The project management professional (PMP) certification targets project managers who possess formal training in addition to a three-year work experience in the field of project management. The PMP certification commands an international recognition plus high value in regards to project management. The primary goal of this certificate is to evaluate as well as measure objectively the candidate's professional knowledge. Its pursuance is governed unbiased by the applicable laws. PMI offers oversight of the given process, and a qualifying candidate must pass a set exam do as to get the certification.
Qualification for the PMP exam requires the fulfillment of several preset candidates expectations. The standards divert into two broad categories. The first group includes the possession of a four-year bachelor’s degree or its global equivalent. The Candidate must have acquired a non-overlapping experience of three years minimum in a professional project management role. The role must have included a minimum of 4,500 hours in a leadership plus directory role of a project's task. Finally, the Candidate must sum up all of this with not less than 35hours of formal education.
The second category requires a candidate to possess a secondary degree, that is, a high school diploma, an associate’s degree or their global equivalent. Also, the candidates should have non-overlapping experience in professional project management of not less than five years. In the given period the person should spend a minimum 7,500 hours in a leadership and directory role of the assigned project activities. In conclusion, the candidates must obtain a formal education of an average 35 contact hours. The given work experience is most preferred if it falls within the last eight years. In addition to the particular project management professional (PMP) certification, there exist other related Project Management certifications.
Project management certifications vary in number and apart from the PMP certification there are other nine major project management certifications. The first is the Certified Associate in Project Management CAPM which is the precursor of the famed PMP Certification. The PMI offers the CAPM to professionals that target achievement of their PMP Certification in stages. The application majorly thrives on the candidates that possess just basic rudimentary project management experience. CAPM can thus, is a stepping stone of the laborious PMP. The requirement for CAPM includes a high school diploma or its equivalent. Also, the person needs not less than 1500 hours of project experience plus an average of 23 hours on the PM education. The second is the CompTIA Project+ which equates to the PMI’s CAPM credential but with a less rigorous requirement. CompTIA’s Project+ derives its designing data from the feedback collected from research institutions, entire computing industry, independent experts, government agencies as well as academia. Requirements for this certification call for a one-year experience in a managerial, directory or participatory role in a small- to medium-sized project.
The third type of certification is Master Project Manager (MPM) which derives its growth and advancement from the American Academy of Project Management. The management team has modeled it in a similar model of the professional licensure followed by most professionals such as lawyers, pilots, doctors as well as engineers. The primary focus of this AAPM is on the professional project managers in addition to the benefits of the given business plus responsibilities given to the technical management. The fourth type is Certified Project Manager (CPM) which is most popular in the Pacific Rim region and recognized internationally. CPM focuses mainly on skills such as communication quality management, finance, human resource management, finance, integration, risk and issue management, marketing management, as well as information technology.
The fifth type is Security PMITS that analyses hardships faced while up taking the management of IT security projects. The candidates get their management skills empowered and customized for the tailor made needs of the IT safety in the given companies. The sixth type is the Professional in Project Management (PPM) that from the GAQM. The GAQM’s PMC’s focus on the allocation of resources actually, effective communication, clear direction, quality deliverables with a minimal risk, as well as adaptability to change. The seventh is Certified Project Director which is the highest level of the GAQM’s certifications. It targets the experienced project managers that manage multiple complex projects as well as programs. Finally, there is the Project Management certificate offered in most institutions via their existing managerial programs.
The benefits of certification entail that it gives an employee a differentiation against fellow competitors who lack the certification. Secondly, the certification plugs the candidate into the certified network and access to resources befalling the certified club. Thirdly, the achievement of the certification increases the professional’s confidence as it instills a mentality of having completed the set stages. Furthermore, it equips the project managers with tools to draw upon when the need arises in the roles of the projects undertaken. Experience rounds out most professions, but the PMP facilitates the reasoning beyond one's comfort zone, abilities plus new exposure. Certification allows improved mentorship capabilities past those acquired from the experience. Managers can extrapolate from experience and use it to relate to the learner fully.
The certificate makes one stand out as a continuous learner as this is an attribute most employers seek. Learning adds up value to a given person and creates an admirable trait. The professionals are empowered in financial bargaining ability as it deems one qualified for a salary increment of up to 20% upon completion. Certified professionals have the potential to evaluate both talents and skills of their fellow employees. Finally, the certification facilitates the change into new fields especially for those in technical areas willing to move to a different advanced and more responsible role.
It is worthwhile for most project managers to get certified as first and foremost as it facilitates in their winning a project or program manager role in comparison to those without certification. Having the title of PMP in your designation gains your credibility in the field when interacting with new people. It also enables the winning of a higher salary in the area in comparison to fellow managers who lack the certification. The surveys up taken show a difference of $6,000 to $10,000 between the certified and none approved. Moreover, the attainment of the certification opens up doors of links with multiple other certified persons all over the world. The 2011 survey showed the presence of 357,770 PMI members worldwide, the forums held by the given members facilitates the exchange of ideas as well as growth opportunities among the members.
The meetings further create a platform for the acquisition of knowledge about new career opportunities. The members get a chance to stand and enlighten those in attendance of open opportunities in their various organizations. Moreover, multiple online platforms surpass the physical meetings where the PMP’s interact with the fellow as well as other project managers to enable the building of their professional networking. Online channels also assist in the analysis of newly arisen career opportunities. Attainment of the certification in itself is a benchmark of winning spirit in the profession of project management and builds further on the self-esteem of the given candidates as it is internationally recognized.
As a person desiring to join in the project management field, I would highly consider the attainment of the certification. The decision creates an avenue for multiple benefits derived from its acquisition as well as the worth of the certification. Furthermore, the purchase of the certification equips one with the needed skill set to run projects smoothly as well as programs in an efficient way. Also, certification facilitates the credibility of a project manager to potential and ongoing project owners in the ability to push a project to the optimal levels required for profitability. A certified project manager can uptake cost effective budgeting, management, as well as the determination of the scope of multiple projects under their care. The learning of the given certification equips one with the ability to assess and mitigate interdependent project risks so as to deliver the various projects successfully.
A Christian business manager would benefit from obtaining one of these PMC’s since they also need the ability to run projects in the most efficient and organized way. In the bible on the creation story, we learn that God was orderly and highly useful in the production project. He created each necessity in an orderly way with the priorities to the items needed for life support at the start and man at the end to manage and lived with the rest of the creation. As a Christian business manager, you also need the professionalism in the performance of delegated duties as well as emulation of our God in the Bible. Firms that thrive most are those that are handled by professionals as experience advances through the making of mistakes, and some may cost the industry significant financial impacts as projects are systematic in nature. Christian businesspeople need not exclusion out of the competitive advantage acquired by those who have attained both the certification as well as the experience. The competitive business world would kick out their businesses if their performance fails to facilitate their survival due to lack of the necessary skills.
References
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