We all know that times are tough for many Project Managers and the companies that employ them. Even if you are not currently a daily MS Project or Project Server user, these products have such a large market share that turning a blind eye to them may mean the difference between landing / keeping a job... and hunting through the job boards.
Here are a few tips and resources to build your resume and stand out from the rest of the Project Management and Microsoft Project user community:
- Learn Microsoft Project Inside and Out
- Learn How to Manage Projects Using Project Server
- Learn How to Administer Project Server
- Get Certified in Microsoft Project and Project Server
- Post Your Business Card at ProjectServerExperts.com
- Monitor MS Project Jobs, Project Server Jobs, and Project Management Jobs at ProjectServerExperts.com
- Monitor MS Project Jobs, Project Server Jobs, and Project Management Jobs via the MSProjExperts Twitter Feed
Learn Microsoft Project Inside and Out
In my experience working with MS Project and helping others to learn the tool, most people who have a copy of Microsoft Project (desktop) struggle to build anything more sophisticated than a simple project schedule. It is an extremely powerful, yet very misunderstood tool. If you can take the time to truly learn MS Project inside and out, then that puts you far ahead of most folks.
Once you have mastered it, don't be afraid to use the word "expert" on your resume!
Although there is a scattered collection of online resources for people who want to learn more about MS Project, it is better to get your hands on a GREAT book, or better yet, attend a GREAT training class. Here are some options that MSProjectExperts offer:
Ultimate Learning Guide to Microsoft Office Project 2007
http://www.projectserverbooks.com/books/ultimatelearningproject2007.aspx
Over 900 pages of goodness, this book covers every single feature in Microsoft Project 2007, including exercises, warnings, and best practice notes.
If you want to take it a step farther and attend a formal, structured training class, here is a great option:
Establishing a Project Management Foundation using Microsoft Office Project 2007
http://projectservertraining.com/learning/foundations2k7.aspx
This two-day hands-on class is held in New York City, via cyberspace, or at your location, is led by certified instructors with years of field experience, and earns PMPs 14 PDUs.
Learn How to Manage Projects Using Project Server
Not only is Microsoft Project on the desktop understood by a select few, even fewer people have sufficient training and experience to call themselves masters of Project Server. With more companies adopting this powerful Enterprise Project Management (EPM) tool every day, you are wise to keep yourself in the game by learning how to use it effectively.
Once again, if you have mastered the use of Project Server for managing projects, don't be shy about stating it on your resume.
There are even fewer quality resources available to learn Project Server; here are some great options to prepare yourself:
Managing Enterprise Projects using Microsoft Office Project Server 2007
http://www.projectserverbooks.com/books/managingprojectsprojectserver2007.aspx
Nearly 900 pages of Project Server wisdom are contained in this book, including exercises, warnings, and best practice notes.
If you want to take it a step farther and attend a formal, structured training class, here is a great option:
Managing Projects from Foundation to Enterprise using Microsoft Office Project Server 2007
http://projectservertraining.com/learning/hybrid2k7.aspx
This four-day hands-on class is held in New York City, via cyberspace, or at your location, is led by certified instructors with years of field experience, and earns PMPs 28 PDUs.
Learn How to Administer Project Server
As more companies adopt Project Server every day, there are more companies that find themselves in need of a trained, experienced person to update and care for their Project Servers... a.k.a. the Project Server Administrator. People who know how to administer Project Server are few and far between. If you have an interest in it, learn how to do it, and it you will reap great rewards.
Here are some terrific options for learning this invaluable skill set:
Implementing and Administering Microsoft Office Project Server 2007
http://www.projectserverbooks.com/books/implementingadministeringprojectserver2007.aspx
This book contains over 900 pages of highly detailed information covering how to administer every area of Project Server 2007, including exercises, warnings, and best practice notes.
If you want to take it a step farther and attend a formal, structured training class, here is a great option:
Configuring and Administering Microsoft Project Server 2007
http://projectservertraining.com/learning/administering2k7.aspx
This three-day hands-on class is held in New York City, via cyberspace, or at your location, is led by certified instructors with years of field experience, and earns PMPs 21 PDUs.
Get Certified in Microsoft Project and Project Server
Once you have mastered any or all of the areas described above, there is no better way to prove it to your employer -- or prospective employer -- than earning a Microsoft certification. There are four certification exams that you can take, depending upon how you and your company use MS Project and Project Server:
70-632: Microsoft Office Project 2007, Managing Projects
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?ID=70-632
70-633: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Managing Projects
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?ID=70-633
70-634: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Managing Projects and Programs
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?ID=70-634
70-639: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Configuring
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?ID=70-639
Passing any one of these exams earns you an MCTS certification; passing the 70-632, 70-633, and 70-634 exams will earn you the MCITP certification. Both look great on a resume!
To prepare yourself for the 70-632 exam, you can attend the MSProjectExperts course specially-designed for this purpose:
Ultimate Microsoft Project 2007 Exam Prep Boot Camp 70-632
http://projectservertraining.com/learning/ultimateexamprep.aspx
This three-day hands-on class is held in New York City, via cyberspace, or at your location, is led by certified instructors with years of field experience, and earns PMPs 21 PDUs.
To prepare yourself for the 70-633 exam, you can attend the MSProjectExperts course specially-designed for this purpose:
Managing Projects from Foundation to Enterprise using Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 Exam Prep
http://projectservertraining.com/learning/hybrid2k7exam.aspx
This five-day hands-on class is held in New York City, via cyberspace, or at your location, is led by certified instructors with years of field experience, and earns PMPs 35 PDUs.
If you are planning to take the 70-639 exam, attending the 'Configuring and Administering Microsoft Office Project Server 2007' course mentioned above should prepare you well.
If you are planning to attend the Microsoft Project Conference 2009 in September (http://www.msprojectconference.com), you can take the 70-632 and 70-633 exams for FREE.
Post Your Business Card at ProjectServerExperts.com
After you have mastered Microsoft Project and / or Project Server, get noticed by posting your virtual business card on the Project Server Experts Community web site... it's FREE:
http://www.projectserverexperts.com
Monitor MS Project Jobs, Project Server Jobs, and Project Management Jobs at ProjectServerExperts.com
Rather than waiting for that next job to find you, be proactive and keep your eye on the MS Project, Project Server, and Project Management jobs that are updated daily on the Project Server Experts Community web site:
http://www.projectserverexperts.com
Monitor MS Project Jobs, Project Server Jobs, and Project Management Jobs via the MSProjExperts Twitter Feed
Not only are you proactive, but you are hip to the latest online social networking tools available. If you don't already have one, sign up for a free Twitter account (http://www.twitter.com) and follow the MSProjExperts Twitter feed:
http://www.twitter.com/msprojexperts
Not only will you be notified automatically of the latest MS Project, Project Server, and Project Management jobs, but you will also be the first to learn about the latest articles and announcements that are posted on the Project Server Help blog (http://www.projectserverhelp.com).
I wish you luck in staying ahead of the pack!