Project Management: Is PMP Certification Worth It?
Posted by Brad EgelandThis is one of those topics that might draw some emotions from individuals so let me first tell you my situation and my thoughts. First, I’m not PMP certified, but I was headed in that direction…more on that in a moment. I applaud those who have taken the time and effort to get certified. In my experience and interactions with PMs, I’ve not seen any instance where a PMP certified PM was any ‘better’ than an experienced PM. Real experience is always the key. PMP certification means you passed the test, but it does also mean that you have training and some experience for certain and that you have the drive and dedication to get it done and achieve the certification and that’s a project in itself.
I was a PMI member back in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s when I worked at Rockwell Collins. It was something they provided for their PMs, but pushing for actual PMP certification wasn’t something they cared about. I was also managing up to 20 live projects at a time so I had no opportunity to move forward with the certification.
When I came to Las Vegas, a company I began working for in late 2004 did think it was important and wrote a clause into my hiring agreement calling for a $10k bump in pay within 6 months if I acquired my PMP certification. Naturally, I jumped on that idea and started to document my training and experience so that I could sit for the test. Unfortunately, some issues at the top of the company – which I will write about very soon in another article to be entitled “You Think YOUR Project is in Trouble!” – caused that organization to shut down and with it went my $10k incentive to get certified. Now it was time to find another position…fast.
I digress. Back to the topic at hand. Is PMP certification worth it? I personally think that the PMP designation after your name is a nice thing to have, but is no indication of how good a project manager you are or will be. Having PMP certification means that you have the proper amount of experience and training to sit for the test, and then that you correctly answered 61% of the answers on the exam. 61%.
Employers
The most frustrating thing about the PMP certification to me is the weight that employers place on this designation when looking for Project Managers. I hear this again and again from PMs looking for work. To these organizations, it’s an easy screening mechanism for their HR personnel. Unfortunately, that will screen out PMs with many years of very busy and successful management of projects who worked for organizations that placed no emphasis on PMP cert and therefore didn’t pay for PMI and the tests or PMs who just didn’t have the time it takes to document the info and sit for the test. That is wrong.
PMI
I’m not trying to knock PMP certication completely and I definitely applaud the efforts of the PMs out there who have successfully studied for and attained the PMP designation. However, I think that PMI has done a very good job of ensuring their own financially viability with this certification. If they wanted to take it a step further, they could easily triple their organization’s income if they were to create different levels of PMP certification. Let’s consider this scenario:
- 91-100% correct answers = PMP Black Belt
- 81-90% correct answers = PMP Brown Belt
- 71-80% correct answers = PMP Green Belt
- 61-70% correct answers = PMP Yellow Belt
Imagine if you took the PMP exam and got 90% right….how much would you pay or how many times would you gladly retake the test to get 91% or above and achieve black belt certification? Employers would be jumping on this and start requiring a certain level of certification or they won’t even consider you. PMI’s profits would soar.
PMI Processes / Real Life
PMI bases everything on the following 6 separate, but overlapping processes:
- Initiating
- Planning
- Executing
- Montoring
- Controlling
- Closing
These are great and there are PM and project activities that occur within each phase. However, here’s a frustrating thing for me. I write for a website that is designed to help out project managers with real-life tips culled from experience. I wrote a detailed article on each of the 8 phases of a general project management methodology that I use. I then wrote one article that contained a “quick guide” to this methodology. It outlines what the purpose of each phase is, what activities happen in each of those phases and what deliverables are generally expected out of each of those phases. This quick guide I wrote can be used by an inexperienced project manager to very quickly setup a project schedule shell for their project in MS Project or a web-based project tool like ProjectOffice.net.
However, when I published the article, I received a comment from someone saying that they had no idea what it was I was documenting…they couldn’t see past the 6 PMI processes. The 6 PMI processes won’t setup a project plan for you…they just tell you the ‘duh’ of what is involved in managing a project. They don’t tell you what phases need to occur and what you need to deliver and get signed off in order to be successful. In other words, they don’t give you real-life experience to help someone with. The concern was that this person read my quick guide and didn’t even understand it.
Summary
This article will probably offend some. Remember, I’m not saying PMP certification is a bad thing at all. I sometimes wish I had my PMP cert. But what is bad is that employers are quickly screening out experienced individuals up front for much less experienced PMP certified project managers. It should be a ‘nice-to-have.’ It’s a test, not real life and it should not be an in-or-out screening mechanism but I’m hearing repeatedly from PMs and organizations that it is. That’s frustrating for our industry. And it’s sad that it’s become such big business.
Related posts:
127 Comments to “Project Management: Is PMP Certification Worth It?”
Post comment
Kim says:
Good article. I want to add my two cents worth: two cents because that is all its probably worth. I invested a great deal of time to achieve my PMP certification only to be quickly overwhelmed with the ongoing maintenance work. I eventually had to weigh what the benefits were against the cost of money and time. When in Wash. D.C., my PMP certification was recognized primarily amoung IT groups and a small handful of Beltway bandit Gov contracting companies like Booz or CSC. Even though they desire employees with PMPs, they rarely cough up PMP expense reimbursement and prefer to pay for graduate school courses.Outside of the Wash. D.C. IT environment, experience counts 1000 times more. Perhaps, as the PMP becomes more recognized, it will offer a greater return. PMP, like a college degree, indicates the holder has the basics. Experience is the true measure. The two together have value in a small handfull of industries and geographical job markets: like IT in D.C. Otherwise, I have found it has not been worth the money and time investment in my case. Does anyone have an opening for an ex-PMP experienced Senior Emergency and Continuity Management expert? Thanks.
MAK says:
When I delivered extremely successful process improvement projects they asked me where I got my Black Belt in LSS from; sorry mate I don’t have that cert!
Delivering numerous successful IT infrastructure, application development and software development projects was not enough for some (most!?) people until they see a cert on your resume. I have read PMBOK like i read other management books but never went for the certification.
Most interesting was this one interview where the interviewer couldn’t see past his requirement of a black belt certification, a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Statistics and a Post Graduate degree in Statistics was not sufficient where you learn and practise six sigma for 5 years I think thats more than what you can learn in a 14 day black belt workshop!!!
Jim O'Hare says:
I have been managing projects for 25 years. I actually started my career designing project management software. I have close to 50 implementations under my belt, and like others have read PMBOK and belong to the PMI. I just do not have the time to spend getting pieces of paper that tell me what I already know. That I have learned from so many different projects and the uniquness that each brings to the table. PMP is not the gaurantee to success.
Pennie Johnson says:
What tools advise can you offer to help me better plan, document, projects I’m working or have worked previously? Also, any ideas on how planning a charity event can be used as a PMP example?
Thanks.
Pennie Johnson.
Biljana says:
@Pennie
When choosing a project management tool, it is essential that you exactly know your requirements and to search for a tool that meets those requirements.
Here at Seavus (the sponsor of PMTips.net) we have highly trained professionals that can make an analysis of your requirements such as project team size, location and other factors that are crucial to your work and provide you with the best solution for your needs.
At this moment our best selling project planning tool is Seavus Project Planner. You can download it here: http://www.seavusprojectplanner.com/FreeTrial.aspx and if you need additional information you can contact me at biljana.pesevska@seavus.com.
Looking forward to your feedback!
February Survey: PMP Certification | Project Management Tips || Project Management, Collaboration and Knowledge Management Blog says:
[...] in July 2009 I did an article entitled “Is PMP Certification Worth It?” and then a follow-up article a couple of days later entitled “Is PMP Certification Worth It? [...]
Merril Christie says:
Oh my God! Finally an article that tells it exactly like it is. I have just spent 6 months doing a Masters Certificate in Project Management Course at Schulich, York University which was such a crock. It was a good course but certainly not a ‘Masters’ course. This whole PMI/PMP thing is a crock. I have been in the industry following PMI methodology for over 11 years and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it but this ka-ching organisation called PMI and this focus on having a PMP certification is such BS. I, unfortunately, have bought into it despite knowing that all the swotting to get 61% will not make me a better PM. However, there is some pressure in my organisation to be a PMP and I have decided to give it a go. I can’t wait for the next 5 weeks to do my exam and hopefully pass. I am studying like mad because sadly, my 11 years of practical experience will not help me pass this stupid exam which is intent on tripping you up. Even getting the qualifying hours is a nightmare. What a crock. Thank you for a sane voice in this madness of PMI/PMP.
LMitchell says:
I am PMP certified and re-certifying again to keep it. Why? Peer equity in a PMO organization where 24% were PMP certified and the rest of us just great PMs. With layoffs around, you don’t and hope that is not a deciding factor but I did not what to take that chance. I agree, you don’t have to be a PMP to be a good project manager. I felt I was as good if not better than some peers because of my experience, not the certification, for sure. Executives and managers should recognize that. PMP should (and is) getting the same weight as a degree. It means you had the discipline and the wearwithall to get the certification, just like a degree. You can take all the courses for an MBA and if you don’t graduate-so what, you don’t have it. For me I take it as the baseline of the discipline and then shape it, use it, to fit the work needs. It gives the guides of how to get it done in a formal manner. I like the green, yellow, black belt scenario– like Six Sigma and that is admirable in that disciplie as well as it is not easy to achieve. That should be submitted to PMI as a next step in the certificaiton levels. Anyway – I am proud of the certifiation, it was not easy, it took a lot of personal time to do it and keep it. Doing the recertification is not so bad – it’s staying in tune with the field and industry (for me) and keeping me in touch like this website has of all the great things that PM is and does. My two cents- rock on and be great – with or without, good PMs continue to be a much needed force in the work place.
Anoush says:
I have to agree with Kim, Mak (good on ya mate!), Jim O’Hare et al. I have been a project manager for more than 25 years and have delivered all types of IT projects ranging from $250K to $25 million. I am not PMP certified but I am a member of PMI, just so I can keep an eye on the destruction being caused. Some of the PMP certified project managers I have met during my career couldn’t find their collective ass without a satellite. Programmers have been encouraged to get their PMP by some consulting companies, just so they could state that in their Proposals to justify the individual’s rate!
The worst offender in this farce is PMI itself. PMBoK is NOT a methodology. It is merely a Framework of Reference. 9 Knowledge Areas have been created in the framework and the definition of each of those areas and the underlying processes are nowhere near industry standard. If this is PMI’s attempt to take over and run the PM industry, they have a think coming! The secret to passing the PMP exam is to memorize PMI’s definitions of Project Management concepts and the nine areas. Individuals with good memories, especially from Eastern countries where memorization and regurgitation is revered, will pass with flying colors but they will not have a clue as to how to apply the knowledge. Guys like us who do not need some institution to tell us how good we are on a piece of paper, will be left to straighten out the chaos and bloodshed created by the PMP certified.
Monique says:
Like every other certification or degree course, its about increased marketability in the end. It looks good on a resume and persons without direct industry experience will often make hiring decisions based on it, just as they do with BSc.s and MBAs. Get over it. It is what it is. If you’re afraid of being overlooked by these hiring managers, go get the certification and stop whining.
RS says:
I have let my PMP lapse, due to the cost and time needed to keep it up. I have worked at jobs that do not pay anything toward the certification, and constantly work on projects where I cannot take the time for the upkeep. I think PMI is wrong in letting PMP certificates lapsing, it becomes a big money maker for them. And, I personally think those who can contribute so many hours and do CEU’s every year are not working on important projects. I beleive that you can upgrade but never loose your certificate you earned it, do I have to pay to keep my bachelors degree every year?
PMP, no excuses! says:
I disagree. You can say how good of a project manager you are all you want, but having the PMP designation means that someone other than yourself is willing to attest that you have an understanding of project management best practices. Because you do not have such a designation we would have to take your word as to how good you are at Project Management. By the way, having X amount of years does not necessarily make you great. How do we know you had 23 years of experience or the same year of experience 23 times over?
The reasoning that HR is just being lazy as to the reason PMP certified PMs earn more makes no sense.
Of course a certification or degree is no guarentee of other qualities such as integrity or people skills. That is true of the MD, JD or CPA. Doctors and lawyers get sued for malpractice. Someone with a CPA may also lack people skills. The argument that you make that CPAs do not need people skills that PMs do does not make any sense. A CPA has to interface with others to build and maintain business if the CPA is in business for himself or herself. The argument that just because someone has a certification or degree does not really mean much here.
The argument that you make of the PMI profiting off the PMP exam does not make sense here either. Many programs profit off the CPA exam, the MCAT and the LSAT. That does not diminish the value of those exams to their respective professions.
I am sorry you did not put forth the effort to become PMP certified so now you have to explain to everyone why not having a PMP does not matter.
Having the PMP designation means not having to make excuses. ‘Nuff said!
Brad Egeland says:
Thanks for reading and for your comments. As for the CPA – no one cares if he has a CPA if he’s in business for himself. Same with the PM. That’s not the comparison to make. I am merely stating that it is lazy for HR reps to rely solely on PMP designation as an initial weed out for positions. I’m not crying over it, but I am hearing from a lot of frustrated project managers out there who can’t get interviews. Although I will say that it appears that as of late those lazy HR practices may have eased a bit. My latest scan of PM postings either skip the PMP discussion altogether or say that it is a plus, not a requirement.
23 years of experience does speak for something. IMO, it speaks for more than the minimal requirements of experience for the PMP and the low percentage of correct answers on an exam. And that only says that they read and comprehended the PMBOK.
I completely disagree with you. But we’re all entitled to our opinions which is why we’ve had such a good discussion on this topic. Thanks again.
Brad
Brad Egeland says:
I meant to say above that no one cares if an account has a CPA if he’s in business for himself. He has to make the determination if it will help his career. But if he’s applying for specific positions, many of those will require CPA designation. It is not, however, the same as PMI designation nor does PMI designation signify nearly the comprehension and dedication to your profession that acquiring the CPA does. That is not a comparison that you can really make or that makes any sense.
PMP, no excuses! says:
The main point I made, which you never addressed, is that having a designation such as PMP means some entity other than yourself will attest to your effectiveness as a project manager. The PMI has been around since 1969 and the PMP status is sought after around the globe. So this is not some fly by night certification Microsoft came up with to make money. By the way, compared to the fees Microsoft requires for their exams which retire on a frequent basis, the PMP exam is actually priced quite fairly.
The PMP exam is part of making project management a profession. CPAs, lawyers and nurses all pass exams after graduation before they are allowed to practice. Why shouldn’t project managers have to do the same?
By the way, your comment that passing the PMP exam only says they read and comprehend the PMBOK shows that you do not understand the scope of the PMP exam. Merely reading the PMBOK guide is not enough to pass, which is why experience is also a requirement. However, experience is not enough either because many people who call themselves project managers do not really perform all of the duties of a project manager.
As for laziness where HR is concerned, HR professionals are not really in a position to judge experience as well as the hiring manager. So HR uses certifications such as the PMP as a screening device. HR does this for IT positions as well.
An accountant will be limited if he goes into business for himself and yes, clients will care whether the accountant has passed the CPA exam. I also believe many hiring managers and clients care whether the project managers have passed the PMP exam, so that is a comparison that makes sense-maybe not to you though….
I’m not going to discount your 23 years of experience. I have no idea if you are a good project manager or not and that is exactly the point. Nobody else out there really knows if you are a good project manager. The question is whether you have knowledge of best practices in project management. There are all sorts of people who call themselves project managers and do not even know how to draft a charter or ellicit requirements. Passing the PMP exam is certainly not impossible and passing the PMP exam may not even be the hardest exam in the world to pass. But passing is certainly not easy or everyone would be doing it.
By the way, having PMP status is no guarantee of a bad project manager either as you imply. You remind me of a friend who was going to be a CPA back in 2004. Here it is, six years later and he does not even have the required education to sit for the CPA exam.
Before you could not shut this guy up as to the status of a CPA. Now all he can do is disparage being a CPA as slavery to partners for years and spending a lot of time and money passing a useless test. This is the same guy who used to say that passing the CPA exam means not having to make excuses.
If you ever do go through the process and pass the PMP exam I am almost certain you will agree that preparing for the PMP exam was more than passing a test. Preparing makes you a better project manager.
You are going to have a problem if ever the PMP exam becomes a requirement to practice as a Project Manager. Doctors, lawyers, CPAs and nurses all have to pass an exam to practice and I don’t see any of them complaining.
Brad Egeland says:
It’s late and I’ll read the rest of your comment later and probably reply again, but I stopped dead in my tracks with your first sentence… “The main point I made, which you never addressed, is that having a designation such as PMP means some entity other than yourself will attest to your effectiveness as a project manager.”
That is completely wrong. No other entity is confirming your effectiveness as a project manager. All PMP designation means is that you have a couple of years of experience and scored a 61% on the exam. That’s it. There’s no attesting to your effectiveness as a PM.
Again, I’ll read the rest later and probably comment again and I appreciate your participation in the comments. I love a good debate. But that first sentence lost me….
Brad Egeland says:
Doctors, lawyers, CPAs and nurses have to have that certification because there are legal issues to them practicing without them. That will not be the case for project managers…ever.
I have never maintained that PMP certification is an indication of a bad project manager. I only maintain that it does not guarantee you are a good or even competent project manager. Project management is even more about communication and leadership than it is about best practices – though no one will argue that best practices aren’t important…they definitely are.
As for ease to pass the exam…. sometimes it’s about cost. I was working for an organization who was going to bump my salary by $10k for passing the exam – and they were going to pay for all of it. Was I going to go for it? Heck yes. But the company folded before I could sit for it and I’ve been too busy since to take the time and independently spend the money to sit for the exam.
And yes, clients will care if an accountant has a CPA, but that’s between an independent accountant and his clients. If he’s trying to get a W2 position with a company, then it’s much more likely that they will care.
I’ve never had a client care if I was PMP certified or not as an independent consultant. It’s only hiring organizations that sometimes care. And it will never be a legal requirement as it is with the fields you mention at the end of your comment.
PMP, no excuses! says:
Yes, you can have a person who has the designation of PMP and that same person could still be a poor leader or communicator despite experience and a knowledge of best practices. You also find doctors who cut off the wrong leg or who fall asleep during surgery and leave instruments inside the patient’s body. You find lawyers who are dolts and CPAs who cannot apply what they know in the real world.
It is not a flaw of the CPA exam when a CPA lacks common sense or has no ethics. The AMA is not to blame for a surgeon who cuts off the wrong leg, nor is the medical school that particular surgeon attended at fault. If a particular PMP out there is a lousy project manager then that individual, or group of individuals does not invalidate the PMP certification. The Project Management Institute has been around since 1969 and is in all but four countries. The PMP designation is not valuable only in the US but in most of the world and that would not have occured if industry did not see the value of certification.
I don’t expect that the PMI is going away any time in the near future. Consider that with problem of someone faking experience and credentials on their resume, clients need some objective criteria to go with. There are other certifications out there such as Project+ and ITIL certification but the PMP is the king of the hill. Please see http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/educationfortechcareers/tp/HighestCerts.htm.
You cannot say the PMP will never be a requirement for project managers. Various IT certifications are now required by the end of the summer for a job I am at right now or those people who do not certify will lose their jobs. At one time, experience was sufficient for these IT security jobs but not anymore. The CPA was not always a requirement either. The government stands to lose millions of taxpayer dollars for failed projects. Money is not all that is at stake. Consider the impact of a failed shuttle launch.
You comment in your last paragraph of your initial post above where
“I sometimes wish I had my PMP cert. But what is bad is that employers are quickly screening out experienced individuals up front for much less experienced PMP certified project managers.”
So you have to admit that regardless of how you or I may feel about the matter, those who are doing the hiring do care about about the PMP. I really don’t think it is a matter of laziness either. With all the people out there fabricating aspects of their applications, how can HR really know out of the multitude of applicants who is going to get the job done?
By the way, I found a link to a study that found that “According to Foote Partners LLC, an IT workforce research company, projects managed by people who are not PMP certified project managers have only 25% success rate in contrast to 75% success rate of projects handled by PMP certified managers. ” Like it or not, the PMP designation does have value. You may not accept that and that is fine. As long as you are getting work, as far as you are concerned, who cares about the PMP? But you must be noticing that those with PMP designation are getting ahead of you for jobs or you would not mention it in your initial post.
The fact is that even experienced project managers are not doing what they should on projects and may not even be familiar with best practices in a particular knowledge area such as procurement or risk management. Studying for the PMP exam is not just studying for a test. The process will make you a better project manager by expanding your knowledge of project management.
Bob Kois PMP says:
Brad, …..ever is here. The US Government and the State of Colorado now require PMP certification for large projects funded by them. The bills past a few years ago and went into affect Jan. 1 2009. Washington is preparing to do their audits, so get ready.
I agree, the two best PMs I have ever worked with were not certified. But… employers agree that it makes a world of difference and so IBM, HP and many others like Google, Apple and others now require the certification to become employed.
Our foreign competition agree too and they are adding PMPs at a much faster rate than most places in the US. (ie.. China & India)
Never say never. Now is the time, get your PMP.
Project Manager Wannabe... says:
Now for a different view-point…
I did a lot of work in previous jobs as a project leader. Though I was not recognized as a project manager, I gained the experience required to get my PMP. I took the classes through a local college, and later took the exam and passed. Great, now I’m a PMP.
Economic situations led to me losing my job. But, I was equipped with my PMP… I should surely get a job!
I got a lot of interviews from some very prestigious places. It became very clear about 5 minutes into each interview that they never read my resume – I got the interview because I had PMP after my name. If they had read my resume, they would have seen that I’m looking to get more experience in that role, and get into managing larger projects (as opposed to in-house ones). The companies assumed that PMP meant I had lots of experience. Once it was realized that I am very junior still at project management, the interviews were politely ended.
So yes, PMP does set you apart from the rest. It does show that you are committed to the field (not saying without it that you are not, but then PMP is “proof” of it). However, it does not mean you are the greatest project manager available.
In the end, I think my PMP certification hindered my job search. Now I am at a very small company (14 people) in which my project management skill will likely never be fully utilized. I am the manager of the IT group, and most projects involve a maximum of 2 people, and a maximum duration of 4 weeks. I am wondering if it is worth my time and money to keep up my PMP, even though I’ve had it for only one year.
PMP, no excuses! says:
I agree that simply having a PMP designation does not make you “the greatest project manager available.” Having the PMP designation definitely made a difference for me and for many others. If earning the PMP certification was a hinderance to your job search, then I am sorry to hear that.
There are always going to be individuals who fail despite having reached a particular goal such as PMP certification or a college degree. There are also examples of people who have succeeded in life without any certificates or degrees. In general, however the odds for most people are enhanced with more education and certificatations than without these achievements. There are star atheletes and rock stars who will make more in one game or with a single song than I will ever make in my lifetime. In my particular situation going to college and passing exams was instrumental to getting me to where I wanted to be. So with the PMP certification or not, if you can find a way to find what you consider success then my hat is off to you.
JayF says:
Hello All,
Reading all these comments made me ask you all one question.
Who would be kind enough to guide me out of a confusing question.
I have been in the Logistics/SCM career past 22 years and I want to pursue PM as my future career come out of Logistics/SCM world as fed up with it.
Can one of you or all of you tell me is it worth it or not or should I go ahead with SS.
My other thought was PMAC.
Thank you guyz…..
Lee says:
Speaking as a PMP (and Prince2) certified PM I can see the case for the argument provided, but I think it only sees a limited aspect of this ongoing question – does it make me a better PM? Has either of these certifications made me a better PM? I think the answer, for me, is yes. They haven’t changed me as a person and a large part of successful project management is good communications, but they do provide an independent structure for the management phases of a project, not all phases may be relevent to your project but that’s where your experience and intelligence comes into play – pick whats relevent and file the rest; life’s complicated enough.
What they do provide is proof of the attainment of a minimum level of subject matter knowledge and application, which in all honesty is all any certification can provide in reality. It won’t guarantee you are a better PM than anyone else, or your projects will suddenly become less risky. But it will give you the confidence to hold your own in meetings and to work a delivery when all around are asking (telling?) you to skip / don’t worry about / gloss over certain parts.
I would like to revise the question to – ‘is the PMP certification a worthwhile choice for a career PM?’ This alters the context of the question to what I feel it should be. If your decision is to be a career PM then I would argue that hand in hand with ongoing experience you should be looking to attain certifications, it will add weight to your argument that you are a ‘lifer PM’.
The British Royal Air Force filters its applications for pilots by requesting a bachelors degree; it acknowledges that a university degree will in no way will help anyone become a pilot or learn to fly but it needs some form of filter to help manage the applications. They keep a ‘backdoor’ entry scheme open for naturals, those people who were born to fly.
Companies ask for certifications for two main reasons – filtering of applications and risk mitigation. If they can state they employed certified personnel then it allows them a degree of insurance should things go disastrously wrong; it’s not a panacea but its something.
I guess if you are a career PM and are questioning the value of PM certifications you need to question whether you see yourself as one of the many ,or one of the naturals.
MMM says:
if two persons are applying to one position and they have the same experiance years. however, one of them are pmp certified. who would be selected?
when you are getting a pmp you should compare yourself to the same experiance.
Brad Egeland says:
MMM- You’re missing my point. If two people have the same experience and INTERVIEW the same and it’s a tough call, then I understand going with the PMP. And likewise, if there is a requirement on your project that calls for a PMP certification, I understand that as well. What I’m seeing as an ongoing frustration factor is organizations weeding out not at all on experience but on PMP certification. Meaning someone with 5 years of experience and PMP may get an interview while someone with 15 years of successful project management experience may get passed over because they don’t have it. That’s lazy HR work in my opinion.
Mohan says:
Hi
Kindly send me your article named “quick guide” to setup a project plan quickly.
Thanks in Advance
Mohan
Bryan says:
I found this dialog interesting. I’ve had the PMP for nearly 5 years and I work for a global company.
To me the PMP is just window dressing for the most important aspect of PMI that has been missing from this conversation.
Standardization.
Managing complexity is more art than science, but if we have an agreed measure than we can communicate more effectively and collaborate effectively accross all cultures and languages..
This is what it is all about.
As for passing the exam, i found it fairly easy after using the crosswinds simulation cd. I still haven’t read most of PMBOK, but knowing where to find the standards is all you need it for.