When I first joined LCMB, I was entering a new field, with numerous gaps in my knowledge. From a Project Management point of view, I had only a small amount of experience in delivering projects, and the thought of managing projects for clients was admittedly quite daunting. Thanks to the support of my colleagues, I was able to fulfil my role, providing support to our Senior Consultants on a number of exciting projects with our clients, but it was through trust and learning that I was able to develop further.

In April 2021, I embarked on an intensive course with the Oxford College of Leadership and Management to study the Association for Project Management (APM) Project Management Qualification (PMQ).

APM are the chartered body for the project profession; they have 30,000 members and offer qualifications from foundation level to practitioner level, as well as CPD and Networking for Project Managers.

The course took a full 40 hour week – delivered virtually – and was followed by a 3 hour exam. The content of the course covered the full cycle of a project, from conception to extended handover periods, including everything from product roles to different types of planning and reporting tools and approaches to life cycles, procurement and contract law. It was a good introduction to project management, aimed at project management professionals from any background.

Within my role at LCMB I was able to experience project management first hand in particular ensuring we not only delivered a project on time and within budget, but also making sure we delivered projects well. The main lesson I learned here, and again on my recent course, was to be thorough with due diligence straight out of the gate – as a project develops, changes become all the more costly. Thankfully, I passed the course and am now pleased to say I’m an APM approved Project Manager. I also have the opportunity to become a member of APM.

One thing which I found helpful was that I had been learning since I started with LCMB, and was project managing outside of the course. This gave me a number of relatable experiences, and other things which I could consider integrating into my project management straight away. LCMB have given me the support I needed to develop, through experience and through learning, to become a better consultant for our clients. My key takeaway from the course, is that the project management process is relatable to how I do many things in life, so it has helped make me someone who considers before they act. Through thorough preparation, I believe I will work and deliver all “projects” in my life more efficiently.

Please contact me if you have any queries by email [email protected] or by calling the office 01295 722823.