Self-test: Is a course at the "Project Manager NDS-HF or IPMA Level C" level the right one for me?
Analysis of the functions/activities of project managers
For whom is a course at this level suitable?
- People from all professions who manage sub-projects or projects and have several years of project experience.
- Managers who lead employees who perform management tasks in projects.
What does the day-to-day work within these functions look like? Which activities are carried out and how often?
The project manager is responsible for a project or sub-project from the planning phase to project completion. This includes implementing an assignment in a project structure, managing the project team and all specialists involved, coordination and cooperation with partner companies, other sub-projects, overall project management and the client. The project manager is responsible for monitoring and adhering to deadlines and costs as well as for the professional execution of the project work up to the preparation of the final report and project documentation.
Job descriptions in job advertisements for project managers:
| Main tasks | Frequency in % |
|---|---|
| Planning of new projects. Project organization, schedules and schedules, resource and cost calculation | 15% |
| Leading the project team and all employees, coordination, consultation and negotiations with all parties involved, member of the team of all project managers, contact with overall project manager | 55% |
| Ongoing monitoring of project progress, deadlines and resource utilization, preparation of key figures, project reporting | 20% |
| Other tasks such as: Responsibility for project documentation, public relations, project marketing | 10% |
The weighting of the individual areas of responsibility can vary greatly depending on the company.
Typical requirements in job advertisements:
- Completed training and degree from a higher technical college or university of applied sciences in the field of
- Several years of professional experience in the specialist area, project management experience an advantage
- Further training as a project manager
- Foreign language skills an advantage (English, French, Italian, Spanish)
- Strong team and customer orientation
- Very good organizational and communication skills, negotiating skills and assertiveness
- Willingness to travel
Question 1:
Do the activities of project managers correspond to my expectations?
Yes, if you like the actual job, you can assume that you are on the right track thematically. The next question is what type of training is right for you to acquire the relevant skills.
If you have marked "Partly" or "No", you should consider another job within a company or check whether you would fit into another function level based on your previous education.
Course description "Project Manager (NDS-HF or IPMA Level C)"
The most important key points of a course at the "Project Manager (NDS-HF or IPMA Level C)" level are described here:
Course description "Project Manager (NDS-HF or IPMA Level C)"
Question 2:
Are you generally interested in a course at this level?
If you are interested in this course but answered "Partly" or "No" to question 1, you should try to find out if there are other types of jobs that you could do with this training that you like better than the job profile described in question 1.
If you have already answered "Yes" to question 1, then this course seems to fit your expectations.
If you like the job description under question 1 and you have marked "No" here, you should try to analyze which contents of the course would appeal to you and which would not. And with what you find out, you can look at the following further training opportunities in related fields to see if you can find something that better suits your interests:
- Organizational consultant (cert.)
- Process Manager (Cert.)
- Quality manager (certified)
- Electrical Project Manager (BP)
- Project Manager Building Services (BP)
- Project Manager Carpentry (BP)
- Project Manager Solar Installation (BP)
- Process specialist (BP)
- NDS HF Construction Project and Real Estate Management
- NDS HF Project Management and Leadership
- CAS Change Management, Organizational Consulting & Development (FH)
- CAS Business Process Management (FH)
- DAS Process and Logistics Management (FH)
Prerequisites at the time of starting the course / certification
- IPMA Level C: At least three years of leadership experience in project management, management of projects with limited complexity. A school-leaving certificate or professional qualification is not necessary.
- NDS-HF: Completion of higher vocational training (professional examination, higher professional examination, higher technical school, technical school or university degree)
Question 3:
Do I meet the requirements?
If you meet the requirements, you can start training or certification at the earliest possible date.
If you have marked "Partly" or "No", you should clarify your options for fulfilling the requirements (further information in the final evaluation at the end of the self-test) or consider another course.
Financing of further training
The course fees for a "Project Manager (NDS-HF or IPMA Level C)" course must be paid either at the start of the course or by the semester. However, in individual cases it is also possible to agree individual installment payments.
Question 4:
Are you able to finance between CHF 8,900 and CHF 11,000, depending on the course and type of school, for the course, teaching materials, final examinations plus expenses for travel and meals?
If you have marked "Yes" and would even be able to pay the full amount upfront, some schools will give you an additional discount.
If you have marked "Partial" or "No": Ask the schools about the possibility of individual installment payments. Or try to get your employer to make a contribution to your further education costs or find someone in your private social circle who will support your specific further education project with a loan. There are also banks and credit institutions that grant educational loans.
Time spent on classroom teaching and learning (homework)
The part-time course lasts two to three semesters. The average amount of time spent on classroom teaching is 4 hours per week (there are different course models, such as Saturday courses or block teaching).
The learning effort (homework) amounts to around 4 to 6 hours per week in addition to school lessons.
Question 5:
Can I cope with the time and effort required for the face-to-face lessons and homework?
If the workload is even very manageable for you, you could check whether there are intensive courses for this training. This would allow you to complete the same training in less time if you are able to accept a slightly higher time commitment.
If you are short on time, look for courses that extend over a longer period of time and require fewer lessons and less time for homework each week. And if that's still not enough, you should check whether you can free up more time in another way. Perhaps someone close to you can take on certain tasks for you for the limited period of your training?
Conclusion
Will I graduate?
IPMA Level C: The IPMA certification consists of a self-assessment and a written, three-hour examination on the subject areas of project management competencies, behavioral competencies and project management context competencies. The examination contains a total of 100 multiple-choice questions and 9 text tasks, resulting in a total of 190 points. A pass is achieved with 114 points or more.
NDS-HF in Project Management: To monitor learning success and as a graduation criterion, a total of six transfer tasks are completed in the individual semesters and a practice-related diploma thesis at the end. At the oral diploma examination, the diploma thesis must be presented and discussed in front of experts.
Question 6:
Do I have the confidence to pass the exams and certificates of competence?
If you are confident that you can pass this qualification, the most you can do is consider whether you would like to achieve even better results using suitable learning and working methods or whether you would like to achieve the same results with less effort.
If you have marked "Partly" or "No", you should think about what exactly it is that is giving you trouble. Do you have difficulty with multiple-choice questions on the computer? Or do you not like working in groups? Or are you unsure whether you already have enough practical experience? Then you can take another look at the different types of project management courses to see if there are any that do not contain these parts that are problematic for you. Or talk to a school or course instructor and ask how the school can offer you additional support. If you have intense exam anxiety, you could try intensive exam training first, or if that doesn't work, look for a different type of course that works more with learning achievements, mid-term exams or semester work. External help from learning therapists, kinesiologists, autogenic training providers or mental training providers can also be considered.
You can find suitable providers here:
Conclusion:
Before you want to complete a course at the "Project Manager (NDS-HF or IPMA Level C)" level, you should be convinced that you really want to work as a project manager. The course description should also appeal to you. If you have answered these first two questions with a clear "yes", you can continue to look into this course. If you are unsure about these questions, you should consider which other further training courses are also suitable for you.
If you do not meet the admission requirements because you do not yet have any project experience, ask your employer whether they would allow you to take on an additional task as a project employee. Or look for a new job in your usual profession with a company that handles a lot of orders in the form of projects and where you can gain initial experience as a project employee. If this is not possible, it might make sense for you to start at IPMA Level D, which is possible even if you do not yet have any project management experience. You can find more information on this in theSelf-test for the course "Project Assistant with certificate (IPMA Level D)"
If you do not meet the requirements because you have not completed higher vocational education and training, it may make sense for you to seek educational or career guidance to clarify whether you should first aim for a specialist higher qualification based on your basic occupation. This is because although it is possible to achieve certification at level C or B via the certification route without higher vocational training, it may be more difficult to obtain a job at this level later on. It is possible to manage professionals within project teams who have a much higher level of education than you, but it requires a correspondingly high level of personal authority and leadership skills. If you have a foreign education, you should ask several schools whether your education is recognized as equivalent so that you can gain admission to the course.
Financing further training is not always easy. Several thousand francs have to be paid over 1-2 years. In individual cases, many schools offer the option of semester or even individual monthly installment payments so that the entire amount does not have to be paid at once. In addition, it is helpful for part-time courses that participants continue to work during the course and thus earn money for the entire duration of the course. If this is not enough to finance the training alone, it is sometimes possible to obtain a loan from a private source. Banks and credit institutions sometimes also offer educational loans. A good argument for financing further education is the relatively quick amortization of costs through wage increases. Do the following calculation: How much would a wage increase of 10% per year amount to? How many years would you need to recoup the costs of the course? How much more will you earn over your entire working life as a result of this pay rise? In most cases, this is a six-figure sum, which confirms that training or further education is the best personal investment there is.
The time required for training or further education should not be underestimated. Going out, vacations and spontaneous wellness weekends often fall by the wayside. However, this time usually passes relatively quickly. The prospect of better job opportunities and more pay should be motivation enough to get through this time. It often helps to organize yourself into study groups. It also makes sense to stick with it right from the start and schedule fixed study times. Good learning effects can be achieved by creating summaries and mind maps. Flashcard systems help with memorization. There are many tools and ideas to make learning easier. You can obtain the guide "The personal learning strategy" free of charge if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch.
If you have doubts about whether you will pass the final exam or certification, you can expect that every school has an interest in ensuring that as many of your students as possible pass the final exams. Talk to your head teacher or course leader and ask about support options. But with good motivation, perseverance and hard work, it is generally possible to pass these exams. If you suffer from exam anxiety, good preparation, various practical tips, therapeutic treatments or, in severe cases, even medication can help. You can obtain the guide "Overcoming exam anxiety" if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch. Here you will also findsuitable providerson the subject of test anxiety.
The benefits of further training are usually measured in terms of a higher salary, more challenging tasks or promotions. This presupposes that you make an effort to change your professional position accordingly and, if necessary, are able to assert your demands. If you have already experienced that this is not always so easy for you, you could also check whether personal job coaching could be of benefit to you in addition to further training.
Now it's up to you to decide. If in doubt, seek personal advice from a school or external advice center. If you enquire about course or training documents via www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch, you will receive a free educational or school consultation worth CHF 150.00 on request.
You can find a list of providers here:
We wish you all the best in your professional and private lives and a bright and exciting future!
The team of Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch
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