Project Management Career Guide and Counseling

Question: How do I get construction project management jobs? I am going to take my Project Management Professional Certification exam soon. I also have 5 years experience in Project Management of IT projects. With OBAMA's new stimulus there will be a lot of construction jobs, including Project Management. I have good Project Management skills but not a lot of skills in Construction (other than personal home improvement projects). How do I get into the new industry using the same skills?

Answer: This page has Job Openings and Salary info: http://jobs.salary.com/Construction-Project-Management-jobs/--

Question: How does Project Management Costs vary with the size of the whole (software development) project? If you consider that the project management is a percentage of the total project cost, it appears to me that this percentage varies with the size of the project (not considering the hidden costs). Consider the case of software development project. How would that curve (cost of management versus total cost) appear like?

Answer: In my experience as a software development project manager for a consulting / developing firm we added 25% - 35% of project management cost ON TOP of the actual development cost. The reasoning for this is that the PM is the link between the customer of the project and the developers. Often they speak two different languages and you need the PM in between in order to "translate". The range of 25% - 35% depended on the customer. If we knew that the customer was "easy" to deal with, then we could usually get away with only adding 25%. But if the customer required more hand holding and was generally "difficult" then we went as high as 35% because the PM would need to invest a lot more time into the project. Until next time, Cornelius Fichtner, PMP The Project Management PrepCastâ„¢ - http://www.pm-prepcast.com The Project Management Podcastâ„¢ - http://www.thepmpodcast.com

Question: What is the best project management software? I'm going to invest in some project management software, but I'm looking for ideas. I need basic software to get organized, but also something would integrate well with a graphics and web business. Thanks!

Answer: I like Project KickStart ($199.00). It works very well and is a lot cheaper than Microsoft Project ($509.99).

Question: What is the best project management certification? Member since: January 03, 2006 Total points: 9,535 (Level 5) Points earned this week: --% Best answer Ralph S What is the best project managment certification.? I am in IT (Systems Developer/Web Developer) and am thinking of moving into project management What is the best project management certification? - most recognized/relevant in the IT arena.

Answer: Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is definitely the one to aim for due to its vast recognition. However, it requires you to furnish your detailed experience and referees. And yes, PMI, the issuing body does conduct audits. Cheats are barred from further attempts to be certified. Assuming that you are residing in Singapore as this is Yahoo! for Singapore, I would suggest that you get in touch with Knowledge Method (http://www.knowledgemethod.com/) which specializes in PMP certification. If you are in Singapore, South-east Asia or India, you could also consider SCS's Certified IT Project Manager (CITPM) certifications. Passed recipients will be conferred either Associate, CITPM or Senior. More info is available at http://www.scs.org.sg/CITPM_abt.php. Exams are conducted only twice a year. Both PMP and CITPM requires testimonials of previous experience, thus require referees. For those whose referees might not be contactable and/or who would not want to wait for the infrequent exams as in CITPM, they might consider CompTIA Project+. Some says CompTIA Project+ is for entry-level. However, a scrutiny at the syllabus might suggest otherwise. Therefore, to make sure that your exam fees are not wasted, you might consider putting in the same effort for CompTIA Project+ as you would if you were taking other certifications.

Question: How hard is it to get into project management? I am an elementary school teacher finishing up my M.Ed. My degree will be in (project) Management and Innovation. Rather than applying this to education, I was actually starting to consider the possibility of leaving the classroom and going into Project Management. I did a job search and saw that there ARE openings for PMs, but most say that they want 5-10 years experience. I did see one that was an education-related PM position that said they'd train newbies, but is that going to be hard to find again?

Answer: Suggest you look at a project administrator role to start with. While it is mainly clerical, it does expose you to project management and provides inside opportunities to start managing small projects. Also look at roles within a program or project office. These can also put you in the right place to get into project management. Typically you will start out either doing very small projects, or assisting project managers. As the experience builds, you can move into more mainstream project management. Neville Turbit www.projectperfect.com.au

Question: How a get a formal qualification in project management? I hold a graduate degree in engineering and have considerable industry experience in my domain. However, to take my career to the next level, I have realised that I will need to gain a formal qualification in project management - preferably IT project management. However, I don't know where to start and what type to qualification to look for.

Answer: Information about T project management requirements and training will be found below./

Question: What are the benefits of project management? What are the benefits of project management, the role as project manager, and how an approach to project management will affect a company?

Answer: There are always exceptions, but in my experience the project manager is the guy who sits around barking orders, contributes nothing, and makes a lot more money than the people actually doing the work.

Question: How do you show/prove Project Management experience to qualify for PMP certification? I want to do my PMP certification and I understand that project management experience is required. How do I show I have worked as a project manager? Also, does it actually have to be project manager? Thanks in advance.

Answer: this is the eligibility criteria for PMP Certification. 1)If you hold a bachelor degree; you must have 3 years experience in project management or an equivalent 4500 hours. Applicant must have work experience in incorporate actual project direction, initiation, project planning and management, monitoring and project closing. 2) If you possess an associate degree with high school diploma, it is necessary that you must have 5 years or 7500 hours of project management experience. Candidate must have work experience in incorporate actual project direction, initiation, project planning and management, monitoring and project closing. It’s not required to be project manager. All the experience in project direction, initiation, planning and all the things related to it will be included in project management experience.

Question: How can I find a home based job in project management ? I recently got my PMP certification. I still have my full time job as a consultant. But, I want to handle project management tasks. Is there a way to get online jobs in project management ?

Answer: Project management is a very people-orientated discipline, so it's difficult to do it entirely sitting behind a desk, whether at home, or in the office. However, increasingly project managers, particularly in IT, are being asked to manage virtual teams, where it doesn't really matter where you as the PM are located. If you're looking to work for a larger organization you'll have to ask if it's possible to telecommute when you're inquiring about a possible PM position. If you're looking to be an independent, then there are various sites that allow you to advertise your services as a freelance PM.

Question: Is construction management or project management a good career to get in to? im getting ready to start college and ive always been leaning towards construction management as a career. i understand that project management gives you a wider variety of fields to enter but which one would be better for the way todays economy is going..if any at all...which field, besides these 2, is more likely to succeed?..any help would be appreciated..

Answer: Either are good careers. Stressful and Challenging mentally and physically. what you were told is correct, project managers have a wider range of career paths whereas construction managers area limited to construction projects. I would lean toward project management. Depending on what your field of study was you can do anything from planning a building upgrade to designing any new structure or venture. I'd make sure that I had some training in autocad, drafting etc... Good luck!

Question: What would be the best project management program for a construction company? We have a metal building construction company. What would be the best project management software to use?

Answer: contact Microsoft they could have some !

Question: What is the pay for a project management trainee in chennai? I'm an MBA -Finance and systems graduate, and ive got a job offer for the post of project Management Executive trainee as i've no work experience as yet. I'd like to know what is the compensation paid for such a post in the industry in chennai city, and in what way would accepting this job impact my chances of getting into mainstream finance later.

Answer: Starting 15,000/- per month.

Question: What are my job prospects after a project management course? I am a telecom engineer and I am looking to advance my career prospects , I am not sure if I can do a full time/part time MBA, but pursuing a certificate in project management from PMI seems like a good option Is that a good career prospect especially money wise?

Answer: Well, you need to define how much money makes you happy. Having a PMP certification is something that is becoming more and more important these days. Gone are the days when companies had projects and worked willy-nilly on them to get them done. Now with international standards coming into place a lot of companies are tightening the budget strings and that is where a project manager comes in useful. Project Managers are hired for their ability to run projects, and not to know what the project deal with. If you are a people person who can adhere to deadlines, than being a project manager is the job for you. Here in the Chicago area, there is always a high demand for good project managers and if you do contract work, the pay is about $120K-$150K a year if you work in the IT industry. And the work is steady. I'm a Human Resources VP for an extremely large healthcare firm in Chicago, and I hire project managers on a regular basis from various contractors. They do a great job, cost a lot, but the work they do is A-1. I only hire project managers who have the PMP certification from PMI.

Question: I am looking to do a project management course, which is the best and most recognised? I am an experienced researcher in a post doc position in IT but am looking to head towards more project management roles within the banking, intelligent buildings or software development industry. Ideally I would like to eventually work for a big bank or large company. I know of Prince 2 and PMP qualifications but are they any good? Maybe there is another one which is better?

Answer: The Project Management Institute, or PMI, is widely recognized as the industry-recognized standard for project management methodology and certification. It is from them that you can acquire your PMP and other project managements certificatins. Prince 2 is more widely known in Europe than PMI. It is a matter of personal opinion which one is 'better' -- you'll likely get a different answer for every person you ask. If you are in the U.S. though, you might get more bang for your buck to be associated with PMI since, as I said, Prince 2 isn't as widely known. In either case having a professional project management certification will tell potential employers that you're serious about the discipline and are willing to go the extra mile to become skilled in a standardized methodology in the field. If you are looking for PMI you should be looking for courses that are from companies who are R.E.P.s (Registered Education Providers). You can perform a search on the page below to locate an organization close to you.

Question: What are the best schools in NYC for project management certification programs? I have a bachelor's degree and am pursuing a career in project management. I don't wish to pursue a masters. For a PM certification, how important is the school I study at?

Answer: http://www.computertrainingschools.com/search/NY/PM/?inktomi http://www.certificationcity.com/html/project_management_training.html http://www.techtrainingdirectory.com/training/trainingid/38.htm http://www.certifiedprojectmanager.org/disclaimer.html

Question: How can I make a break in to Project management? I have a new degree in Management Information Systems, a minor in Economics, and 7 years experience in mangement. I am trying to make a break into high tech project management. does any one have any ideas or experience? I have posted on every major Job board and keep running into the obsitcal that I have no experience with the title of Project manager? I have taken the PMI classes for the PMP however I am missing the experience. I am a new Grad looking for my first PM position.

Answer: If your resume is organized chronologically, you can re-arrange it so that it's arranged by skill instead. Identity what you consider to be important project management skills and talk about what you've done in 7 years that relates to these skills. You can also talk about performing the role of project manager, even if your official title wasn't project manager. Have you looked in obtaining PM certification ? Either CompTIA Project+ or PMI's PMP or CAPM ? Even if your justing "working towards..." on your resume, its a start. You could also try to move into project management in your current field first, and then move across to the high-tech arena. Contact your local PMI chapter and see if there are opportunities for volunteer project managers. This might not be high-tech, but it will boost your PM experience. Also, attend their meetings, and talk to current PMs in the field about their background and experiences. If you're just missing the experience for the PMP then you can probably sit for the CAPM.