I was recently involved in planning and organizing a program here at Hyderabad and this gave me a chance to interact with different individuals interested in attending the same. Innumerable phone calls, emails and meetings later, I can safely claim to know enough to dispense advice (yes, it’s free) on how one should choose a project management training program (here I restrict my thoughts to classroom courses, e-learning programs have their own set of “how to’s”).
Firstly, before you even talk to a second individual about the training, ask yourself why you wish to go for it. Think out and maybe even write down your objectives – perhaps you want to clear a certification exam, maybe you are interested in learning new concepts or possibly seeking a career change, maybe it is a culmination of more than one reason. Now when you come across a training program, look for its objectives. What does it claim to provide? Is there a match between the two? This is crucial; even the slightest mismatch means avoidable wastage of time, effort and money, not just for you but also for the other party.
Once you establish why you wish to go for the project management training, you need to employ all possible means to search for associations and organizations that can service your need. Ensure that you do your homework on the training that you wish to undergo. Read up on all the parties that are involved in the delivery of the program. There is an abundance of information on practically every topic under the sun today; make sure that you scratch more than the surface of these sources. This yields many benefits. Not only does it provide you enough information to discuss and ask the right questions, but also it increases the confidence of the training provider and makes the entire interaction easier and more productive.
When you talk to the training provider, there are some questions that you can simply NOT miss asking – faculty, audience and testimonials. Firstly who is the faculty member? Many a time, the program brochure is extremely loquacious about the institute, the program and the course material but silent about the person delivering the same. This is unacceptable in every way; even the best of training material is unhelpful, even dangerous if not interpreted rightly. It is the instructor who can transform the bookish concepts into thoughts and ideas that you can relate to and even apply. By virtue of past experience, he / she can simplify the process of learning and maybe even make it fun. The next thing to check is the target audience, your classmates in the program. This is vital since learning occurs as much from the teacher as from the collective knowledge of your fellow professional members. Evaluating the profile of the target audience helps you validate if the program can provide you the intellectual platform that you need. Lastly ask for the list of the client base of the training provider. Check their testimonials, if possible contact them directly. It may not provide a fool-proof means of evaluation, but it definitely helps in making an informed decision.
Remember the adage – “All that glitters is not gold”? This holds true even in this case. Do not be misled by freebies and perquisites. These only divert your attention from what should be your main and only point of concern – the training delivery. Ensure that you have all the information concerning this and only then look at the additional benefits. Finally remember that training is no easy job, nor is it a mere monologue. Most of us have been guilty of using training programs as a means to escape our normal routine and so obviously do not look at spending too much time or money for the same. In today’s world however, every small initiative is a project and so every individual is a project manager. A cavalier attitude or a lazed out approach to the program that attempts to educate you in this vital discipline can not only mean a lost investment but also spell bad news for your professional career.
