I’m currently pursuing an Econ(Hons) degree and have nearly completed a Data Analytics and Business Intelligence certification. I’m now looking to add Project Management to my skillset and would really appreciate your advice.

I’m considering a few certifications: CAPM, CSM, or possibly the Google Project Management cert. I’m also a bit unclear on Agile/Scrum – could anyone explain what that entails and how it fits in?

Beyond Project Management, I’m also interested in:

Supply Chain (CSCP certification)

Lean Six Sigma (Green/Yellow Belt – not sure what this is, or if it’s relevant)

Financial Modeling and Analysis (further down the line)

I have complementary skills from using power automate/query and college skill courses in leadership, coms, digital marketing and financial literacy.

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the options.

Any advice you can offer would be incredibly helpful.

Thanks!

P.S. For context, I’m based in India and studying at Ramanujan College, Delhi University.

  • Vinny_93@lemmy.world
    3·
    18 hours ago

    Agile is a critical one. I’m a data analyst and a data engineer (I do a bit of both) but most of my work is in the Microsoft stack. There are loads of certificates to get from Microsoft, like the AZ-900, DP-900, DP-600 if you’re interested in Fabric.

    But for the Agile thing, consider traditional project development as a straight line. There is a start and an end. Agile projects look like an input line into loads of loops. These loops are called ‘sprints’. In a sprint, every developer takes ownership of work items and by the end of the sprint, they are finished. If not, they need to be refined or they are taken into the next sprint. There’s will be someone who guards the process, there is someone who knows what they want but there isn’t really a project leader.

    If you’re interested in doing agile projects at large companies, you’ll likely go from developing to implementing straight into maintaining the environment. Look into DevOps. It’s the future of project development, especially in IT.

    • laz_28OPEnglish
      1·
      17 hours ago

      Thanks for explaining Agile; the sprint concept is clear now. The DevOps information and Microsoft certification suggestions are noted, but that path feels too specialized for my current goals.

      My Data Analytics/BI training is covering a broad range: Python, SQL (using both MariaDB and MongoDB), probability and statistics, data cleaning and visualization, and a fairly extensive introduction to machine learning (including supervised and unsupervised methods, NLP, model evaluation, and more). We’re also working with Power BI and Excel.

      My objective is to develop a “T-shaped” skillset – a broad foundation with the option for deeper specialization later. Due to my ADHD, I tend to lose focus with excessive specialization. A more versatile, “jack of all trades” approach works much better for me.

      Agile is clearly important, However, I’m aiming for roles that offer travel and creative problem-solving. I enjoy guesstimates and case studies, and while I find an MBA overrated and journalism a challenging field currently, consulting seems potentially viable. My personal interests lean towards the technical – for example, I’ve switched to Linux Mint (avoiding Microsoft), and I’m learning web scraping, Python automation, and Linux administration as hobbies. Given my finance background from my Econ degree, project management also appeals, as it bridges both technical and financial understanding. My primary challenge now is figuring out the best entry point into the industry.