Which have you found to be more valuable in your career, and why: practical experience or theoretical knowledge?
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
I’ve found practical experience to be far more beneficial. I was performing project management tasks long before I realized Project Management was a formal practice. When I finally studied project management theory, I found that while it was sometimes very helpful, it often bore no resemblance to real life. I imagine I would have had a much harder time as a Project Manager if I had learned lots of project management theory first, then had most of those lofty ideals smashed against the shoals of reality. Saving Changes...
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Edward DanielsProject Manager| IndependentGlen Burnie, Md, United States
Both are beneficial... theoretical knowledge opened the doors and made me understand what the heck everyone was talking about. An analyst once attempted to explain incident and problem management to me, it literarily gave me a headache. It made me realize a lot of folks don't know why they do certain things at work or understand the intricacies that connects them all.
Many organizations use terminology that will confuse you but having the theoretical knowledge made me realize what we are attempting to do and get my job done. I don't think one is better than the other, they are just what they are. Education is usually helpful when we go into performance management and trend analysis. With theoretical knowledge and minimal experience, i learnt a lot faster than i think i ordinarily would have.
However, after many years in the field, i value the combo as it gives me an opportunity to think beyond the obvious. Saving Changes...
Igor ZdorovyakDirector of Projects| ImmunovantFair Lawn, Nj, United States
Hi Eric,
I found for myself and as I interact with others that one must have theoretical knowledge. Think of it as a baseline of knowledge. One cannot do a job if one doesn't know what it is. Having gotten academic training then one can start incorporating into real life experience. If on the job training can be provided like internship it is even better. Nothing, however, compares to practical experience. Practical experience is real life and sometimes the class room settings cannot prepare you for. Continue to learn and incorporate the theoretical knowledge into you real work and you'll be coming up with new practical experience of what works and what doesn't. Saving Changes...
Both are valuable. Why do many certifications require continuing education, not just experience to maintain them? Experience only exposes you to so many situations. theoretical knowledge can help you apply your experience to new situations. I think they give each other context. Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
Both practical experience and theoretical knowledge are beneficial, and together they are much stronger than either is separately. Let me rephrase my original question: If you could choose to have only one of the following - practical experience regarding project management OR theoretical knowledge regarding project management - which would you choose?
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1 reply by Sungjoon Park
Mar 24, 2017 1:42 PM
Sungjoon Park
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Before I read your rephrased questions, I agreed on many comments of both are beneficial. If you want me to choose only one I would say practical experience is more effective and adaptive to future events. There might be many errors and frustrations through repeated trials in his / her past experience even though they were trivial. True experience might be obtained through those processes and become firm foundations of lessons learned which might be evolved. They may become his /her own knowledge beyond the theory. Theories can explain the why like general rules but no scholars will tell you that exactly same situations should be there with you in the future.
Theories might play a big role in referring knowledge to the situations which are less or not experienced.
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Both combined is the ideal situation but if I had to chose between both, I will definitely chose practical experience because especially in the PM field, if you do not have the experience, it will be difficult to apply theoretical knowledge properly. Saving Changes...
Both practical experience and theoretical knowledge are beneficial, and together they are much stronger than either is separately. Let me rephrase my original question: If you could choose to have only one of the following - practical experience regarding project management OR theoretical knowledge regarding project management - which would you choose?
Before I read your rephrased questions, I agreed on many comments of both are beneficial. If you want me to choose only one I would say practical experience is more effective and adaptive to future events. There might be many errors and frustrations through repeated trials in his / her past experience even though they were trivial. True experience might be obtained through those processes and become firm foundations of lessons learned which might be evolved. They may become his /her own knowledge beyond the theory. Theories can explain the why like general rules but no scholars will tell you that exactly same situations should be there with you in the future.
Theories might play a big role in referring knowledge to the situations which are less or not experienced. Saving Changes...
Ed Tsyitee JrConsultant | Consultant Tucson, Az, United States
College provides the theoretical knowledge, and the base vocabulary to speak that professional language.
Practical knowledge is gained by being exposed to those work experiences.
I'd rather have a good mix of both. Right now, I just have the theoretical knowledge for project management, and hopefully I'll find work where I can apply that and learn more practical knowledge. Saving Changes...
As with all things in life, it is important to strike a balance between theory and practice.
The theory is important, as long as it isn't seen as a recipe that guarantees success. Saving Changes...
LORI WILSONRETIRED - Technical Project Manager| RETIRED - LifePoint HealthClarkston, Wa, United States
Hi Eric: In my personal experience, I would say both are important for sure! I don't see how you could be successful without them both, and they seem quite equally balanced in importance. Saving Changes...
Nasrullah MohammedPortfolio Manager| Advanced Electronics CompanyRiyadh, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Eric - In my opinion, both are important.
Theoretical knowledge helps you understand why one technique works where another fails and teaches you through the experience of others. It leads to a deeper understand of a concept through seeing it in context of a greater whole.
Practical knowledge helps you acquire the specific techniques that become the tools of your trade. Where theory is often taught in the ideal of a vacuum, practical is learned through the reality of life and it leads to a deeper understanding of a concept through the act of doing and personal experience.
Its difficult to survive in any career unless you can bring results and to do that you need practical knowledge. Saving Changes...
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