Colleen Inniss-Gittens
BUCEC, Certificate in Project Management
Barbados
Colleen Inniss-Gittens owns her own consulting business and did just fine managing her projects, but she felt she should get some project management education to do things more efficiently. “I am self-employed and work every day as a project manager, but I did not have the formal training. I wanted to be totally competent in the field, so I enrolled to get the certificate,” she said.
Colleen was apprehensive at first after getting the Project Management Book of Knowledge. “I bought a copy of PMBOK, and it seemed like French. However, when I started the first course and saw how simply it was laid out, I felt confident that I could not only complete it successfully, but I was sure I would finish before the scheduled end date,” she said.
With a busy life, Colleen did find it hard to always schedule time to study. Luckily, she had her family on her side and was able to study when her life wasn’t hectic. “I have a 23 year-old son, a 9 year-old daughter who is involved in many extracurricular activities, and a very considerate husband,” she said. “I liked that this program was flexible. I could study anytime and take the exam whenever I was ready during the duration of the course. I completed one of the courses in a week.”
For new students, Colleen has a lot of advice: “As you do each course, apply what you are learning to your job. It makes it much easier to remember. Use the quizzes to study. Take them over and over until you know them without having to think. Most importantly, do not wait until the last minute to do your exams.”
Now, Colleen sees improvement in her business and feels personally satisfied now that she completed her goal. “Before, I managed projects without a formal framework. I just got the work done. Now, I have a better understanding of how to schedule the work, how to manage resources, and how to plan for risk. It has made me a much better project manager. I am always keen to learn. I wish I could afford to study constantly!” she said.
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