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plugz's picture
1244 pencils

PRINCE2 training...?

Has anyone done it?
I'm about to embark on a $2200 five day project management course on Monday and was wondering if anyone had any tips or Pitfalls from the same qualification?

For those not in the know, PRINCE2, (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is one of the internationally standardised Project Management qualifications. I'm entering it with trepidation, there's a 500 page document available on the internet and much more course material available when you sign up for the course.
It's a scalable management style applicable to almost any industry

So, has anyone done it, got any tips, pointers etc?

Commenting on this Forum topic is closed.

sidesey's picture
280 pencils

Sounds like you have a lot of reading to do though, enjoy ;-)

plugz's picture
1244 pencils

Yeah.. Regretting taking the cancellatio date now that's on Monday when they recommend you take 2 weeks to do study for it.

Realistically I have 2 days.

plugz's picture
1244 pencils

...I'm on day three of five, just had the first exam and passed it, I'm now PRINCE2 qualified and an official project manager, I spoke to my tutor afterwards and apparently I can expect a salary of £35,000 ($70,000USD) a year or £200 ($400) per day as a project manager if I finish now, and more once I've got a few months experience. I just now need to get a leg in to an industry that both interests me and pays well while leaving time to freelance on top...

Highly recommend doing PRINCE2 if you can by the way, it's a brilliant course.
I'll be doing ITILv3 Foundation next month and then an Masters Degree in 2009 if all goes to plan with savings and earnings.

I might not be around on CB much anymore if I end up outside of the design field. I'm sure I'll still have you all critiquing my Gantt charts and product flow diagrams though. ;o)

sidesey's picture
280 pencils

Glad it's going well plugz, you'll be missed here I am sure, mind you I only dabble with posting here nowadays... so not too much by me ;-)

Sounds like a good course, but it's about a grand up to do isn't it?

Seriously though, do let us know how things go and drop in now and then if you can!

plugz's picture
1244 pencils

That's if you want to do foundation and practitioner.
Foundation is about £1400 I think.

Passed the first exam, second is Friday afternoon at 1PM GMT so send positive vibes etc. :op

plugz's picture
1244 pencils

Totally out of design for my main job now, although I am still freelancing.
PRINCE2 is totally worth it, 5 weeks after I finished the course I got a new job with a nice payrise.

Well worth the £1400 I spent on the course.

emartin's picture
6 pencils

Since you already a creative designer, getting certified in Prince2 would be ideal. Once qualified you can easily use some of the Prince2 concepts in managing your projects. Additionally it will also bump up your salary. This days anyone who wants to get into project management needs to have a prince2 qualification. It will get you in the door for an interview and the success would depends on the type of project you have managed. It's what company hr folks and agency recruiters are looking for.

Have a look at this benchmark study of the current project management marketplace - http://www.arraspeople.co.uk/projectmanagementsalarysurvey/2009/projectmanagementbenchmarksurvey2009.html

Good luck with your course

sarahm's picture
1 pencil

Hi plugz,

If you are passionate about project management, you definitely look into Prince2 courses or related information. But you are on the right direction. A good book I can recommend for pre-reading is OGC's Managing Successful Projects with Prince2, ISBN: ISBN-10: 0113309465. One of the best in the industry!

If however you are interested in first-time pass classroom training, we do help people become become prince2 qualified in 5 days. If you are still not sure, come and talk to us for further guidance and advice.

I hope this is what you were looking for.

Sarah
Firebrand Training

plugz's picture
1244 pencils

Been there, done that long ago.
Not only did I buy the t-shirt, I've washed it a few times and it's started to go a little grey. ;o)

This thread was a blast from the past - I maintain to this day it was the best decision I ever made, it's frustrating to not be as involved in the design process, but glad I have the design knowledge to at lease tell people where they're going wrong.

:)

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