Women in Technology

I just signed up for my PMI membership and found something very useful. Here is perhaps a new section that has been added, where you can actually take a free PMP/CAPM simulated exam.

Something interesting is also the Ada Lovelace Day which celebrates women in technology, if you would like to support the cause you can sign up the pledge and simply write about your favorite woman in technology on March 24. How cool is that. 

I sure have signed up and you will read about my favorite Woman in Technology on March 24.

Have a good weekend everyone!

How to get a mentor?

I happened to read this article 5 minutes ago and Tweeting about it wasn't satisfying enough, because this is something I really wanted to save for myself and share it with you.

Mentors have always been an important part of my life, some have helped me see my potential or help me look within, others have helped me manage my problems better. 

Anyways, back to my original point, if you want to have a mentor and a really famous, influential, successful and popular mentor, here is how you should pitch.

Point taken.

(Picture: Google Images)

Treasure Bag for February

Here's the treasure bag for February and yes I am posting it a day late, sorry about that.

Keeping in mind the job market these days, I thought these articles can bring out the best in each one of us. Inspiring and essential, this is what the experts are saying.

• Antidotes to gloom by Alec Satin
• Ways to train mental flexibility by Baas De Baar
• Put a face to your brand by Chris Brogan
  
• Three ways to give a good interview by Penelope Trunk
• Soft skills for employees by Raven Young

Enjoy your Sunday!

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Here's the special offer, still valid- you can actually get a £50.00 off training on any Prince 2 courses that you take up at the-PSO.

Here's what you have to do, so pay some attention now. Email to julia.carton @the-pso.com with the subject line as "Voucher Id- PSO 1189/03- stepping into project management". Please mention your full name, email address and contact number. Only 1 winner  gets the discount. So, if you are interested for you or your loved ones please email within March 15. The lucky winner will be announced here. The voucher is valid till 12 June, 2009.

Thank you readers

I'm running a little behing schedule. I tend to feel or rather be lazy during the weekend and  my work list builds till I decide I need to step it up.

So, there's a lot of new things coming up on this space very soon, couple of cool interviews and a PM tool review- as seen by the newbie!

Thanks for reading.

(Pic: Me and Kate, the PR Manager for the APM Group at the BPUG Congress)

Creative- are you?

Have you thought over how creative people perform, their motivations and their unique psycholgy behind their actions?

If you are creative or handle a team of creative people, this is the best collection of chapters I have read. It wonderfully engulfs you in the fascinating world of creatives, is filled with facts, research and thought provoking content. 

I enjoyed reading it so much over the weekend, that I downloaded the rest of the free e-books. 

While I try to re-write my plans for the day, now that I have more to finish and do- I found this site by Mark McGuinness very useful and inspirational. You can also learn about the daily routines of the famous and see which one works for you. 

With all the inspiration at work, I'm hoping to get through my PM certifications, learn Spanish, exercise regularly and of course create better posts for the blog along with my full time job. 

So, enjoy the free e-books while I try to find my rightly packed daily schedule.

(Picture: Google Images)

Interview with Karen Macdonald

I met Karen Macdonald at the BPUG seminar and while talking with her over lunch I asked if she would interview for my blog. I'm excited that she agreed to do it and here's the what she thought about the seminar. 

Stepping in2 pm: What did you think of the BPUG seminar?

KMD: The seminar was useful to keep up to date on the various APM Group methods, meet the people behind the methods and assess what other PM professionals wanted to keep abreast of.

Stepping in2 pm: Who topped your list among the speakers and why?

KMD:My favourite speaker was Don Mason from Emirates Airlines because he had applied a structured method on a large and critical programme, in a difficult working environment with many cultural differences and sensitivities to cope with.

Stepping in2 pm:  Your suggestion to new project managers on "how networking can help" and what they should do to network?

KMD: Networking is an underused tool to learn effective hints, tips and strategies from others.  Project Management in my opinion is an art.  The application of methods such as Prince2, MSP, MoR attempts to put some science into it, but there are so many varying dynamics in any project, no size fits all.  That of course, is what makes Project Management interesting and challenging.

Stepping in2 pm: Thank you Karen.

Karen has 20 years varied business experience with around 10 years in Project and Programme Management.  She is a Prince2 Practitioner, PMP (from PMI) and MSP and currently is the Project Services Director at Better Gameplan Consultancy in London, Uk.

(Picture:Don Mason from Emirates Airlines getting ready for his talk at the seminar)

Prince 2 Information

If you already work or are planning to work in Europe, you might want to check out what PRINCE2 is all about. Do you really think it's necessary to actually be PRINCE 2 certified?

The APM Group, is the body responsible for accrediting training organisations and administering the PRINCE2 examination scheme. Like PMI, PRINCE 2 also has their new version lined up for 2009. However, they have been advising candidates that the differences between 2005 and 2009 will not be major ones. So, now that you know- relax and prepare for your exams. If you have recently taken your exams, be ensured that the your accredition will stay valid, unless otherwise notified. The 2009 version will only be implemented only after the manual has been published.

The PRINCE2:2009 examinations at foundation and practitioner level will be available in all the languages as it was with the PRINCE2:2005. They are Chinese – Mandarin, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish – Castilian.

Here's the special offer for the Vday- you can actually get a £50.00 off training on any Prince 2 courses that you take up at the-PSO.

Here's what you have to do, so pay some attention now. Email to julia.carton @the-pso.com with the subject line as "Voucher Id- PSO 1189/03- stepping into project management". Please mention your full name, email address and contact number. Only 1 winner gets the discount. So, if you are interested for you or your loved ones please email within March 15. The lucky winner will be announced here. The voucher is valid till 12 June, 2009.