Project Management has been practiced informally for years, with many of us finding ourselves acting as ‘Project Manager’ at some point during our career.
We have seen Project Management formalise and become a distinct profession in its own right, with accreditation or formal qualifications often sought by employers for candidates to be considered for Project Management roles. Even HR Project Management roles. As such, it can at times feel as though it is just too tricky to break into the world of HR Project Management.
With this in mind, we have written this blog to assist aspiring HR Project Managers kick start their Project Management career path, by helping them to:
Develop a clear understanding of what Project Management is
- Identify the attributes of a strong Project Manager
- Consider the qualifications required to become an accredited Project Manager
- See ways in which they might gain on the job experience to develop their Project Management skills
- Forge a path to a formal Project Management role
What is Project Management?
According to the Project Management Institute, Project Management is “the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently. It’s a strategic competency for organisations, enabling them to tie project results to business goals”. The institute also explains that Projects are temporary (with defined a beginning and end in time, with a defined scope and resources), and unique (not a routine activity or operation).
Do I have what it takes to be a successful Project Manager?
Great Project Managers:
Being a Project Manager isn’t an easy thing. To lead a successful project you need to be able to get things done through others, deal with stress, enjoy being in a high profile position, be able to cope with being ultimately responsible for the delivery of an outcome, and be willing to truly commit yourself to the project for its duration. Your focus needs to be fierce, your persistence unrelenting. You also need to be able to work at the deepest levels of detail while being able to conceptualize and think strategically.
What qualifications should I consider obtaining?
The most common Project Management methodologies in which you can become certified are Prince2, PMBOK and AgilePM. You can also complete Graduate Certificates, Bachelor Degrees, and Masters. For accreditation or certification, costs are often relatively low, and the courses are relatively short. Investigate further by visiting http://www.aipm.com.au/
Project Management hopefuls often ask “Should I complete my Prince2/AgilePM certification to help me gain a Project Management role?” Remember, it can be tricky to complete a certification without being able to relate it to some sort of practical application, so you may want to think about your learning style and consider whether or not you will be setting yourself up for success.
Even if you opt not to become accredited or certified in a particular methodology, you need to be familiar with what they are. So many aspiring Project Managers miss the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to their career goal by failing to appreciate the standard methodology pillars. Learn a little more about what the following terms mean to Project Managers:
How do I get some ‘on the job’ experience in Project Management?
It can be possible to apply Project Management principles and approaches to your everyday job.
As business needs and HR structures continue to transform, it is becoming increasingly frequent for HRIS implementations, EVP development programs and functional reviews to be executed. While you may not yet be Project Managing these, or other projects, try to become part of the project team.
If you aren’t able to join one of the more formal HR Project teams, you can find a ‘mini’ Project to own. Put your hand up to become part of one. Try to follow a Project Management approach to get to your outcome, by trying to do some of the following:
- Develop a mini-requirements document
- Draw up a schedule
- Work with others to create a simple plan
- Take minutes of meetings
- Monitor the status of items and share the status updates with your manager weekly
- Arrange and Chair a ‘Project Review’ meeting once the project is complete
You can also demonstrate your capability and plans to the organisation by:
- Identifying Project Management as a desired development goal as part of your Performance Development Plan.
- Spending time getting to know the Project Managers within your business. Help them to understand your motivation to join them.
- Seeking out a mentor.
How can I break into a formal Project Management role?
Like any career transition, breaking into a formal HR Project Management role will take persistence, commitment and focus.
Remember, to be successful in any role you need to have alignment to the attributes and skills required to be successful. You also need to have the right motivations.
If you know you can do it – do it! An ever growing group of HR Project Management professionals is waiting for you to join them.
