I had, of course, already done projects, but I had never really stopped to think about exactly how that works. You just go with the flow. You get tasks, you work with work packages, and you do what is expected of you. But I didn't really think about *why* you do it that way. I had also heard many of the terms before, without knowing exactly what they meant.
At our workplace, it is expected that if you are a project manager, you have completed PRINCE2 training. We work with that method here as well, so it makes sense to take it. And because I simply really enjoy project management itself, I thought: I might as well make an effort to do so and take the training.
I had, of course, already done projects, but had never really stopped to think about exactly how that works.
Suddenly, everything clicked into place.
I went into the training with a completely open mind. My main thought was: I’ll just see what comes my way. Of course, you hope to get tools to handle projects better, to understand what to look out for and what to do if something goes wrong. And that certainly happened!
My biggest insight was how complex it actually is. So many processes are running simultaneously, and they all interact with one another. I had underestimated that beforehand. At the same time, I noticed that things suddenly clicked into place and that I can now put things in my work context much better.
You don't learn that from books.
“What I liked about the training was Jeroen’s experience. He talked a lot about his own work and the projects he had done. As a result, the tough material suddenly came to life for me. Quite a lot of information comes at you in a short time. But because Jeroen constantly linked everything to practice, the training was fun, interactive, and the complete picture became clear.”
He also showed what things you need to pay special attention to within a project, for example in collaborating with a steering committee and dealing with risks. Because of that, I felt like I could take away practical tools that are actually useful. Those are the things you don't learn from books!
What I also found impressive was that Jeroen clearly made the distinction between the exam and practice. For the exam, you have to do it a certain way; that is just how it works. But he also kept emphasizing: in practice, there are often multiple ways to approach something. That makes it much more realistic. You learn what you need to know to pass your exam, but you also understand that in real life, you have to look at what fits in that specific situation.”
What I liked about the training is Jeroen's experience. Because of that, the tough material suddenly came to life for me.
The online learning environment is a good addition.
In addition to the training, I also found the online learning environment to be a very good addition. For example, you receive an email with questions every day, which keeps you occupied with it for a little while. That helps to keep it in mind.
I also liked the chapter summaries, because then you get through it in 20 minutes instead of an hour. That makes it all a bit more manageable. And when you start working on those questions afterwards, you notice that it just sticks better. I think passing the exam would be a lot harder without that online environment.”
Grow faster through training
I want to take project management further within my work. Thanks to this training, I approach it much more consciously. You look at what you do and why you do it differently. I also think that I am growing faster as a project professional because of this than if I hadn't taken the training. Ultimately, of course, you only learn by doing it, but this does provide a very strong foundation to start from.
