Two career resources

Two new career resources for you today:

Stepping into Project Management

Stepping into Project Management is a new website from Soma Bhattacharya which aims to pair novice and experienced project managers together to form mentoring relationships.

You might know Soma from her blog:  she’s an Assistant Project Manager who started out on her journey to work in project management in 2007.  I met her last year when she was well on the way, but she acknowledges it was a long journey, and that is why she has started this new site.

“I wanted to spread the help I was getting in my career to others, who could benefit from finding mentors and understanding Project Management first hand,” she says.  “It’s a chance to experience instead of just read about theories on becoming a Project Manager.  This site will give you a chance to meet your mentors, see Project Managers who are working on some amazing projects.  Hopefully you’ll be inspired enough to one day come back on to the site as an expert and help others!”

Project managers wishing to take on mentoring roles – however large or small – can sign up as experts.  New and aspiring project managers can sign up as ‘newbies’ and look for help on the site from the experienced project managers.  And it’s free, whether you are a newbie or an expert.

Training grants

The UKRC, the UK government’s lead body for advice and consultancy on gender equality to employers in industry and academia, professional institutes, education and research councils, is offering training grants to help women progress their science, engineering and technology careers.  So if you are an IT project manager, or you would like to be, this could be relevant for you.  Or maybe you are a project manager but would like to move into a more technical role, following in the footsteps of Computer Engineer Barbie, perhaps.

The awards are worth up to £500 and can be to use for a number of eligible courses including higher degree level.  You could put the money towards the course fees, travel to the course or as a contribution towards child care or other care costs that are incurred as a result of attending the training.

See all the eligibility criteria and the application forms online here.

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Tagged as: computer engineer barbie, UKRC