A New Adventure Begins

Coming to the end of this course, or any endeavor, is always a mixed time for me.  Glad to be done and transition to something new, but at the same time, feel that there was more that could be learned if there was time to work on it.  It's the natural course of events.  I will develop my project management skills and I will be more capable of managing and planning for risks, but there is still lots of room for growth.  These skills will be useful in every work project, home project and any other collaborative efforts I undertake with others.

I don't feel like I really mastered any of the objectives of this course.  However, I am more confident about taking on bigger and more challenging tasks -- to take risks, but to do so with an analysis of the opportunities and pitfalls that they bring.  I'm a lot more comfortable with risk analysis techniques, the area I felt weakest in.  Working through the risk identification process is challenging, but not overwhelming anymore.  Logically working through the prioritization of risks will be easier with the tools we learned.

I believe that my technical writing skills are stronger from working on this degree.  As in any environment where humans interact, communication was challenging at times.  This is more true in an online course since we can't use the visual tools of body language and emotional clues.  When one tool is limited or unavailable, others abilities get stronger.  This forced me to work through the difficulties and find a way to gain understanding.

All in all, a great experience.  I used the word 'serendipity' at the beginning of this course to express the hopeful, expectant attitude that I came into this class with.  I leave it feeling that I gained knowledge and in ways that I didn't expect.  Knowledge is power.  It can be leveraged in ways I can't anticipate today, but I am better prepared for any future challenges.  I still would like to pursue the CAPM certification as I feel there is value in it.  I don't know if project management will be an occupation, but it will be used in every job I have.

Thank you for the support and patience you gave me all course long,

Paul

The Journey So Far

As I look back at the last six weeks, and my previous post, I still feel many of the same needs in my training.  I would still like to be a project manager and still feel the need for developing my skills.  I am gaining an understanding of risk as something that can be managed effectively.  Using the tools we are learning about will help reduce the uncertainty of projects.  Good analysis and planning will reduce the risks. It seems like the unknowns are not so unimaginable as they were six weeks ago.  I feel my lack of technical experience will be the biggest impediment to project success. Experience will fill in the rest of the areas where I'm weak.

The coursework still stretches me.  Staying focused and committed to the task at hand still sometimes is difficult, but I also feel like I'm getting a little better at scheduling and managing my time.  Writing is still work, but my thoughts seem more organized week by week.

I don't know if I will be successful in becoming a project manager.  To a large extent, it is dependent on the opportunities at work and positions that open up, but either way I feel more prepared to take on new challenges in whatever new endeavors I face in the future.

New Beginnings

One of my favorite words is Serendipity.  I define it as the pleasant, unexpected surprises of life.  Since I tend to see life in a generally positive frame, I find many serendipitous moments in life.  I expect that to be the case in this course as well.  What interesting new experiences will I have?  Who are the interesting people I will meet during this endeavor?  What challenges will I face?  Will I be successful in meeting them?  I'm seven months into my Masters degree in Cybersecurity.  I haven't had a bad course yet.  Lots of challenges, many new people and lots of interesting experiences.

I chose Project Risk Management as one of my electives because I'm interested in pursuing project management as a career.  I feel I have many of the skills needed to be a PM, but I also recognize weaknesses, first in my skills, but also in my personality.  I tend to be a procrastinator, but I really enjoy going through processes to accomplish things and producing something of value.  The sense of accomplishment is a strong motivator for me.  In my career I've worked as a quality manager while in the Air Force at a calibration laboratory.  There we developed a program to track and reduce the sources of errors in the work we did.  I've also managed a $180,000 renovation project at our church.  In my current job, customer support technician for the IT department at the VA Medical Center here in Omaha, it the projects that I enjoy the most.  Based on these factors, I think it would be a good fit for me.

However, I need training and certification.  I took the IT project management course last semester and enjoyed it.  This is the only other course offered in project management for my degree, but it seems to me one of the really critical areas of project management along with quality management.  They're the easiest to gloss over and press on with the project, but leave the it more prone to cost overruns and lout of control.  I also intend on pursuing the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) at the end of this course.

Given my work history and previous training, I don't see the objectives as too challenging.  I will focus and work hard as I know the skills gained here will apply to any career path that I take.  It will help most if I actually become a project manager.  I look forward to the weeks ahead to learn and improve my skills.