Project management expert, and SCS instructor, Waffa Adam, shares tips to help you choose the learning opportunity that’s right for you.
Project management was once called an accidental profession In fact, it was viewed as an administrative function that a professional performed off the side of their desk. Today, we know this is far from the truth. Project management is a career in and of itself, often garnering strong salaries, dynamic career paths, and opportunities to grow into senior management role within an organization. Project management is now regulated, and professionals can earn a coveted certification such as the PMP, or ACP from PMI (the Project Management Institute). Ongoing self-investment in lifelong learning, such as earning a certification or recertification in project management, ensures that project managers possess specific skills and can deliver on promised value for their organizations. As the discipline continues to grow, and expectations of project professionals become demanding, it is more important than ever that project management professionals remain committed to upskilling and reskilling to ensure competitiveness and career advancement, or the ability to shift sectors.
According to a recent report at the world economic forum, 54% of employees will need fundamentally new skills by 2022, and 35% of those employees will require more than six months of training.
Indeed, the pandemic has resulted in massive changes in the workplace, increasing the need for project managers to remain agile in their problem-solving, self-management, and leadership skills.
Project management professionals, and any worker looking to grow their skills, should start by asking themselves some key questions before selecting the continuing education opportunity that is right for them.
What is your learning objective?
1. What is my goal (new job, promotion, flexibility, career change, etc.)?
2. How long will it take me to accomplish these goals?
3. How much will it cost me, and will I get my return on investment (ROI)?
4. What motivates me (work life balance, money, reward, work remotely)?
5. Do I have a support system at work where they invest in my professional development?
What do you want out of a learning experience?
1. Is there a strong selection of courses and a diversity of learning options?
2. Is there learner support from school administration and instructors?
3. Are you seeking flexibility in learning modality (in-person, online, self-paced, instructor-led, hybrid, etc.)?
4. Will there be practical assignments of real-world cases?
6. Will there be an opportunity to network with industry peers?
Lifelong learning is critical, especially for those working in project management. Keep these important questions in mind when choosing your next educational adventure.
Dr Waffa Adam has 20+ years of experience across management consulting, financial services, IT, Project management, and Education industries focusing on organization change management, digital transformation, Agile and Lean adoption and sustainability, strategy execution, Program, Portfolio, and project management office (PMO). She led numerous PMO’s and PPM ranging from $100 million to a Billion to help organizations address complex business and enterprise initiatives. Waffa is a change agent who brings together pragmatic solutions aligned with organizations’ strategic planning to help organizations optimize their resources and product delivery to achieve operational excellence. She is an Agile Coach certified, SAFe Agilist certified, PMP certified, ACP certified, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified. She holds a Bachelor of Computer Science and Minor in Business Administrations, a Master’s in Information Technology and a Ph.D. in Strategy and program management. Waffa is an instructor at U of T SCS, where she develops, enhances, and contributes to various course offerings. Waffa authored two books about the PMO; one is used as the framework for this course.
Her SCS course, Project Management Office, starts in March 2022.