Project Management Course
Acquiring a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is an outstanding achievement that takes a lot of hard work. But it's not a laurel upon which one can rest for the remainder of one's career. Project management, like every other profession, is constantly changing and improving (hopefully). New practices to increase efficiency, workflow, communication, etc., are developed all the time. A PMP must remain on top of the evolving best practices, often called the Project Management Body Of Knowledge or PMBOK. Moreover, he or she must prove such current competency.
Continuing education for project management professionals can be done informally by reading journals and attending conferences. But to demonstrate up to date competency to prospective employers, or negotiate a raise or promotion with one's current employer, certification by an independent authority is necessary. There are a number of recognized institutions which offer such continuing education and certification.
Kaplan Continuing Education is one well-known PMBOK training institution. Kaplan has been in business for many years, and has earned a reputation among project management professionals for quality training and rigorous certification standards. Kaplan offers courses designed to prepare one for taking the PMP basic certification exam, and also continuing education for certified PMPs.
ESI International is another continuing education institution which offers ongoing Professional Development Units (PDU) courses for project managers. ESI's project management courses can be taken in classrooms or online. Online project management courses are ideal for busy professionals, while classroom project management courses are helpful for entry-level project managers who want real time interaction with instructors.
Online project management PDUs can also be earned in specialties such as construction project management. WorldWideLearn is one online directory of training programs that contains numerous specialized project management courses.
When shopping for a project management course, be sure to ask if the course is certified by the Project Management Institute, the international body which grants the widely recognized PMP certification and ongoing PDUs necessary to keep one's PMP certification current. It would be a waste of time and money to take a project management course, online or in a classroom, only to find that it cannot be applied toward one's continuing PMP certification requirements.
Learning is a lifelong activity, and one that should be approached with pleasure and enthusiasm. The more you learn about current, new innovations in the project management field, the more value you will contribute and the greater the rewards you will earn.