Join our accelerated bootcamp to start your journey towards becoming a successful project manager. Learn the five phases of project management, project management tools, and strategies, as well as gain an understanding of different project methodologies such as Waterfall, Critical Path, and Agile.
Learn the strategies, methods, and terminology commonly used in project management. Develop a practical understanding of the five stages of project management, focusing on the Initiation and Planning phases, and gain insight into the skills and responsibilities of a successful Project Manager.
Learn advanced project management techniques, including execution, monitoring, and closing phases. Learn to manage budgets, resources, and risks. Discover Agile Project Management and popular frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, and XP.
In an increasingly complex business world filled with digital projects and hosts of details that formerly didn’t exist, the field of project management has emerged as a professional specialization. Product managers are responsible for getting their organizations and teams from Point A to Point B: they break down tasks, assign responsibilities, specify deadlines, and see the project through from the planning stages to its completion. There is more than one way to skin a cat, and similarly, there is more than one way to manage projects professionally. This begins with the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Body of Knowledge standard and extends to methodologies such as Waterfall, Critical Chain Project Management, and the Critical Path Method. Project managers are trained in and experienced with applying these highly effective business techniques.
Advanced and accomplished project managers generally hold the PMP certification, which is earned through a combination of several years of work experience and passing the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam. Those starting in the field often hold the CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) certification. There are several other certifications available to people in the field as well. The one common thread is that certification is required for the better (and better-paying) positions in the field.
As the financial hub it is, Chicago will always need skilled project managers. But the field is in no way limited to the world of finance: even mid-size businesses employ full-time project managers to see that work gets done and gets done efficiently. In the world of professional project management, one needs more than just good organizational skills to succeed, although those are necessary as well. The skill set is so complex that the road to the top in project management passes through multiple levels of professional certification, culminating in passing the PMP exam after 3-5 years of on-the-job experience.
Project managers in Chicago earn approximately $95,000 per year (including bonuses). In more specialized fields (which, of course, require knowledge of the field of specialization), software project managers in Chicago make as much as $160,000 per year, while construction project managers earn over $85,000, and healthcare project managers are paid nearly $93,000.
Someone looking for project management classes in Chicago will find in-person instruction at several local schools. Options include beginner-level classes at Training Connection, New Horizons, Ledet Training, and General Assembly. These classes provide an overview of the field and teach students the basics of project management, including popular software such as Microsoft Project. More advanced classes for project managers seeking to improve their skills can be found at 280 Group, a school that specializes in project management training. All of these schools provide live instruction with the teacher present in the classroom with the students.
Another option is project management classes at Certstaffix Training and ONLC Training Centers. Both offer beginning classes, while ONLC offers the 35-hour class required for all those seeking to qualify for the PMP exam. These classes are taught by remote instructors. Students can attend the classes at the school’s computer labs or live online from anywhere.
All the schools mentioned above are conveniently located in downtown Chicago.
An alternative to in-person learning that is growing in popularity is live online learning, which can be done at home, in the office, or any location with a stable internet connection. Once thought of as second-best to being in the classroom with the teacher, live online learning is now recognized as a learning modality offering significant advantages in terms of convenience and comfort. Adults learned how to learn online during the pandemic year of 2020, and many are sticking with this new paradigm, even when it is no longer a necessity.
Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, offers a variety of live online project management classes, including Project Management 1, a one-day introduction to project management theory. For more advanced students, Noble also offers a PMP Certification Bootcamp that provides the 35 hours of classroom instruction that are a prerequisite for the PMP exam. The bootcamp also prepares students for the exam and offers a free retake if they don’t pass on their first attempt. Both these classes are taught through Noble’s affiliate school, NYIM Training.
NYC Career Centers offers additional project management classes. You may also wish to consider the project management courses available through NYIM Training, which include an intensive Project Management Bootcamp. This course is a great fit for aspiring project managers who want to learn basic through advanced concepts in a relatively short period of time.
Are you looking to upskill your current project management staff or cross-train employees to become project managers? Noble Desktop can provide your company with just the right instruction option for onsite corporate project management training, be it in-person teaching with an expert instructor or remote learning using Zoom or another teleconferencing platform. As a further option, they offer vouchers that make it possible for your employees to take Noble’s regular classes. Please contact Noble Desktop with any inquiries you may have. Quotes are available for free.