PMP Preparation Course

Have you thought about continuing your professional education? Employers today highly value those employees that take initiative to further their knowledge in their field and keep current with new standards and practices. 

The College Network® offers professional certificates from Purdue University, Boston University and Corporate Education Group.  We can help you obtain your Lean Six Sigma certification, a certificate of  project management or your paralegal certificate.

Lean Six Sigma certification can help to improve the efficiencies at your company. Working with a master black belt instructor from Purdue University will enable you to grasp the methodologies behind this business model. You will work with other professionals around the country who are also seeking their certification.  Start out with your Lean Six Sigma green belt certification and then move to a black belt--your employer will thank you for the significant contribution you are able to make towards increasing their productivity.

If you are an experienced project manager but don't have your certification, there isn't a better time than now to become certified.  Our PMP® preparation courses cover all aspects of project management and will help to prepare you for the Project Management Professional® exam.   It will also help add to your marketability if you are searching for a new opportunity.

And if you are a legal secretary who would like to advance your career, you can earn your paralegal certificate from Boston University.  This hands on, 14-week program will provide you with access to the Westlaw legal research database throughout your paralegal studies program. You will also learn from practicing attorneys, who bring their experience and in-depth knowledge to every course.

More and more professionals are seeking certifications in order to become an expert in their field. Call one of our Program Advisors today at 800-395-1014 to learn more our certificate programs. 

I would like to share the following list by Eric Bloom, President and Founder of Manager Mechanics, of his top 10 reasons to become a PMP. If you are on the fence about obtaining Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, read Eric's list and reconsider the opportunity that PMP certification affords.

The College Network offers a Project Management Certificate course through Corporate Education Group that gives fantastic preparation--and the Professional Development Units (PDUs) required--to take the PMP exam. Corporate Education Group is also on the Global Executive Council of Project Management Institute (PMI), which is the global governing body of project management and the administrator of the PMP exam.

Eric's list is as follows: 

If the PMP certificate is a goal for you, give me a call at 1-800-307-1006 ext 4767.

-Charles Fox, Program Advisor

The College Network is proud to offer a PMP training program that will help you earn your certificate and properly prepare you for the certification exam itself.  The program comes from Boston University Corporate Education Center (BUCEC), and you can start at any time!

The courses are completely online and self-paced. You have 24/7 access to the materials and no mandatory login times. You truly determine how fast or slow you get the program done.  Each of the 10 courses takes about 10-15 actual hours to complete, so most people I enroll complete the full program in 3-6 months on average, but again, this is up to you.  

You will earn CEUs, PDUs (what is needed education-wise to sit for the PMP), and ACE college credit recommendation with the course.  The ACE credits are equivalent to 10 undergraduate hours, and are transferable to any institution that accepts ACE credit (most do, but again, this is case-by-case).  One thing to keep in mind is that BUCEC is a Registered Educational Provider (REP) for PMI, is on the Global Executive Council of PMI, and we have never had anyone call us back and say they did not pass the PMP Exam after completion of this course.

So if you are ready to take that next step and earn your PMP certification, feel free to let us know and we'll be happy to help out!

Kevin Burton, Program Advisor, kburton@collegenetwork.com, 1-800-307-1006 Ext. 4734

Something I have noticed throughout my career is that in many organizations there is a disconnect between doing a job well and being prepared to succeed. This disconnect leads to frustration as employees, on every level including management, fail to meet the expectations passed down through the chain of command. 

Having worked in the education industry for many years, I have been exposed to others' frustrations many times. A lot of the professionals who experienced frustration in the workplace did so because they failed to make the connection between their job and their ability to do that job. I am not talking about the simple day-to-day tasks but more so about the ability to take an assignment and turn it into a game changing success story. 

The College Network partners with major universities that are recognized for having some of the best college programs to offer busy adults with a variety of professional certificate programs in areas such as; Project Management, Lean Six Sigma, Paralegal, Human Resources, Leadership, and Food Service Management that can all be completed 100% online. 

Most of the people we work with realize they have the ability to get the job done but fail to reach beyond the norm, because they don’t focus on professional development (i.e. themselves). 

I would like to share a brief story that might help shed some light on what I am saying… In my story there are two people responsible for cutting wood (person A & person B). Over the course of a week the two wood cutters are being evaluated against each to see why there is a big discrepancy in their production. Their manager sends someone out to evaluate each wood cutter. The outcome of the evaluations is noted below:

Evaluation Person A: Person A works tirelessly throughout each day barely ever stopping to take breaks. Their hard work and dedication is the best I have seen and there is no way anyone could keep up!

Evaluation Person B: Person B was diligent and hard working but often stopped to take breaks. Person B had it down to a science but I fear their productivity will not be as good because they seemed to work a lot less.

The manager brings both of these people into the office to go over their evaluations and match them with overall productivity. As it turns out, person A was 30% less productive then person B and both the manager and person A were shocked at the results. Person A yelled out, “How could you cut more wood when you sat around taking breaks all day...” With a confused yet confident look person B replies by saying, “I wasn’t taking breaks; I was sharpening my saw!"

The moral of the story is that you can get ahead in your career and achieve amazing things but it takes more than just plain hard work. 

If you are looking to move into a new industry or move up in your current industry then you should seriously consider seeking out professional development opportunities. Being committed to developing and/or diversifying your skill set (i.e. sharpening your saw) can help you achieve personal and professional satisfaction. 

At The College Network, we specialize in helping busy adults achieve personal and professional satisfaction through education. If you’re looking for Paralegal training courses, a lean six sigma certification course, a PMP preparation course or other courses in project management, we can help.  

The one thing I ask from the people we work with is that no matter what you do please don’t just do nothing. While there may never be a “good time” to take on more responsibility by getting started in a program, I can assure you that there will never be a “good time” to suffer the repercussions of not developing yourself when you had the chance.

Business intelligence is, by its very nature, dynamic; ever changing; and fast paced. A hybrid between teaching and forensics - my job provides the truth in a world of chaos and urgency. The data drives falsehood and lies from business decisions and provides the team the guidance needed to accomplish purpose.  Business Intelligence allows managers to see things more clearly.  In fact, the goal of Business Intelligence is to illustrate the picture so clearly that the picture is more than what it was originally. 

The College Network is more than just a resource to online degrees from leading universities.  Just as the picture to the left is more than a couple enjoy a view of a lake.  We are a team of adults like you who want more.  We believe there is more to education than just books.  We believe eduction should be inspired by life and integrated into our lives, whatever the circumstances!  We strive and push one another to:

• Make a difference
• Challenge the routine
• Have an impact

I encourage you to view the College Network Reviews.  You will find there are lots of educational opportunities.  Some like Associate Degree in Nursing ADN, Online Paramedic to RN Program, accelerated RN to BSN, MS in Nursing Management, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and PMP Preparation course, but if you look through the surface, I hope you will see more than educational opportunities.

Some would say the purpose of Business Intelligence is to provide information as to what has been accomplished and how we are doing; key performance indicators.  Business Intelligence is so much more.  The goal is to use the data and information to go beyond the numbers.  Business Intelligence is clearly painting the picture so the future can be predicted.  The College Network is more than an educational services company.  The College Network is your team and support to finding a new life through education.

Not being fulfilled in your career can lead to problems that show up in other areas of your life. We spend the majority of our lives at work, and a significant amount of that time spent being unhappy can lead to a short temper away from work. Or it can result  in a short wave of anxiety on Sunday night when you think of work on Monday morning. It manifests in a variety of ways, even if it’s just an overall feeling of exhaustion. 

Certifications and degrees from The College Network's partner universities can counter the emptiness of being unfulfilled. There are a variety of options from Project Management Professional® preparation courses, LPN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, and online paralegal certificate programs. A certification or degree provides achievement, recognition, and community. In effect, an overall feeling of serenity.

The designation change provided from a certification/degree is a reward for success. One example of a designation change that can be obtained through online classes for nursing is an LVN to RN program. The designation is more than just letters. It signifies to others that you can demonstrate the skills needed in that particular field. It is an achievement that you can proudly display in your home or office and on your resume.

According to the TechRepublic 2010 IT skills and Salary Report , the PMP Project Management Professional certification can lead to salary increases of 26 percent in the U.S. when compared to those without the certification. And according to PayScale.com, an LVN’s salary can increase as much as 27 percent to 29 percent when certified as a Registered Nurse. Salary is one type of recognition that an individual earns when they obtain a certification or degree. 

One of the most valuable aspects is the community an individual belongs to once a certification and/or degree is obtained. The community can provide a wealth of resources: encouragement, career suggestions, access to jobs, and growth opportunities are just some of the things the community of an individual’s certification and degree can provide.  

A certification/degree may be the answer to a feeling of lack of fulfillment. It provides achievement, recognition, and community. 

Shawn Camp knows a thing or two about becoming certified in his field. He already has his Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and his Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI) certificates. “I have a bachelor’s in computer information,” Shawn said. “I wanted to earn my Certificate in Project Management because that certification places you in the middle of everything that a corporation wants in an employee.”

Because he’s originally from Boston, Mass., Shawn found the opportunity to earn his Project Management Certificate from Boston University Corporate Education Center very enticing. The fact that he could earn the certificate completely online also caught his interest. “The nearest school to me that offers this program is four hours away. Online education was just a much better option for me in this case,” Shawn said.

With all the education that Shawn continues to accumulate, he hopes to one day be a network administrator or to be able to run his own computer firm. “I’m really excited to just get this experience and move on from there. I want to see where it takes me,” he said. “This certificate shows your willingness to learn, your ability to take on more responsibilities, adds more weight to your resume and, in some cases, even gets your foot in the door.”

Coming from a technology background, Shawn knows the importance of keeping up with trends in today’s highly technical world. “Technology changes every six months,” Shawn said. “If you can keep up with everything that’s changing in today’s world, you’ll be all the more valuable to employers.”

Have you been considering going back to school, whether it be for a certificate or a degree? Let The College Network help you meet your goals! The College Network works to offer online degrees from leading universities. Our distance nursing degrees include MS in Nursing Management, LVN to BSN programs, Associate Degree in Nursing online, Online Paramedic to RN program, Bachelor of Nursing programs, RN to MSN Bridge Programs and more. Our certificate programs include: project management and PMP preparation courses, paralegal, lean six sigma green belt, hospitality, human resources and more.  

It’s a commonly accepted fact that any structure is only as strong as its foundation. The same is true when it comes to building a knowledge base. Whether you’re setting out to master specific course content to get your Associates Degree in Nursing, earn your Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, or complete a PMP Preparation Course, you will have a better chance at success if you begin your quest by understanding the steps you should take to ensure that you succeed. It seems obvious, but very few people consider the specific steps that should be taken to build a strong foundation for their learning.

Here are a few tips that work across several situations. Depending on your individual cognitive style and learning preferences, you may address these tasks in a different order; completing each is what’s most important.

Suggestions for Developing a Strong Foundation

• Learn the language of the topic/course you are studying. Vocabulary, key terms, and glossaries are great places to begin studying a topic.

• Don’t just read the material. Identify the concepts and principles (rules) presented in the material.

• Rather than stop at identifying the rules, know when to apply them to specific situations.

This may seem like a lot of work, but if you begin each learning experience with these three goals in mind AND you work to achieve all three, you will establish a firm foundation for your knowledge base.

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I speak to aspiring students everyday who are overwhelmed with the options he/she has to complete training for PMP certification.   With so many options most of the students I speak with are confused with what to do.  As a consumer myself, I am always looking for the best deal.  The most common alternative I hear about other than certificate programs like ours are boot-camps.  Boot-camps are 4-5 intense sessions which cover a lot of material in a short amount of time.  In my opinion this is not an ideal learning environment for most students.  And yes they tend to be less expensive than a certificate program, but I always tell students "you get what you pay for".

The College Network has been in partnership with Boston University Corporate Education Center for the past 5 years to help project managers with the most current and 
convenient option for Project Management training.  Why would you want to train for an exam with anyone else other than the only educational provider to sit on the PMI Corporate Council?  Now you may ask yourself why does that matter... 

Lets say you were getting ready to take your driver's license exam... Now the department of motor vehicles who obviously administer the exam have materials that help you prepare for the exam.  Would you rather get materials from the DMV or from Bob's On-line Driving School?  Bob's school may guarantee that you pass the exam or your money back (like a lot of the boot-camp programs) but the reason Bob and the boot-camp programs offer a guarantee is because they know you may not pass!

Boston University Corporate Education Center courses for project management are written based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) 4th Edition.  

       


So I ask you again, why would you want to train for an exam with anyone else other than the only educational provider to sit on the PMI Corporate Council?

For more information on PMP training through Boston University Corporate Education Center, give me a call.

Matthew Pinkston
Program Advisor
The College Network
317-566-2570
mpinkston@collegenetwork.com





  

Have you been told or have you always thought that being a project manager would be an ideal fit for you because you are not only organized, but that you find it fullfilling to execute a project?

So the best thing to do is to first find Courses for Project Management that will help you get the basic knowledge that you need in order to get Training for Project Management.

After that, then you will need to document 3-5 years of work experience in project management, as well as complete 35 hours of project managemnet training and then passing the Project Management Professionals (PMP) exam.

The exam is made up of  200 multiple choice questions based on the PMP Examination Specification.  The exam is divided into the following categories and percentage of questions:

1. 11% covers Initiating the Project
2. 23% covers Planning the Project
3. 27% covers Executing the Project
4. 21% covers Monitoring and Controlling the Project
5. 9% covers Closing the Project
6. 9% covers Professional and Social Responsibility
    

The goal for anyone pursing better employment should be to have a great resume and one way to be sure your resume stands out from the crowd is education! Education will help move your resume from the left to the right side of the pile. You have less than 10 seconds to impress your potential employer so you better make them count. 

While it’s true that a great resume can get you the interview it can’t get you the job. You have to sell yourself as well as your qualifications. Your best bet is to not only further your education but to also consider taking professional development programs commonly referred to as professional certificate programs.

It’s tough to get ahead; however, now that economic recovery is on the horizon, there has never been a better time to get more aggressive with enhancing your resume. There are still too many people facing employment hardship but you can take control of your current situation by advancing your education with a professional certificate. 

Education can open doors and for most people it could be the difference between getting what you want as opposed to not even having what you need to survive.  Often, a certificate can also lead to certification in a given industry like Project Management, Lean Six Sigma, and Human Resources. For example, a project manager can take a PMP preparation course to prepare for their PMP certification exam.  Someone interested in Lean Six Sigma can earn their lean six sigma green belt certification online or they can choose to take any lean six sigma certification course.  People looking to get into the human resource industry or current human resource professionals can earn a variety of certificates in things like employee relations, strategic HR practices, and more. Certificate programs are flexible and offer adults a great way to get ahead fast!

If you are either looking for a job or trying to find a better one I strongly encourage you to seek continuing education and certification preparation. The one two punch of having a professional credential from a leading university and a certification in your field will set you miles apart from other candidates!

There are several hot job markets for professions where a little education can go a long way in immediately increasing your career and income potential.  The job market for Project Managers is a great example of a profession where someone can make big advancements in their career by furthering their education via professional certificate programs.  Unlike traditional degree programs, certificate programs are fast & effective and can put you on the fast track towards career advancement.

Project managers can be found in a variety of industries such as; information technology, construction, engineering, manufacturing, and more.  The most important credential for a project manager is a PMP Certification; however, most employers place a lot of value on the credentials earned by those who complete a certificate of project management. The reason for this is because of all the boot camps that help people cram for the certification exam; whereas, the credential earned by completing a certificate program and PMP preparation course shows that you have actually learned the material and are ready to apply it right away!

Becoming PMP certified not only increases your earning potential it also makes you more marketable! Did you know that the average compensation for project management practitioners is $101,505…not bad! Best of all, you will also be more marketable because big companies are always looking to have a high ratio of PMP certified project managers and in many cases the Government only awards projects to companies that have high ratios of PMP certified project managers.

At this point nearly 300,000 people hold the globally recognized Project Management Professional (PMP) credential which required them to take courses for project management and in most cases a PMP preparation course as well to gain the educational contact hours needed to sit for the exam. One of the most respected Project Management programs is delivered through the Boston University Corporate Education Center (BUCEC), which is one of The College Network partners.  Professionals from across the world chose BUCEC’s online program not only because of its great reputation but also because it offers a great deal of structured flexibility which is ideal for busy adults.

For people working as project managers or even those aspiring to become one a little education can go a long way towards increasing your career and income potential!