The short answer? Getting a PMP (Project Management Professional Certification) is both a strategic move, as well as a practical approach to your Project Management career.

In my opinion, not every person who has achieved a PMP certification is a good Project Manager. 

However, a person who already has innate skills, such as organization and communication, can be made a stronger, more knowledgeable, and more capable Project Manager in an IT world.

The IT vertical is inherently fast-paced and ever changing.  Just as hardware, software and overall IT solutions become more specialized and complex, the skills needed for successful implementation become more critical.

Tying Business needs to Technical needs

A technically successful implementation of a solution is not fully realized, either internally or by a customer, unless it is tied to a business need – a specific goal that is well-defined and being worked towards. Just as importantly, end users need to view it as successful – because perception of the project (and of the Project Manager) is everything. Meeting all these needs takes multiple skills, and the full spectrum of training the PMP provides can help develop or strengthen these skills.

Competency with ever changing requirements

Not only are there hundreds of solutions, but they are also different for every industry and every customer. As the profession and its requirements change, so does the PMP exam to enable certified PM’s to be able to deliver across the board.  Maintaining your PMP status is a process of continual education, as you need to be re-certified every 3 years by completing a specific number of Professional Development Units (PDUs). Requiring these PDUs helps to ensure that, as the Project Management world grows and needs change, the PMP certified PM stays on top of the knowledge wave. This is the professional edge that everyone is looking for!

The education required for the certification process covers many areas and underlines where a PM’s focus should be directed before, during, and after implementation of a project. For instance, focus on preparing for all aspects of a project in the beginning stages ensures that nothing is overlooked. It also allows people who are not specially trained in the field of accounting and economics to have the ability to forecast costs and to monitor and manage budgets. Also, a PM must focus on Risk – a factor that is sometimes hard to anticipate but can easily sabotage projects! Identifying risks at the beginning of a project can help the team remediate issues more quickly or avoid issues altogether.

A real highlight for me was going through the training related to leadership.  While leading a team was something I had always felt comfortable with, the tips and tricks for dealing with different leadership styles and dealing with team dynamics and motivation, as well as interaction with stake holders, was invaluable to me. It was one of those areas where it helps to have inherent capability, but the actual training and techniques can be a strong tool in my tool belt – and it is one that I turn to frequently.

The training I went through also showed me the many ways that communication is so important and highlighted how it may be a deciding factor in how a project is perceived. It helped me to feel comfortable with the fact that no matter how well planned a project may be, we don’t have a crystal ball and we need to be prepared for changes and for our road maps to readjust.

Value

PMs come in many flavors, coming from technical, analyst, or business backgrounds, as well as across a variety of industries that utilize project management (from IT to construction, manufacturing, health care, finance and more).  Hiring specialists are looking for candidates who can exhibit understanding and capability in every aspect. A candidate who has their PMP certification brings immense value to a company, as the training required focuses on critical skills sets – e.g., Risk Assessment, Time and Cost management, and Project Planning. Having (and maintaining!) your PMP means that you are more likely to stay up to speed on changing Project Management strategies. New project management methodologies – e.g. holistic approach and a combination of Waterfall and Agile – came about in response to our ever-changing IT world. Waterfall and Agile skill sets are no longer viewed as fixed project management approaches to very different IT projects, and are now used fluidly/as needed.

While having your PMP provides more value to your customers, having a PMP also provides additional value to you.  An average range of increase a PM can expect, depending on the market and geography you work in, is a salary boost between 20 – 33%. There is an advantage as well in that the PMP certification is recognized worldwide and is of considerable value no matter where you live, but also no matter where the projects you manage are implemented.

Customer confidence and salary are valuable to us and our careers, but a PMP certificate also unlocks doors to a pathway of leadership oriented jobs, including executive roles. There are also certification levels past that of PMP, including a certification for Program Managers as well as Portfolio Managers.

A lot of job offerings these days “prefer” PMP certified applicants, but, if you’re looking to advance your career, a PMP certification may be a minimum requirement.

Where is the need for PMs going?

Job opportunities are estimated to increase over the next 10 years (with approximately 2 million jobs opening up each year), so there is no time like the present to improve your standing. The Project Management Institute, the organization responsible for training and certification, reports that there are approximately 1.2 million PMP certified Project Managers worldwide. That is an indication of the possibilities that are available to those who hold their PMP, because along with that it is estimated is that there are around 39.6 million PMs globally. The ability to be in the top 3 – 5% of your colleagues is definitely an advantage.

Conclusion

Despite being a Project Manager who has been at it for quite some time, I received my PMP in the last 5 years.  While I enjoy my career and thought I was pretty good at it, having that PMP certification has made me a more confident PM. Additionally, getting the PDU’s necessary to renew my certification turned out to be interesting as well as helpful. Although I thought PDUs were a bit tedious at first, they have provided many approaches to the profession that I have ended up incorporating into my job. Final analysis – it was the best thing I could do for my career!

Author: Ellen Durman, PMP