When you think about it, “Sorry, I don’t speak that language” doesn’t just apply to the languages of various countries you may not be familiar with. I, for example, don’t speak anything crypto-related. For others, it may be technology. For others still, politics. The point is that each area of our lives has a particular vocabulary. Those considering launching a PMP career (that stands for Project Management Professional if you don’t speak the language of this profession) are no different. This in-demand occupation has a terminology, all of its own. Here are three terms you should get familiar with.
The Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Role in your PMP career
At its core, PMI is a not-for-profit professional membership association for project and program managers. It has a global membership of over a million people. More specifically, PMI actually sets the profession’s standards. The Institute provides resources, certifications, and networking opportunities. It’s also very well known for its A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide).
That’s actually another term you should know! The PMBOK® Guide is a book that contains all of PMI’s principles and guidelines for successful managers. Any reliable Project Management program Ontario offers should follow this guide.
One such program is Centennial College’s three-semester graduate certificate. All of the courses follow the PMBOK® Guide. The college enhances the Guide’s use by including courses in organizational leadership, communications and employment preparedness, and an understanding of the fundamentals of business. You also learn technological tools such as the Microsoft Project, which is our next term you should know.
Project Manager Skills Include Knowing Microsoft Project
This software is a PMP’s best friend — and the industry standard. It’s designed to assist in everything from developing a schedule and assigning tasks to tracking progress, managing budgets, and analyzing workloads. It also allows teams to communicate and collaborate as well as coauthor task lists and schedules. What’s really cool is that the software integrates with other Microsoft products, such as Office 365, Skype, and Sharepoint. While the software features templates to help PMPs get started, any reputable college program in this area will include training, so you can hit the ground running.
Your PMP Career Will Require Agile Methodology
There are numerous methods for completing a project. One of the most well-known and popular is Agile. It’s an iterative approach to delivering a venture throughout its lifecycle. That means Agile breaks processes down into smaller cycles called sprints, or iterations. But why is this so important? With each iteration, Agile encourages continuous improvement. It also values individuals over tools, with team members working together rather than relying on tools.
Other core values of Agile include choosing software over documentation (real-time reaction to problems rather than continuous documentation); customer collaboration over contract negotiation (teams may prefer to collaborate with other departments or companies rather than negotiate the terms of their contract); change response over plan rigidity (if a team recognizes a plan is not feasible, they change aspects of their processes rather than the goal to help meet the needs).
A Responsive Project Management Program in Ontario
All of the terms you’ve just added to your PMP vocabulary are covered at Centennial. The college’s program features an industry-responsive curriculum that includes the latest trends, technologies, and must-knows that ensure graduates can confidently enter the field.
By Izabela Shubair