Project management is the use of specific knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to deliver value to the organization. It helps companies accomplish tasks effectively, whether they develop products, provide services, or implement other activities.

Most organizations use project management scheduling software that aids in scheduling, resource allocation and costing, progress monitoring plan, risk management, and analyzing and reporting KPIs to maximize output. Project management has evolved from being seen as an administrative role to becoming a strategic part of an organization’s business model, and here are three reasons why you should consider a career in Project Management:

 

1. Increasing demand for Project Managers: According to a Project Management Institute (PMI) report (PMI (2017). Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017–2027.), the project management-oriented labour force is expected to grow by 33 percent, and nearly 22 million new jobs will soon be created. It is also estimated that employers will need almost 88 million individuals in project management-oriented roles by 2027.

 

2. Switching Industries: Project management skills is usually transferable to any industry, with the finer details learned on the job. It allows project managers to easily change industries, which is often difficult in other career streams. Your experience in managing projects and the necessary qualifications will make a perfect combination for your transition. A career move could be fruitful given the increasing demand for IT, construction, contract and procurement and engineering project managers.

 

3. International Exposure: It has become a norm to have international project teams with large institutions. It includes working with overseas departments and teams to solve a problem collectively. As a global project manager, you must be a leader, face unique challenges, learn about different cultures, and adapt to language barriers. You will use proper planning, strategies, and navigation tools and meet expectations accordingly.

 

How to Become a Project Manager?

As a project manager, you are responsible for planning, procurement, execution, and completion of a project. You are also in charge of the project scope, managing project teams and the resources allocation. If you want to become project management expert, you may elect to obtain multiple certifications.

The two most popular project management certifications are PMP® and PRINCE2®. These certifications help showcase your practical knowledge, insights, and your expertise. The PMP certification is usually recommended to professionals with three or more years of experience in the field and is more popular in North America. Whereas, PRINCE2 is adopted by many countries worldwide, but including UK, Western European countries, and Australia. If you consider applying for this certificate, you should follow a study plan to help you better prepare for the exam.

You can also opt for a Durham College Certificate in Project Management Studies, which teaches you how to move through the project life cycle phases and develop a project management plan that can be applied to real-life scenarios.

We know that there are many ways of learning – both formal and informal. Choosing the most appropriate method of learning for a given situation is important, because it will influence the speed and effectiveness with which you learn. Often, when we think about taking a course as a formal means of learning, it is associated with a rather lengthy process requiring weeks, months or even years. Of course, this is true in some cases – particularly for traditional post-secondary studies. However, the world of formal learning is now changing, thanks to a new approach called “micro-credentials”.

Simply put, a micro-credential confirms that a particular skill or competency has been acquired by an individual. A micro-credential will typically consist of a small number of short courses developed in conjunction with industry (to ensure relevance). Assessment is a core component of any micro-credential – the learner must be able to demonstrate that they have achieved a prescribed level of competency in the defined area. While most micro-credentials are usually delivered online (making them very convenient for the learner), this is not an essential trait.

Micro-credentials are frequently “stackable”, which means that multiple micro-credentials can “add up” to a specified higher-level credential. To illustrate, Durham College offers two short micro-credentials for Construction Jobsite Readiness. Students who complete both will also receive a Recognition of Achievement credential.

Upon successfully completing a micro-credential, the student will be awarded with a digital badge instead of a paper credential. The digital badge is owned by the student and can be shared with anyone they choose at any time. It can be added to a LinkedIn page or other social media sites, so that prospective employers can see what an individual has done to advance their skills. When the viewer clicks on the micro-credential name, they are presented with a description of the skills or competencies that were developed and (in some cases) even see evidence of those abilities via a student-posted video, paper, etc.

Going forward, it will become increasingly common to see micro-credentials that can be earned by providing evidence of real-world application of the skill or competency. This will be similar to the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) process that exists today. By finding opportunities to get recognition for skills you’ve already built, it will be possible to expand your list of formal learning credentials quickly and easily.

Micro-credentials offer a great approach to building specific competencies and skills needed for current or future positions. Be sure to keep watching for new micro-credentials going forward, so you can use them to help advance your career.

To learn more about the dynamic programs offered through the Centre for Professional and Part-time Learning, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/ppl.

There is a truism in business that says “you get what you measure”. This is certainly applicable to learning. Having a plan is great, but it is also extremely important to track your progress. Not only will this keep learning top of mind so that you are less likely to lose sight of it when challenged by other priorities, but it will also provide you with a very important record of your activities. Interviewers love to ask what candidates have learned recently, because a strong answer will demonstrate commitment, proactivity and a dedication to continual improvement. Having that information at your fingertips is invaluable.

We all have lots going on in our lives, and it is very easy to lose track of what learning was completed and when – especially when it is informal learning. Therefore, tracking is absolutely crucial. This can be done quickly and easily.

Start by grabbing a notebook and pencil (or your computer, of course). At the end of each week (consistently applying this habit is important), take 10 minutes to write down the following information:

• Identify at least one valuable thing you learned in the past week. This could be anything from learning achieved in a course or a new function you figured out how to use in Excel, to discovering a new way to get your kids to happily eat their veggies.
• Next, identify one very specific new way in which you will apply this learning in the week ahead. Don’t be afraid to be creative! For example, instead of saying you will create a pivot table in Excel, perhaps you’ll decide to teach a colleague how they can use this in their job (a great way of deepening your learning is to teach something to others). Or, if you found a new way of convincing your kids to eat their veggies, perhaps you could apply a similar technique in order to convince a co-worker to help you with a task or project. The point here is to identify how you will apply what you learned, because this is the most important thing you can do to make your learning “stick”.
• In the following week, make a note of how successful your application plan was. If it didn’t quite hit the mark, adjust your approach and try again.

Regardless of how we learn, it is our ability to transfer what we have learned from one situation into others (even ones that are very different) that ultimately determines our effectiveness as lifelong learners. Remember that learning is a journey with countless possible routes; therefore, don’t be afraid to fail (after all, that’s an important avenue to learning). But if you do fail, try to ‘fail fast’ – in other words, apply your learning, see how well it works, quickly make appropriate adjustments, and try again. By adopting this approach to learning, you will very quickly see yourself moving forward in a positive upward spiral of success – something that any employer will value.

To learn more about the dynamic programs offered through the Centre for Professional and Part-time Learning, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/ppl.

In the first article in our lifelong learning series, we looked at what lifelong learning is and why it is important. We also noted that there are many different ways of learning, both formal and informal. While it’s crucial to learn from situations in life as they happen, we cannot rely solely on an ad hoc approach, especially when it comes to job and career-related learning. By putting a plan in place, you will be able to focus and prioritize your learning activities to be as effective as possible. In this article, we will consider a simple way of developing an effective learning plan specifically to support job and career-related learning. Time to grab a paper and pencil!

1. Start by considering your current role. Write down a list of the knowledge and skills needed in your position (you should be able to find this information very quickly in your position description). Then, beside each one, jot down how effectively you currently meet those needs and what gaps exist. If you have a mentor or trusted colleague(s), ask them to assess you as well. It is always helpful to get another perspective.
2. Work through the same exercise for the job or role you would like to move to next.
3. Now, you should have quite an extensive list of knowledge and skills, along with a picture of how well you currently meet those requirements. The next step is to prioritize where to focus your efforts.
   • If there are any learning-related gaps that are negatively impacting your performance in your current role, those areas should be your top priority.
   • Next, look carefully through the remaining list to identify transferrable skills – those skills that are not only specific to your current job, but would also be relevant to your next or future roles. This might include soft skills like teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, etc., and/or hard skills such as project management, budgeting, analyzing data, etc. Select the three that you believe will be of greatest overall value to your success and most likely to help you get the job(s) you want.
4. You now have a prioritized list of specific areas for your learning plan. It’s time to think about how you can best develop those skills. While there is no single way to approach this, the following tips may be helpful:
   • Is the skill highly specific to your company (e.g. a particular process)? If so, consider asking your manager or a colleague to teach you.
   • Do you need any type of external accreditation/recognition for the learning, or is it time-sensitive? In either case, a course would likely be most appropriate. Courses are also appropriate when you need expertise that is not readily available within your company, or when you want to get external perspectives for fresh ideas.
   • Is the learning time-sensitive? If not, consider volunteering for a project, either at work or in a volunteer organization, that will help you develop that knowledge/skill.
   • Are you trying to improve upon your application of a soft skill (e.g. improving your problem-solving abilities)? It could be helpful to work with a mentor who can provide guidance and suggestions on real-work situations.
   • Do you need a very short piece of learning (e.g. how to create a pivot table in Excel)? If so, consider online resources such as videos.

Once you’ve chosen an appropriate method of learning, be sure to set a realistic timeline for completion. Without this, it’s likely that other priorities will push your learning back, and it may eventually fall off your radar completely. Being flexible with your learning deadlines is important, but by maintaining the discipline of working towards deadlines, your abilities will grow continuously.

Learn how Durham College’s Centre for Professional and Part-time Learning can help you achieve your lifelong learning goals.

This is the first in a series of four short articles on the topic of lifelong learning and how you can easily put together an actionable plan to help you achieve the goals that are most important to you.

You’ve probably heard the term “lifelong learning” before but might not be sure exactly what it means. Does it mean you have to go to school throughout your entire life? Does it only apply to career-related learning? Is it ever appropriate to “take a break” from learning, or should you be learning non-stop? Let’s take a closer look.

If you were to ask 10 people for their definitions of lifelong learning, it is likely you would get 10 different answers. Interestingly, there is no universally accepted definition of the term. However, many definitions do share common elements. Broadly speaking, lifelong learners are individuals who continue to expand upon their knowledge and skills throughout their lives in order to be able to do things they previously could not do – whether in the areas of employment, social/civic elements, or personal interests (London, 2011). So, lifelong learning does not only pertain to your career – it relates to any aspect of your life, at any point in your life.

Not surprisingly, people often equate learning with courses. But, does that mean lifelong learning is exclusively achieved through formal education? Certainly, when employers ask a job candidate if they are a lifelong learner, this can be another way of asking what formal learning the individual has completed. But, while formal courses are clearly a valuable part of lifelong learning, they definitely are not the only part. Each of us learns as we move through life – after all, if we didn’t, we would not be able to adapt to the many interesting and novel situations that the world presents to us. We learn from our own experiences, both good and bad. We learn from other people (mentors, friends and colleagues) who teach us informally. We learn from reading about and watching others – whether directly or indirectly. And, we learn through our own deep thought, reflection and analysis. Returning to the question of whether or not it is ever appropriate to “take a break” from learning, the short answer is “it depends”. While there is no need to constantly take formal courses, making a point of continually trying to learn from every situation is crucial, because it leads to long-term growth and satisfaction.

When you get into the habit of continuous learning, you will find that your success can start to spiral upwards. Not only will you be able to achieve the results you want more consistently, but you will also be able to reduce frustrating and time-consuming mistakes. Those benefits are extraordinarily valuable – whether for your current job, your longer-term career, or for your personal life. The best part is that while this might sound like a lot of work, it actually isn’t – it just requires the development of some simple new habits. In upcoming articles in this series, we’ll take a look at some very easy ways of planning and tracking your learning. By applying these habits, you’ll be on your way to becoming an accomplished lifelong learner!

Learn how Durham College’s Centre for Professional and Part-time Learning can help you achieve your lifelong learning goals.