Project Manager

[Tensai]

BTW, since when was ITIL a PM qualification?

If a PM job spec wants ITIL awareness it's probably because the project will be delivered into an ITIL service delivery framework, and the PM needs to understand how that works so the end-product can integrate smoothly.

HTH

[Torran]

I keep saying it, one day people will listen. It's now what you know, it's what you can deliver. I've worked with PMs with PRINCE2, ITIL Managers and a string of other courses who have wrecked programmes with their complete lack of planning and /or people skills. I've worked with mad Irishmen with no qualifications in anything other than piano playing who have built entire datacentres to time and budget. My last measurable role was putting 1800 servers through a rolling 13-week migration programme 15 at a time without dropping any and hitting all the required deadlines, but I've never taken a Prince exam in my life.

Good PMs are like good drivers - you never notice them.

QFT

[Peter Loew]

If a PM job spec wants ITIL awareness it's probably because the project will be delivered into an ITIL service delivery framework, and the PM needs to understand how that works so the end-product can integrate smoothly.

HTH

Yes you're both correct. I've delivered transition projects into an ITIL environment but in all honesty you don't need a thorough understanding of ITIL to do that. I'd go for the foundation as a PM, but prob not waste my time beyond that.

P

[scooby]

Right. I've got a mate who has just transferred from technical (IT Support) to project management for a IT company.

He's hoping to do this for x years (about 2) and transfer into contracting.

What should I tell him to focus on. Will his PM jobs be limited to x technology that he has used (or seen used) or does it not matter.

Will his lack of technical knowledge (i.e. not being a developer) hinder him so should he start learning C# / .net etc to help him on his way.

Or should be focus on paper quals in the next 2 years (ITIL and PRINCE2).


Oh, and no jokes about PMs being useless so it doesn't matter etc. I've already got those covered.

I'm a PM and several others here are too. we're Prince2 and i have ITIL. i'm ex techy but that was 5+yrs since now.

if he's good, he'll blag the techy side and manage the techies to do it. get Prince2 Practitioner to start and think about ITIL after that.

[scooby]

Yes you're both correct. I've delivered transition projects into an ITIL environment but in all honesty you don't need a thorough understanding of ITIL to do that. I'd go for the foundation as a PM, but prob not waste my time beyond that.

P

Agree with this. my last role was implementing ITIL framework. they have Bus Analysts to write the processes, and i just delivered the requriements. i only have foundation ITIL. the ITIL practitioner is really for Service Managers...

[Tensai]

I'd go for the foundation as a PM, but prob not waste my time beyond that.

.... and the foundation exam is, without doubt, the easiest qualification I have earned since my 10m swimming badge. It's comically simple.

[malvolio]

.... and the foundation exam is, without doubt, the easiest qualification I have earned since my 10m swimming badge. It's comically simple.

So is ITIL, actually. It's the multi-million pound certification and qualification industry that's been built up around it that makes it so difficult.