* Project management or bust
A recent Forrester Research survey of technology skills sought by IT decision-makers found that 55% of the 280 managers polled believe project management is a “missing skill set.” Kyle Gingrich, who has 15 years experience of software project management isn’t surprised by the figure and says all IT pros, whether they lead projects or are “techies” should consider honing their project management skills.
I guess it’s not surprising that Gingrich would say that, given she is skills development director at certification organization CompTIA, but she maintains that the projects she has worked on during her career would have gone much more smoothly if the techies – the developers, network administrations, security specialists, and so on – in the team had a better appreciation of how their work affected the bigger picture of the project and how to better communicate with project stakeholders.
Gingrich says that CompTIA’s foundational Project+ certification is useful way to get formal training on managing projects. She says the certification isn’t just geared for people managing projects – large or small – but is suitable for all the players whose job tasks affect the outcome of the project.
For instance, at CompTIA, some of its sales people are going through Project+ certification because of their involvement in projects; the individuals may not necessarily have project management in their job titles or job descriptions. If everyone involved in a project is able to appreciate its goal and is able to communicate to different audiences how their work affects – whether negatively or positively – the project, then the project is much more likely to succeed, says Gingrich. Team members who are unable to communicate effectively can adversely affect the project, she adds.
Candidates for the Project+ certification learn about project initiation, planning, execution, closure and support. Candidates are advised to have 12 months practical project management experience, but this is not necessary. The exam is 90 minutes long and no additional hours of continuing education is required to maintain the certification.
For IT pros who are interested in making project management into a career, they could go on to consider the certification programs of the Project Management Institute, says Gingrich.
While the Project+ certification sounds good on paper – particularly if it helps to round out IT pros with the soft skills that “techies” are often accused of lacking – I’d like to hear from you. Do you have this certification or have you attended other project management classes? Were they useful to you and your company? Do they help bring out your ‘soft skills’? I’d love to hear from you.
