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Topic: Project Management Recruitment & Careers
Last Reply: Indeed - the forum has been a little quiet of late. It is the old chicken a egg - needs more content/opinions for people to deem it worth contributing....
Author:
Nick Boothroyd
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Topic: Project Management Recruitment & Careers
Last Reply: It doesn't look like this forum is used very much which is a shame, especially with the outlook being a little gloomy and many project managers are lo....
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Lindsay Scott
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Topic: contract roles
Last Reply: Hi Matt,
Just noticed that this was posted some time ago, hopefully you will pick up this reply.
I work for Wellingtone Project Management, one ....
Author:
Baz Khinda
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| THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALIFICATIONS FOR LONG-TERM CONTRACTING SUCCESS |
Ref: A/1810
Date: 5/7/2008
Contributor: Maven Training, Maven Training
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| Employers want recognised, up-to-date qualifications plus relevant experience from their contractors. |
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Employers want recognised, up-to-date qualifications plus relevant experience from their contractors. But, as many successful contractors will testify, taking time out to get training or to re-register their qualifications can be the last thing on their minds – especially when another contract beckons.
So it happens that the most experienced consultants can find themselves without the qualifications that are deemed necessary in the first round of assessments – which are often done by HR people. With 2012 and all the opportunities presented by the Olympics, contractors need to make sure they do not miss out on opportunities to win the best contracts just because their CV does not make the grade.
Richard Rose is a trainer of PRINCE2™, who also works as a consultant, so he understands the pressures that contractors face. “Many of the candidates I see are hoping to improve the balance of their CVs with a recognised project management qualification. Often, these are very experienced people but there is an expectation these days that you need to have passed the exam to get considered for the jobs, so contractors are under pressure to conform.”
Richard says many organisations - and particularly local authorities - insist that both potential employees and contractors are PRINCE2 qualified. “Organisations view it as proof of the candidates capability,” he says, “and if you have not got it, they often will not even look at your CV.”
Jan Eldon has been contracting since 1997 when he set up his own IT support consultancy. With clients mainly in the IT, insurance and Telecoms industries, Jan has also worked for publishing companies and pharmaceutical giant Unilever.
Jan recently decided to take a project management course with Maven Training. “With contracting you are not pigeon-holed exactly, but you can get over specialised when one particular type of contract leads to another of the same kind. In order to be able to break out of this pattern you have got to demonstrate skills in other areas and until you have got the right blend of skills, qualifications in the area you want to move into can help.”
Taking time out of work and funding courses can be difficult, Jan says. “You have got to think about the long term in order to justify taking time out of work and the expense of the course, but to continue to attract the right sort of contracts its a worthwhile exercise.”
Richard agrees: “It is important that contractors invest in their own development. Employees are offered training throughout their careers, but contractors need to think about their aspirations, what they want to achieve in the long term and set out plans to achieve this. They should think not just about the contracts they can and do attract, but what they hope to do in the medium to long term and endeavour to ensure their skill set is updated to ensure they do achieve their goals.”
“It can be frustrating for experienced contractors who think that qualifications are just a badge – they do not prove you are competent in your field of work. However, what they do signify to employers is that the contractor they are getting speaks the same language and has a similar mindset to other contractors and employees working in the organisation. This is important to employers because they will want their contractors to start adding value from the very start of their contracts.”
Another point to be aware of, Richard says, is the importance of Re-registration. If your PRINCE2 or MSP™ Practitioner qualification is more than five years old, you should renew it. “It is not so important for employees because their organisations know how they have gained experience, but for contractors competing for work, re-registration is vital. This is because the methods are updated and anyone whose qualifications are more than five years old could have gaps in their knowledge. Contractors also need to demonstrate their commitment to their own CPD and re-registration is the best way to demonstrates to employers they are serious about keeping their knowledge up to date.”
Many contractors find it difficult to take time out of work to fit in time to attend courses or to re-register their existing professional qualifications. Some training companies, such as Maven Training, offer flexible courses running in the evenings and weekends so contractors do not have to take too much time out of work. And to avoid spending time actually getting to the course, Maven courses are available throughout the UK.
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