Prince2 Should I or not?

[Ahja]

Hi all,

I am new so forgive me if this has already been posted.

I am a 22 year old recent Graduate who studied Business Management I enjoyed the Project Management module and regret not taking a Project Management Degree instead.

I am not thinking to do the Prince2 course, I wanted to know steps on how to become qualified I am aware there are 5-day classes/ e-learning but thought I would ask people who have done it for years and what would be the best way.

Also, how is the market for jobs? I know it is all about experience but how was it for you guys when you first started?

What modules/ courses would you recommend?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

[Eirikur]

It's just a tick in the box on your cv, if you say you have prince 2 or another PM qualification, mainly for recruiters. I've been Prince 2 qualified for 15 years now, nobody has ever asked to see my certifcates. Employers look for experience, which is something you won't have at 22. You could try to get a junior PM or Project coordinator position but without a background in any industry or specialisation in a product you won't find anything. Most PMs start off in other roles, developers, engineers, BAs and move on into a PM position after some years of experience. You are also very young to be a contractor, altough I know a few that started of as Project coordinator or PMO assistant contracting at a relatively young age.

[thunderlizard]

It is just a tick in a box, but if you're just 22 and starting out, it helps to get as many ticks in boxes as you can, because you won't have much experience to make you stand out yet. No harm in it, if you're kicking your heels with nothing better to do. Shows you're keen, more than anything else.

You can do Practitioner without a course if you're poor/stingy (at least you could a few years ago when I did it). Just order the book, work through it, use the forums to pick up some exam tips, and book yourself into the exam.

[northernladuk]

Surely if you are 22 and get a decent gig it will have a career path which will include a Prince or better type qualification?

You aren't thinking about contracting here are you?

[ruasonid]

Where is the requirement for PRINCE2 coming from?

[Wilmslow]

To obtain the Prince2 qualification you need to actually complete the course - you cant just take the exam for this qualification.

You should get good project experience before going anywhere near the course. I guess at the tender age of 22 you are probably an intern as opposed to a time served contractor - in which case just add it to your PDR.

[kaiser78]

To obtain the Prince2 qualification you need to actually complete the course - you cant just take the exam for this qualification.

You should get good project experience before going anywhere near the course. I guess at the tender age of 22 you are probably an intern as opposed to a time served contractor - in which case just add it to your PDR.

You can in theory - a number of courses offer online courses these days, which are in effect the same as reading the manual, as opposed to sitting in the classroom for 4 days.

[jjdarg]

Anyone can prepare for the Foundation exam without a course, just takes a little bit of work, but it is essentially a vocabulary test. Most 5-day Foundation/Practitioner classes coach you on how to answer the Practitioner essay questions. You don't really need experience to take the courses and pass. Most of the former-OGC certs and classes are set up like that.

I do find it funny regarding PRINCE2, as it doesn't really teach much about delivering a project but gives you the systems to make it plausibly deniable when the project goes tits-up, to show you were doing all the "right things". (I quite often scandalise fellow PMO managers when I say that no one ever audits a successfully delivered project.)

The certifications that should be asked for (but rarely are) are the PMI and the APM certs, as they involve a level of professional experience verification and continuing education. And the questions on the PMI tests (haven't done APM yet) actually test whether you have PM nous rather than whether you have memorised things.

[kaiser78]

As above.

I have undertaken PRINCE2 re-certification (needs to done every 5 years to stay certified) on the last 2 occasions and only once in my contracting life have I been asked to show the certificate or prove that I am certified.

So when my next re-certification is due I won't bother sitting it. I do think it is useful to have PRINCE2 as a CV entry and have used bits of it in my day to day work in the past, so is worth doing the exam if you do want to establish yourself as a PM, if not the re-certification.

[Cirrus]

Proceed Directly to The Sanatorium. Do Not Pass Go!

I enjoyed the Project Management module and regret not taking a Project Management Degree instead.

I have been doing projects for over four decades.

Unless you are truly pusillanimous and bureaucratic, stay well clear.

Also , last week, one of the big agencies said it was the worst they had ever seen for vacancies.