The Path to the PMP (Part 1)

Following 20 years at a large Canadian telecommunications firm, Bruce established the project management consulting firm Solutions Management Inc (SMI). Since 1999, he has provided contract project/program management services, been a source for project management support personnel and created/delivered courses to over 7,000 participants in Canada, the United States and England.

  Career Development   Using PMI Standards  

You can’t put it off any longer. Last spring you said you would do it before summer vacation started. But as the season wrapped up, you thought: “I will absolutely write the exam before the holidays!” Now the holidays are done and we’re into a new year...and that PMBOK 4th edition is still sitting on the table begging to be cracked open. “I should get this done before the new exam kicks in,” you say to yourself. Or maybe you’ll just wait for the new exam and then for sure you’re going to do it!

It seems there are as many reasons not to bare down and start preparing as there are not to exercise. But now it’s time, and as many of my ProjectManagement.com colleagues have pointed out, it’s absolutely worth the effort. We know there is no guarantee of a promotion, salary increase or fame and glory. But we do know that an investment in oneself is the most important investment you can make. I can’t help you get fit (well, I could...but do you really want some middle-aged guy telling you to push yourself away from the table and get outside?), but I can help you get ready to write the PMP exam.

Will it be easy? No. I tell participants in the PMP bootcamps I run that I wish I had worked as hard in college as I did when I prepared to write my certification exam. Alas, those were different days...and who knew that…

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