on. I even guest lecture at Georgia State MBA programs quarterly to discuss Project Management in Arts and Entertainment industries.
I have my CAPM from the Project Management Institute - I've been considering going back for the PMP or even a more specific PMP - I also used my staff education money to pay for it :) I think it's helpful to see the structure surrounding traditional project management vs just having to learn because you've been made in charge of the project! Also just a really great professional development opportunity since it's a certification that is highly recognized and respected and even stated as a requirement/preference in job descriptions.