Free Online Project Management Course

Article -
Project Manager Lessons

To advance your career as a project manager/leader, increasing your knowledge is critical. Training comes in many forms: informal, formal in-class, online, and more.

Think of your career as a long-term project, and your education is a project within that larger scope. What are the requirements? Do you want to get training in a specific area, such as IT Project Management? Do you want to prepare for a certification? Or do you want to fit in occasional educational opportunities - enough to stay current - while you spend more time with your personal life? Understanding your objectives will help you get the best training strategy.

Also, consider your budget. If you are self-funding, then cost is more of an issue. If you have - or will pursue - a job that can pay for training, then you have a plus (it's paid for) and a minus (you can't always choose your course). Generally, learning online will offer a reasonable cost, and a lot of flexibility. A classroom course from a respected college or university will cost more in dollars and in time invested, but it carries more credibility.

Here are some of the options:

1. Self-reading - Read a book. It's cheap - even free if you go to the library. Using online bookstores will allow you to get books that are recently published, with the latest "hot topics".
2. Self-instruction - Buy or borrow a CD or other self-paced course. Usually this is a great option for preparing for a certification program, especially if you have little free time and need to spread your training over serveral months.
3. Short Courses - Local and national centers typically offer 1 day to multi-week options to learn in a classroom environment. You may want to check if completion of the course allows continuing education credits, or other credit, towards a certification or degree.
4. Online - There are dozens of online options for training - including including PM as part of a full university degree.
5. School-based - Our certification article highlights two options geared towards PM, and there are also related options in business management and MBA that will enhance a project management career.

Addtional training can also help you network with others, push your career in new directions, and get you new "muscles" for the managing you are already engaged in. But, remember to "bite off what you can chew", and match your training requirements to the solution you pick.

© 2004 Carl Casso