Project Management
By Michelle LaBrosse
Think about what many of these projects have in common: technology and infrastructure. For project managers, this means we have an opportunity to play a major role in rebuilding America. We just have to be "shovel ready."
In Project Management, "shovel ready" can be abbreviated to three letters: PMP®. The federal government now requires the PMP certification to be part of most contracts, and many state governments are following suit.
You may be thinking, how can one project manager like me have an impact on programs this large? Think about it this way: All of these huge programs are made up of smaller projects, and in order for these programs to succeed, the projects have to be successful.
That's where you come in armed with your PMP and Project Management expertise. The good news for PMPs is that the PMP is much more than a certification that gets you in the door; it's even more powerful once you are through that door.
Your PMP gives you the knowledge and skills to meet deadlines, manage resources well and be able to bring projects in on time and within budget. If you are in transition and looking for a job, the PMP can give you an edge in the market, and research shows that PMPs can earn as much as $10,000 more per year than those without certification.
Five Ways to Get Shovel Ready
Here are five ways you can get "shovel ready" and be a project manager who is part of one of the largest infrastructure government programs in U.S. history:
- Become PMP certified, or if you are already a PMP, keep your certification current with ongoing PDU courses.
- Manage resources effectively so you can consistently show results that are on time, and within budget.
- Understand where you and your Project Management skills can fit into the big picture of any large program.
- Use your Project Management knowledge to assess and manage the risk in any project.
- Keep building on your Project Management skills so you can capitalize on emerging opportunities quickly.
I know there's a lot of debate about the government stimulus package, but there's one thing we can all agree on: We need to be as effective as possible with these programs. As project managers, we're already ahead of the pack. We just need to arrive shovel in hand and ready to go!
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To get "shovel ready" take our Capitalize on the Recession course and use promo code "MarchKHN" and enjoy 20% off when you register by March 31, 2009.
20% off on PMP courses
If you are not PMP certified, use the promotion code "Cheetahstimulus" and get 20% off our classroom or online PMP courses at www.cheetahlearning.com.
Chief Cheetah Podcast Is Yours for the Downloading
Want to hear what Michelle LaBrosse, PMP, and Chief Cheetah has to say about the power of Project Management? Download our podcast at http://podcast.cheetahlearning.com/podcastgen/ and hear the words straight from the Cheetah's mouth.
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About the Know How Network and Cheetah Learning
Copyright (c) 2009, Cheetah Learning. The Know How Network monthly column is written by Michelle LaBrosse and distributed to hundreds of media outlets around the world. Visit www.cheetahlearning.com for more information. You can also get your career in gear with CheetahWare, free Project Management tools from Cheetah Learning.
About the Author
Michelle LaBrosse, PMP, is founder and Chief Cheetah of Cheetah Learning and author of Cheetah Negotiations and Cheetah Project Management. The Project Management Institute selected Michelle as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Project Management in the World and one of only two women from the training and education industry.
Cheetah Learning is a virtual company and has 100 employees, contractors, and licensees worldwide. Michelle has run her company virtually for the past 20 years, growing it 100-fold in the past 20 years. She credits her success to using Cheetah's Project Management method to better manage people and technology, and has made it fast, easy and fun for more than 30,000 people to learn and do Project Management.