Discussion: Time/Project Management

As IT professionals we often find ourselves facing frequent deadlines, conflictingg priorities, and unexpected problems, working with limited resources (staff, hardware/software, network capacity, and of course people and money!). Understanding how to best manage our own time is the starting point to effective project management. Time-Management.com provides information on skills and techniques that can aid in improving your own effectiveness.

Describe the challenges you have faced during your internship regarding personal time management. What has come most easily? What aspects have you found most difficult to overcome, and what approaches are you applying? Are the challenges similar to those you have faced as a student?

In responding to others, consider offering techniques that have worked well for you with similar time management challenges.

(Do not use invidividual's names in your posts. Refer to their position only.)

This week's focus in the discussion room is Time/Project Management, with an emphasis on Individual time management and how you deal with it in your internship. Time management in IT positions has many challenges that other careers don't always experience. Although all jobs have to deal with unknowns, the process of creating innovative solutions that are reliable, secure, and scalable doesn't always follow a predictable path. This is where we need to understand the drivers of project management (1. scope/quality, 2. time, 3. cost/resources), in the context of completing assignments and predicting when things will get done. Project Management is increasingly a desired competency among those on the IT career path and often becomes the differentiator when getting promoted to jobs of increasing responsibility and importance. Many IT professionals specialize in the field of IT project management without necessarily being focused on a particular set of technologies.

As you go forward in your careers you should definitely learn more about the career aspects of IT project management. Some good places to start include The Project Management Institute (www.pmi.org), International Project Management Association (www.ipma.ch), and The American Society for the Advancement of Project Management (www.asapm.org)

Remember that the final project document "Executive Brief" is due this week! Please make sure you refer to the rubric as you work on this document.