Project managers?

hargi

hargi

hargi

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Joined
19 Jul 2006
Posts
1,847
Any project managers in here?
How did you get started in this? Its something I have been thinking about, need to kick start my career, don’t think want to get further into the technical side of IT.
Would doing the ITIL course help me on my way?
If so would it be practical for me to do this when my current job is not in Project management?
 
Is I am/was.

It just happened as natural progression in my job which I think is what happens with most PMs. Been on a few courses a few years back but I can’t remember who ran them.
 
ITIL are Prince2 are the way to go, then you have stuff like M_o_R (Managemnt of Risk) MSP (Managing Successful Projects.

For Prince2 and ITIL the best way to go is the CBT way.

As I have said in other threads my wife is the Sales Director for a company that specialises in PM and CBT. Any questions let me know and I will pass them onto her for you.
 
I see people who want to be PMs as i see people who want to be politicians.
Anyone who wants to be one, shouldnt be.
 
Cheers all,
Slinwagh, which way round is the norm to do them and can i do them as theory as im not project managing anything yet.
Whats CBT?
 
CBT - computer based training

Yes you can do prince2 without actually being a PM.
 
PRINCE 2 is the harder one,ITIL Foundation is a piece of wee-wee. Any order is OK really.

Although those quals may get you in the door the experience is what its all about.

Aim for a Project Support/Co-ord role and work from there.
 
spoonz said:
LOL I dont get it. But then maybe I wouldnt :P
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He means that anyone who wants to be a project manager is inevitably incompetant and useless and makes the lives of the project team members worse. The best PMs are the ones who didn't intend to become one.
 
Prince2 is a project management methodology
ITIL is a service management framework

They compliment each other, but ITIL has nothing to do with projects (unless you count change management for the transition of a project into live support). For PM you should be looking at what your company currently uses for it's PM, it may be Prince2 or it may be PMP or even an ad-hoc one developed in house. Speak to your manager, tell them you would like to have a go at Project work if any becomes available. Prince2 foundation would be a good place to start, it will explain most of the common terms, and also the processes involved in starting, running and closing a project.
 
nero120 said:
He means that anyone who wants to be a project manager is inevitably incompetant and useless and makes the lives of the project team members worse. The best PMs are the ones who didn't intend to become one.
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Winner :D
 
nero120 said:
He means that anyone who wants to be a project manager is inevitably incompetant and useless and makes the lives of the project team members worse. The best PMs are the ones who didn't intend to become one.
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Hmm, how do you accidently become a PM then?

Go to the wrong job interview?

I think there are certain character traits a good PM needs and people should explore these first more than paper qulaifications.

I'd agree that there are many many useless PM out there who go into thinking its well paid and skip from contract job to contract job making a living.
 
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My advice would be to stick with with the technical side of IT. Prove that you are competent enough to be given a team leading role and push for one. Once you are a team leader then prove that you are competent enough to a project managers type role. Talking to your existing project manager and asking if there's anything you can do to help him would help too - PMs usually have lots of tedious spreadsheets they need to fill in which they might let you do if they trust you enough.

By all means go on the training courses, but in my experience training is only useful if you can put the knowledge gained into context during your day-to-day activities.
 
kefkef said:
Prince2 is a project management methodology
ITIL is a service management framework

They compliment each other, but ITIL has nothing to do with projects (unless you count change management for the transition of a project into live support). For PM you should be looking at what your company currently uses for it's PM, it may be Prince2 or it may be PMP or even an ad-hoc one developed in house. Speak to your manager, tell them you would like to have a go at Project work if any becomes available. Prince2 foundation would be a good place to start, it will explain most of the common terms, and also the processes involved in starting, running and closing a project.
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I would argue that if support exists and you don't consider the transition you should be sacked as a PM. The ITIL Foundation is useful and will help you a lot when closing projects in ITIL compliant organisations. No need for any level higher then foundation though.

Long and short is ITIL is not a PM qualification.
 
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hargi said:
Any project managers in here?
How did you get started in this? Its something I have been thinking about, need to kick start my career, don’t think want to get further into the technical side of IT.
Would doing the ITIL course help me on my way?
If so would it be practical for me to do this when my current job is not in Project management?
Click to expand...

ITIL isn't really going to help as it covers service management more than project management. As to how to become one. Is your technical work on the Project Delivery side of things? If so, talk to your line about getting more experience in project management. Take some of the planning and management tasks on for yourself in small ways to start off with.
 
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