This week’s question comes from Mr N.M:
I am currently working in Sales but have actively project managed a number of solutions within the Voice & Data sector. I am keen for a change of career and this is an area that I really enjoy.
Are there Project Management roles available without the necessary qualifications?
The short answer is yes; but the success of gaining a new role without qualifications is that you have something else of value to offer. This is usually based on prior project management experience within a certain sector or certain type of project. Often an organisation will overlook the lack of qualifications if you have a proven track record of delivering successfully in an area they are looking for.
Based on the brief information you provided you might find opportunities within voice & data because of your prior experience however stepping into a project management role from a sales role may not be that easy because an organisation will be looking for directly relevant experience. An option could be to look at project co-ordination roles (where you are supporting a project manager) and ideally you should try and seek out opportunities in the current organisation you work within (they already know you and your work rate etc)
My other question to you would be; why are you overlooking the qualifications that are on offer? If it is due to cost, there are a number of self study options available which allow you to take your time with the study (also great if you can’t afford the time away from work) and then pay for the examination fees when you’re ready to take the exam. If you’re not sure which is the best option training wise you can also take a look at the project management qualifications guidance and contact a few of the training organisations to find out more.
Of course the counter question could be; so will taking a qualification help me find a job within project management? Not on its own it won’t but one of the things you do need to concentrate on is gaining better more formal project management knowledge, and with this knowledge, in time, will come an opportunity to practice and gain skill and competence.
Image – dominiccampbell
Twitter: splett
Nice blog post! In my opinion every person has to decide if she or he would like to be trained on the job. Even if project management seems to be a profession that could be trained on the job very well the right terminology and methodology isn’t as self explaining as beginners often think. I always would prefer a college with a certification or profound background. My experience is that it is helpful to show your professional background with a certification in project management. This eliminates questions within job interviews. But the questions for most applicants is which certification to choose – IPMA Level D to A or an PMP by PMI or a Prince2? The answer it depends doesn’t help but think about where you want to work and which methodology is a standard in this region. Show that you are the right person for the job and emphasize it with a recognized
qualification.
Twitter: mich
You don’t need to be trained in the subtleties of cell physiology or cardio-pulmonary surgery to perform first aid and save a life. You just need to have the right tool or procedure and the confidence to apply it. And the same is true for project managers. You need not be able to recite all possible PM definitions and terms to achieve great results in your role as project leader or part-time project manager. In fact, it’s easy to teach yourself pretty much everything you need to know, for free. I assembled a list of free resources here: http://michaelgreer.biz/?p=179
In the real world, we need far more people performing first aid than we do people performing complex surgery. Similarly, in the business world, there’s a much greater need for informal, part-time, newbie project managers than highly-certified “official” project managers.
And about the previous comment asking “which certification?” — My suggestion: Certify yourself! As a PM performance analyst I’ve documented exactly how you can do this in a thoroughly defensible way. Please see my article: “Do-It-Yourself PM Certification: How to Document Your Skills & Get the Credibility You’ve Earned without Jumping Through Someone Else’s Hoops” — http://michaelgreer.biz/?p=1450