MSProject Training
Mood:  sharp
Topic: MSProject
Sooner or later, someone is going to want to see an example of the attitude I take towards my work; and an example of some of the services available through AEmeritus. So, here goes.

There seems to be a demand for qualified corporate trainers in MSProject in the Melbourne area.


Individual Training Plan

I have MSOffice XP Pro on my machine, but my version doesn't come with Project. Small problem. The program I've put together for AEmeritus can train people on software online -- to proficiency -- even if the person doesn't have a copy of the software.

First, I went to my online corporate training account to begin working through the 87 modules on Project 2003. CustomGuide does a superb job of illustrating the interface interactively in an easily digestible modular presentation of the material.

AEmeritus has a corportate account with CustomGuide and can assign a seat for a trainee on any program of the MSOffice suite.

As you can see, the Project interface is clearly displayed. The large red arrow indicates where the user is to click to follow the steps in the lesson. A pleasant female voice (with an american or canadian accent) guides the learner, reading the instructional text on the left.
A learner can become familiar with interface and learn the important functions of the software (see the post on Critical Paths in this section) without having a copy of often expensive software.

Next, I found a good book on Project XP from Oreilly Safari.

Special Edition Using Microsoft? Project 2002
By Tim Pyron
...............................................
Publisher: Que
Pub Date: August 05, 2002
ISBN: 0-7897-2701-3
Pages: 1224

One of the best series of IT books for users and those who deal with the public is the "Special Edition .." series.

As I work through the CustomGuide course, I'll refer to the book for detail and insight. After covering a couple of chapters to be sure it would provide the level of understanding that I needed, the plan was put into action.

Note: The level of understanding that I need at this point is Advanced, but not Expert level. I'm not going to pretend that this Learning Plan will make me a Project Manager; nor am I looking to learn to program Project in VBA. -- I want to learn the program's Critical Path. -- What it is capable of doing and how it does it, based on the facilities of the program.
(Actually, I want a little more than that, too. But you'll see as I step through this plan how I get there.)