Monthly Archives: March 2009

Author : Mark Gustaffson

If you wish to become a private investigator, it s important to take into account the effects the job may have on your personal life In this article I will set out what some of these effects can be

In many ways, private investigation is not so much an occupation as a way of life It s important that you and your loved ones are prepared for this, and can accept that there will be times when your work has to come first

Stress can be a problem, and many investigators find that working long, irregular hours has a detrimental effect on their social lives and family relationships Sometimes your life might not seem your own, and there will be times when you are away from loved ones and friends for days, even weeks on end All but the strongest relationships can crumble under such conditions Bear this in mind before entering the business!

Stress may also result from the company the investigator keeps As well as working with honest and law abiding individuals, they may find themselves in regular contact with rogues and hardened criminals

And stress can also arise from the fact that this is an endlessly challenging occupation Every case is different, and much of the time you will have only experience and intuition to guide you Sometimes, inevitably, you will make mistakes, which may or may not seriously hamper your investigation At other times the results you come up with may be contrary to what your client wanted or expected Professional investigators accept this as part of the job, but having to disappoint a client, or even admit to failure, is never easy, especially if you must then present them with your bill

But there is a plus side as well, in that investigators choose their clients and can even walk away from a case that encroaches too far into their private lives Police officers have no choice but to deal with whatever comes their way, explaining why many ex policemen find the investigator business almost cushy by comparison

Sadly, alcoholism is also rampant among private investigators, often because bars and licensed restaurants are the easiest, least obvious places to work from Successful investigators choose non alcoholic refreshments during working hours, arguing that a clear mind is their most important asset Quick thinking and fast decision making skills are crucial

The business can, however, have serious implications for your private life Social dates in an investigator s diary are frequently dashed at the expense of an urgent new case or a sudden important development in an old one It s important to have understanding friends and relatives who know that your work sometimes has to take priority over personal relationships

Overall, private investigation is a fascinating and generally well paid profession, but it is decidedly not a nine to five job If you are thinking of entering this field it is essential that you, and your family and friends, understand this clearly

To avoid problems, you should also take a professional training course before setting out in this field This applies even if you have previously worked in a related profession, such as the police or private security industry A good training course will prepare you for all the many aspects of working as a private investigator, and help to reduce the undoubted stresses felt by newcomers to the profession Training will also give you the necessary legal background to operate successfully as a PI and avoid inadvertently breaking the law

Mark Gustaffson is the author of the Professional Private Investigator Course from Maple Academy (UK), a leading correspondence course in this field. For more information, see http://www.mapleacademy.com/maple.nsf/Courses/Professional+Private+Investigator+Course

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Author : Sarah Clements

Many contractors are increasingly hearing this question when they interview for project management roles Over the last few years, many organisations have become extremely selective in who they appoint in contractor roles Unlike the late 1990s when there were not enough staff to go about, organisations have realised that they are now the ones with the power, and can therefore choose the best whilst still keeping rates low Even as the market picks up there is no slowdown in the appetite for professionally qualified staff

There are a number of project management qualifications in existence, all with their own structures, approaches and acronyms This article will attempt to lead you through the maze of acronyms and enable you to select a route that is right for you

PRINCE2

PRINCE2 was launched in 1996 by The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in partnership with the APM Group who have developed and managed the accreditation of PRINCE2 The APM Group was established in 1993 as the trading arm of the Association for Project Management and became an independent organisation in 2000 The APM Group has offices in The Netherlands, China and Australia with new offices opening in America and India by the end of the year PRINCE2 examination material has been translated into 9 languages with 16, 000 people taking a PRINCE2 exam in the first five months of 2005

PRINCE stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments and is a structured method for effective project management and has become the UK’s de facto standard for organising, managing and controlling projects It is a generic, best-practice approach for the management of all types of projects It has a reputation as a highly effective, process-based approach to structuring and organising project delivery

PRINCE2 has been adopted as the method of choice by the Government, a large number of Local Authorities and also by the National Health Service Commercial organisations are also keen users of PRINCE2 and are often required to use it if they want to work with any Government agencies

The use of PRINCE2 has leapt from the domain of the public sector and firmly implanted itself in the private sector The use of the methodology is broad, both in terms of its reach across IT, Finance, Accounting, Engineering, Construction, Media, Communications and Health; and in terms of its global reach across the UK, Netherlands, China, South Africa and Australia PRINCE2 exams have been held in over 60 countries to date

There are two levels of PRINCE2 qualification Foundation level indicates to employers that you have knowledge of the structure and terminology of the method Practitioner indicates that you have understanding of the method and how to apply it to different project situations The examinations are open to all and are recognised by UKAS, the UK Accreditation Service

PMI

The Project Management Institute was founded in 1969 in the United States It has developed a Member Code of Ethics for those involved in project management, and administers project management training and certification The Institute claims a membership of more than 200,000 in 125 countries, covering a variety of different professions The Institute aims to provide a controlled, integrated approach to project management through the certification, education, research, awards, publications and professional standards that it administers

The PMI methodology is contained in its publication “A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge” (PMBOK) The PMBOK splits project management into five Process Groups and nine Knowledge Areas The Process Groups cover initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing a project The Knowledge Areas describe the additional skills that project managers need to help them to manage a specific project These include cost management, quality management and procurement management

The key qualification offered by PMI is the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification To achieve this level of certification candidates must possess educational qualifications, have at least 3 years experience and pass a four-hour, 200-question examination

PMI have also introduced the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) qualification for aspiring project managers or those in other roles CAPM candidates must first meet specific education and experience requirements and then pass an examination

APM Body of Knowledge

The Association for Project Management focuses on the UK and is the largest independent professional body of its kind in Europe It has over 14,000 individual and 350 corporate members throughout the UK and abroad APM’s focus is to promote and develop project management across all industries and sectors through activities including qualifications, accredited training, research, publications and events The APM has sixteen regional branches throughout the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong

The qualifications offered by the APM are based around the APM Body of Knowledge that covers the forty-nine areas of knowledge required to manage any successful project There are 4 levels of qualification

The first level is the APM Introductory Certificate, which is designed for those wanting to understand the principles of project management Approximately 3000 candidates are qualified at this level

The second level is the APM Professional (APMP) that demonstrates the fundamental knowledge of what is required to manage a successful project It is a knowledge based foundation level qualification enabling you to participate in projects ranging from individual assignments to large capital projects Approximately 3000 delegates are qualified at this level

The third level is the APM Practitioner Qualification, for Project Managers, Project Co-coordinators and Team Leaders with more than three years experience managing non-complex projects

The fourth and final level, the Certificated Project Manager recognizes the competence and ability of an individual to effectively manage significant projects or programmes of change Approximately 250 candidates are registered at this level

Overall, all the qualifications mentioned above are valuable as certification will increase your knowledge and act as signal to prospective employers that you are capable of doing the job at hand In terms of marketability in the UK job market PRINCE2 is certainly the most widely used and recognized

Maven Training are a leading provider of project and programme management courses and are experts in Prince2 courses and Prince 2 training.

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