4 Easy Steps To Understanding Project Management Certifications

 

I get this question a lot.

"Please can you tell me the difference between the PMP and Prince2 and the advantages and disadvantages thereof."

Or something similar.

Look, it's not a bad idea to research the various options out there for certification or even degree programs.

But you shouldn't start there in my no-so-humble opinion.

Perhaps a completely different focus of your time and energy is a better ROI than pursuit of a certification.

But how can you know?

Here are four easy steps to understanding which certification or degree you should pursue.

Step 1 - Target Organizations

Think of yourself as a business.

You are trying to figure out what product to develop (which certification to pursue).

You don't start with the product.

You start with your target market - the people who will potentially buy your product if only you can make it solve a problem they experience and make their lives better.

So first thing's first. Who is your target market?

If you don't know who you are trying to serve, you are only taking a wild guess about where to put your efforts.

Who is your target market (potential employers)?

Step 2 - Narrow Your Focus

It's likely you have some rather broad category of potential employers from the last step.

Something like "software development companies" or "telecommunications".

Not good enough.

I want you to think deeply about the organizations in which you thrive.

Not just exist, but THRIVE.

• Are they startups or long-established organizations?
• Do they have a handful of employees or would their employees overflow from a Superbowl stadium?
• Do they have a structured hierarchy with many levels or a flatter, less hierarchal organizational structure?

Step 3 - Research And Narrow Your Focus More

Now that you understand what you want, let's find a candidate list of potential fits.

The internet is such an awesome tool, and not just for posting what you just ate for breakfast to your Facebook friends (who knew?)

Using sites like LinkedIn, Gantthead, and just a good 'ol Google search you can find out amazing things about companies in your area and if they might be a potential fit for YOU.

Get creative. Use company searches, Chamber of Commerce information, and asking around your professional network (you've got a well-maintained network of professional relationships, right?) to find out more about these organizations.

In the end, narrow down your list to 3-10 target organizations. You can broaden this list later if you want, but for now let's keep the focus as narrow as possible.

By the way - if the company you already work for is on that list of 3-10 organizations, congratulations! You may not want to switch companies. But if it's not, maybe it's time for a change.

Step 4 - Ask

Geeeez Josh, I thought this article was supposed to be about project management certifications?

It is.

But if you expected me to talk about certifications in Step 1 it's because you've been thinking about this bass-ackwards, pal.

Now that you have a small, targeted list of 3-5 organizations that are a good fit for you, guess what you can do now?

Ask.

Just ask them - what certifications, if any, does your organization value? (Hint: some organizations DESPISE certifications - it's true!)

Hopefully you've already expanded your professional network towards these 3-10 organizations. If not, now's the time.

It can take some time to do it right. This is slow-roasted goodness, not a microwave entre.

Even if you can't seem to find a connection you can approach these organizations so you can get to know them.

And for them to get to know you.

What If You Still Don't Understand?

Well, you messed one of these steps up, bucco.

If your candidate list of companies isn't 3-10 narrowly focused ones, do steps 1-3 again. This time, with FEELING.

If you are confident about which companies you've put on your short list, but still don't understand if they value project management certifications or which ones, you've got some networking to do. Look at step 4 and get your hands on every book, article, and training program you can find on professional networking. Most of all, practice the heck out of it.

And the best part?

In the process of trying to understand about project management certifications, you learned a heck of a lot more about something else.

Your career.