How to apply as Project Manager in your industry?

Posted on 10 February, 2011 at 11:45 PM by with 2 Comments

Recently, I received many requests seeking me to share with them how do novices or those who are mid-life career changed get into Project Management industry?

Well, to manage professional or Corporate projects well, you have to start manage personal projects, such as for those profit or non-profit organizations.

Firstly, you need to understand the concept of project management. Get the main gist of project management, and then start to manage projects.

Next, you have to network with other project managers in your desired industry so that the knowledge can be shared or you can be tagged onto others experience.

If you are working into a paper qualification conscious working environment, you need to get yourself a certificate in Project Management. Be it from Project Management Institute, Prince2 or Certificate in IT Project Management (CITPM), it is crucial to get yourself certified. For some organizations, with relevant project management certificate and experience, you are then qualified to knock on their employment door.

Some of these organizations feel that you need to have the fundamental Project Management knowledge, instead of them to invest time to train a fresh school-leaver. Thus you can start to gain hands-on experience by managing some personal projects such as picnic, outings, house renovation, friend’s wedding and so forth. All this will gives you a

There is no doubt of the intense knowledge of terminology, concept used in the formal education. However, not many organizations are following the same terminology either. However, the process is flexible and needs to adjust to every organization. For example, some organizations that I knew, they don’t use the project charter. They will use the project request to represent charter.

In my opinion, terminology variation is alright so long everyone in the Project Management Office is aware of what the document is referring to.

Lesson Learned:

#1- Understand the basic PM concepts

#2- Use the PM knowledge and start to manage many non-profit projects (such as picnic, outing, classmate gathering and so forth)

#3- To gain the precious knowledge, like project costing, project scheduling, project scoping etc

#4- the most important factor – Once you are managing some Corporate projects, start to create a project checklist template. I have created the template and it eases my project management effort. If you are keen, click here to get it.

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Recognition Level – Sell Yourself or Be Judged

Posted on 4 February, 2011 at 11:45 PM by with Leave a Comment

I appreciate all the positive comments that are streaming in.  It encourages me to share more on the blog. Having mentioned in my previous message on project recognition.

Some people just like to boast about their work performances / achievements. They would just constantly boast to the peers about his outstanding work.

Whatever good things, he will there to claim the credit. He will also be there to blame others if anybody commits any assignment mistake.

I am sure you have someone in your circle of friends and cohort that behave the same manner.

There are 2 sides of the coin in looking at this matter.

Regular boasting will imprint his good work in people’s mind even though he had not really performed a good work. Some peers had not done a good job in the assignment. In order to avoid the blame from others, he will comment on his past achievements for various moments.

This way he is creating a smoke screen for others and hoping people will forget his mistakes and better still, his achievements are remembered. Subconsciously, he anchored to others that he is good in his work. He is also trying to prove his management so as to win a seat in the next promotion.

On other hand, in order to prove others you are really good. You don’t have to tell others or broadcast everyone that you are good. Instead letting others to know you are good through your performance result and letting others to say you are good and that is an art. Not many people can achieve. Many people will sell or promote themselves vigorously. Of course there are no right and wrong in both approaches.

You seldom see any artist comment that they can performed well. Their efforts are normally recognized in those Awards, such as Oscars, Grammy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, MTV Music Awards, and Country Music Awards. etc. And the artists are judged by external panel not by him or her.

If you are good, you will be rewarded. You won’t tell the world that you are good to obtain the award.

Lesson Learned: Certain level of recognition is good and is a push factor to lift up one’s motivation and spirit. To prove your performance, there is a need to balance in your achievements declaration. However, if you will to use your achievement to cover your mistakes, then it does not make you a better person. In fact you are still dwelling onto the same mistake and tendency will commit it again.

If you have done a good job, it’s alright to boast your achievements but not for too long. Use the good result/ achievements to boost yourself and learn the mistake that you had made as lesson learns. These lessons learn will act as an improvement in the next assignment. Let others to judge you not you sell yourself.

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Passive versus Active

Posted on 2 February, 2011 at 11:45 PM by with Leave a Comment

Some team members are very passive in their work. They are not proactive and take less initiative to think things ahead.

In order for them to start moving, they need to be told what to do in the next activities.

Depending on organizations, some not so developed countries such as Manila, China, India, the people like to be informed or given specific instructions. And they will follow the instructions strictly with full faith and no hesitation.

It is very similar to those military styles in the past, it’s just like 1-command 1-action. Any extra actions will invite unnecessary punishment.

There is this supplier overseas; I need him to implement a device in the coming weekend. However, as per any implementation practice, prior implementation the supplier needs to complete a work permit document and to produce an approved diagram.

However, when the supplier was asked to produce the 2 documents, he kept pushing back when he hits an obstacle. He will revert to me and say that “My team have not been able to produce the electrical diagram because the assigned engineer is not around to draw the diagram.” I then replied to him, “Don’t you have any engineer that can assist? Is your additional engineer being able to do the drawing?”

He replied “Oh! I have not checked !”

Some project managers will say this is too cumbersome and it seems to be doing for their work. However, as a Project Manager, if you are not able to use this checklist to guide the team members or narrow down the activities accountability, the project schedule will be delayed. It’s better to draft the checklist once and can use it in other similar related project.

Draft out a detailed activity list or checklist so that it is easy to follow. This checklist is able to transfer to any new team member who just took over the role able to understand what needs to be done and continue the job.

Lesson Learn: Create or provide a complete checklist for the project team members to follow. Seek them to complete prior asking for external assistance.

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