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
