5 Project Management Trends & Forecasts for 2020

Our 2020 hindsight vision for project management is seeing project leads focusing not on the projects themselves, but rather the people who make up the team. In 2020 we’re predicting that: 

  • Project teams will have a more varied makeup
  • Project leads will work on developing soft skills
  • Getting a better idea of the strengths and weakness of your team
  • Working with unrelated projects and fields
  • Flexibility in your managerial philosophy

The upcoming decade will usher in a new age because it’s going to focus on the personal development of everyone involved in the projects you work on. By focusing on the people and building them up, you’ll be able to provide clients with a better product, and that will instill pride in your team.

Project Teams Will be More Diverse

Society is changing in big ways, more often than not for the better! We’re seeing more representation from various groups that historically are known as visible minorities in a variety of fields.

It doesn’t matter what age you enter the workplace, your degree level, if you’re apart of the LGBTQ+, a racial minority, or someone with a disability, these differences will be more commonplace. Rather than head for the hills, sort of speak embrace these differences.

Each person on your team will have different life experiences, due to a variety of factors, which means that you now how fresh and varying perspectives when it comes to tackling a variety of issues.

Besides personal traits, the workforce is changing in terms of employee makeup. The days of office workers being either salary or hourly are long behind us. This is partial because, with jobs and tasks shifting towards a heavy technological aspect, some companies are taking advantage of freelancers and remote workers.

Freelancers are great for short term needs and projects, and if they impress, they receive another project brief. Remote workers are taking traditional office jobs and allowing people to work from a home office, which reduces stress and boosts productivity and happiness. You could find freelancers on the portals like WriteScout and Subjecto.

Fostering Collaboration Between Unrelated Field and Projects 

We’re also predicting that previously related fields and projects will begin working together to save companies not only time, but also money when researching creative solutions, and developing products.

One instance of unrelated related fields coming together was Sociology and Myrmecology, a branch of Entomology focused on the study of ants.

Project Managers Will Need More Refined Skill Sets

Besides the technical skills a manager has, they’ll also need solid soft skills because colleges do a great job at teaching people industry knowledge, but don’t develop skills that businesses are looking for. Soft skills are the interpersonal skills that make people love or hate their manager.

A couple of examples of soft skills that managers need are the ability to accept feedback, creative and critical thinking, being flexible, and being a good communicator. A quick note on communicating, it’s more than talking, it’s also dependent on listening.

In 2020 we also think that tech will continue to trend as it has, and AI will become more important to businesses in 2020. Skills related to fields like robotics, computer science, and data analytics will be more important to companies.

Analyzing Not Only the Results But also Your Team

One thing that should be apparent to all project leads is that not all team members share the same skill sets. Each person has different skills that they offer, and as the manager, it’s your job to set up the team for success. However, the challenge lies in figuring out how to distribute tasks.

Managers Becoming Less Dogmatic With Their Management Philosophies

This is important because as the world changes around us, it forces management styles to be more flexible. By being able to alternate between different management styles, you can control things like decision making, job allocation, and you’ll have a defined leadership structure.

Conclusion

We hope you’re just as excited as we are for the dawn of a new decade. The future looks bright! Whether your a manager, a seasoned employee or a trainee, we’re all going to gain new skills. By developing people and setting them up for success, you’ll create a better product, and help shape the future.

Check Out uCertify’s Latest Cybersecurity Essentials Course

The Cybersecurity Essentials course has been designed to provide cybersecurity professionals with a practical platform. The course covers topics such as critical infrastructure security systems and devices; security for local area network components and systems; security for local intelligent computing, how to control devices and systems; and cybersecurity for users and networks attached to the Internet. The course also offers LiveLab where students can experiment and configure hardware such as computers, servers, switches or routers in a risk-free environment. With the ease and convenience of the Internet, our LiveLab helps to develop professionals’ practical IT skills – which are crucial in today’s world of complex computer systems and technologies. The course comes with the scenario-based National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Security Challenges at the beginning of each chapter. This presents descriptions of a particular security setting related to the information that will be presented in the chapter. 

Check Out uCertify’s Latest Cybersecurity Essentials Course

Candidates can also refer to the Cybersecurity Essentials course if they are preparing for a career in IT, networking, or cybersecurity. Professionals who want to improve their network security skills and who need to understand the cybersecurity threats they face and basic options for confronting those threats can also use uCertify’s Cybersecurity Essentials course. If any candidate is also interested in certification for the CompTIA Security+ or Microsoft MTA 98-367 Security Fundamentals, this book can be a great resource for preparation.

Upon the course completion, candidates will learn to apply a systematic approach to securing IT networks and infrastructure. They will also be able to explore the tools and techniques used to protect their data when it leaves the protection of their network and passes through the unprotected territory of the Internet. Candidates will gain a solid understanding of cybersecurity challenges, tools, and techniques, as well as be able to develop the foundations of a professional cybersecurity skillset.

So, start learning the essentials of cybersecurity today with uCertify! This course will help you keep your data secured, protect yourself from cybersecurity threats, and enhance your career prospects.

Read Julius Alcantara’s Review On Our CompTIA CySA+ Course

Julius Alcantara is an Information Security Analyst at DXC Technology. He has more than 13 years of work experience in this field. He is skilled in troubleshooting, technical support, virtualization, IT operations, incident management, cloud computing, mobile technology, and office administration. Julius has earned the following IT certifications:

  • CB Response Advanced Analyst
  • CB Defense Certified Associate Analyst
  • CB Response Certified Associate Consultant
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate Cyber Ops (CCNA Cyber Ops)

He has recently reviewed our CompTIA CySA+ course and provided his valuable feedback. Please read it here:

Read Julius Alcantara’s Review On Our CompTIA CySA+ Course

“The chapters and lessons are completely in line with the CompTIA CySA+ certification exam objectives. The quizzes at the end of the chapters also reinforce you to understand the materials and simulate the actual exam environment. 

The key elements provided in the lab give hands-on experience on the actual concepts that can be applied to real-world scenarios as a Cyber Security Analyst. I strongly recommend this course for all aspiring IT professionals.”

To read the complete post, please click here.

Thank you, Julius, we are glad to have your honest and valuable feedback on our course. 

To know more about Julius Alcantara, contact via his LinkedIn profile.

Chioma Chuku Reviewed Our CompTIA Security+ Course

Chioma Chuku is an IT Security Analyst at ETHNOS. Her work is focused on policy development, strategy, organizational program development, IT governance, risk management, and data security solutions. She is skilled in risk management, business continuity management, Information Security, data privacy, information governance/assurance, and service management. Her work also involves the identification of Information security control gaps and opportunities for improvement in any identified processes. She has these IT certifications:

  • Database Performance Monitoring
  • ISO 27001 Lead Implementer – Information Security Certification

She has recently reviewed our CompTIA Security+ course and provided her valuable feedback. Please read it here:

Chioma Chuku Reviewed Our CompTIA Security+ Course

“The uCertify CompTIA Security+ course is very well-designed and has the best learning resources for the preparation of the SY0-501 exam. Its user interface is great and easy to navigate.

Each chapter comes with comprehensive quizzes, flashcards, and exercises for checking the knowledge gained in the chapter. I will totally recommend this course.”

To read the complete post, please click here.

Thank you, Chioma, we are glad to have your honest and valuable feedback on our course. 

To know more about Chioma Chuku, contact via her LinkedIn profile.

Are you Safe From The Cyber Threats?

Recently, the term “cyber threat” has become more relevant because of the danger it poses to most industries, however, most people don’t know much about cyber threats at all. Let’s go a bit further into the background of cybersecurity and cyber attacks. 

Are you Safe From The Cyber Threats?

What is a cyber threat?

A cyber threat is an act intended to steal data or cause some sort of digital harm. The term is exclusively used to describe information security matters nowadays.

A cyber attack is set up against digital devices using cyberspace. Cyberspace is a virtual space that is becoming a metaphor to help us understand the digital weaponry that intends to harm us. The intent of the attacker, as well as the potential impact, depends upon the severity of the attack. These attacks can be quite serious, potentially threatening lives.

What is the need to protect from cyber threats?

Cyber threats are a very serious issue these days. They can cause electrical blackouts, breaches of national security secrets, theft of valuable, sensitive data like medical records. They can damage phone and computer networks or paralyze systems to steal the data. These threats are getting more serious. The definition of cybersecurity states that cybersecurity risks are present in every organization and aren’t always under IT’s direct control. Organizational leaders are making technology-related choices every day. So we can say that the data security solutions are also increasing with the increased cyber risk.

Types of cybersecurity threats

Cybersecurity threats are mainly divided into three broad categories based on the gain that can be achieved by the attackers:

  • Financial gain
  • Disruption
  • Underground activities (including the theft of patents or state espionage)

Virtually every cyber threat falls into one of these three modes. 

6 common cyber threats

Malware: Software that performs a malicious task on a target device or network comes under the category of malware. Some typical examples are corrupting data or taking over a system.

Phishing: This type of attack involves tricking the email recipient into disclosing confidential information or downloading malware by clicking on a hyperlink in the message.

Data Breaches: A data breach is a theft of data by a malicious actor. Motives for data breaches include crime, defamation, and espionage.

Trojans: Trojan is a type of malware that enters a target system looking like one of them.

Ransomware: This involves encrypting data on the target system and demanding ransom in exchange for letting users have access to the data again. A recent example of this is locking down the entire city of Atlanta’s municipal government data in 2018.

Denial of Service attack or Distributed Denial of Service Attack (DDoS): Where an attacker takes over many(perhaps thousands) of devices and uses them to invoke the functions of a target system.

Now, let’s discuss the safety measures that an organization or individual should take.

As shown in previous paragraphs, cyber threats are one of the greatest dangers to any organization or business. Organizations are taking serious actions to make themselves safe and secure. One step they are taking is hiring highly skilled cybersecurity professionals as shown by recent surveys.

So, if you want to start your career in this field, you should really consider adding a cybersecurity certification to your resume. There are various cybersecurity certs available in the market, including CISSP, CySA+, CCSP, and more. 

uCertify offers various comprehensive courses to help you prepare for these certification exams. We are a leading provider of online courses and ensure the best learning resources for IT certification prep.