Which PM course to take up. Switch from Techie to PM.

[Greatlookinguy]

Hiya Folks,
My first post on these forums. Hope you “seniorsâ€

[kenfrapin]

Nice post Greatlookinguy (and a cool username as well)

I did a search of the best courses to do a while back and must say you are spot on. There are many certified people in the UK and thats mainly because companies sponsor such training courses and certifications.

While holding Practitioner level qualifications holds some weight, limited or no experience is really a downer and a detriment for people to enter this space. Without experience in PMing, you will only be considered for roles as Junior PMs which unfortunately pays really low. Most PMs, as you know, are inbred and work their way up. Contractors are always well seasoned pros or they atleast portray themselves in that light

BTW - what itjobboards DOES NOT clearly show is the experience in YEARS of these PMP, Prince2, ITIL holders. Many PMs get certified AFTER working as a PM for years and just before they move into contracting or because their org told them to so dont take the data seriously.
As you have Release Management exp you can take up ITIL but be very clear that this will take you into the Service Operations world. Its good demanding work but ITIL is nowhere close to PMP and Prince2.

6 years is not enough as well to get immediate PM roles unless if within your own org you try to move up the ladder - thats been the most successful way of PMing - atleast from what I have seen

All the best
KP

[Greatlookinguy]

Thanks for the prompt reply KP. Much appreciated

Well, I certainly don't want to spend the next year "growing" in a permie role.. not unless it's a high paying one as well. I feel I've grown enough and would like to see some big moolah now People my age are raking in the dosh but they're proper techies.. Java programmers and such like.

..and like I said, because I haven't got proper, hardcore techie experience as well as proper PM experience so far in my career (just the roles that came by really, didn't have much of a choice at the time).. I'm well and truly stuck over how to proceed next. Have decided one thing though, whilst am in the IT industry before I go on my MBA journey, I want to foray into Project and People Management.

Guess will go in for either Prince2 or PMP on my holiday (not sure if doing both is any good..) and hope like hell I get Scrum Master certification sponsored by work and with these two in hand, put my CV out there in Mid Jan looking for contract roles. See what comes up.

Worse comes to worst, I will switch to a permie role in the Programme/Project Manager's Office in some company... and "grow" into a PM in a years time hopefully! Still got my heart set on the big money contract world though. Let's see...

Thanks once more, GLG

[kenfrapin]

Scrum Master certification along with a Prince2 Practitioner is really good. PMP too will suffice. There's no harm in floating your CV and trying your luck out.

But, from personal experience, the lucrative contracts for Project Management is only viable for people with atleast 10yrs experience. PM roles in the UK lags far behind when it comes to even BA or Design Architects in the IT world - there are just too many PMs out here and a lot of them are from the local talent pool

All the best though
KP