I'm looking into the PMP certification through PMI. I'm in the road and bridge construction industry. My experience is from the shovel to equipment operator to Quality control to being in charge of crews some projects and currently inspection and compliance. I have industry specific certifications in soils, asphalt, concrete, Quality Control manager ect. I want to advance in my career but I lack a college degree. I don't want to go through the time and expense of getting the PMP cert if companies require a degree. Any advice would be helpful or names of companies that would hire someone like myself as a Project Manager even entry level without the college degree, but PMP certified and industry specific experience. Saving Changes...
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Richard HowProgramme Management Consultant| How Associates LtdHarthill, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
I run a PMO and I have no degree, I started as a developer creating project management systems and moved up through the ranks to principle developer then project managed and onto PMO management. Many companies that understand project management know that experience cannot be learned.
I'k UK based though so I'm not sure what the situation is in the US where I assume you are. Saving Changes...
Robert ProlProject Manager| KPMG LLPEast Sandwich, Ma, United States
Check out www.tesc.edu. You may be able to get a degree without too much course work. They will take work experience and CLEP exams toward a degree. It doesn't take long, and is online (fully accredited). Saving Changes...
Gary DrummCEO - Sr. ITSM Consultant| Drumm Consulting GroupKennedale, Tx, United States
Also check out Villanova University's Master's Certification programs. I have no degree, yet I'm the VP of Network Operations for a $Multi-Million company.
Whether you need a degree or not depends very highly on your industry. You do not have much information on your profile, so I cannot give you customized advice.
Ask recruiters about your prospects. They will always want you to have more and more and more qualifications, because it is easier for them when you have them. Still, some may be willing to give you an honest view of the importance of a degree in your industry.
Also, talk to people who are currently doing the type of work you hope to do. See if any of them have gotten their job with no college degree.
For some industries, a Bachelors or Masters from a top-notch school is required. For others, it does not mean a thing. Same thing goes for the PMP -- highly valued some places, not at all valued in others.
If you really do not want to get the degree, my advice is not to get it. You can definitely find some way to advance in your career. It may take a bit longer and you might need to switch employers, but you can definitely find some one to work for who does not care. You could also start your own business; if you deliver great products and results, none of your customers will even ask about your degree.
Several of the people mentioned on-line places to get a degree. These are also good options. If you decide to get a degree, make sure it is with a reputable place. There are many "diploma mills" (on-line and in-person) that produce nearly-worthless degrees.
Personally I found that people asked about my college experience for the first five years after I graduated, but they almost never ask about it now (about 15 years out of college now). I have it on my resume, since I graduated from a good school, but employers seem to care about my recent job experience much more than my degree. I have also worked alongside people with no degree, and it seemed to make little difference at most companies, as long as they had the right experience and knowledge to do the job. Saving Changes...
I have known a few people who have made great career strides without having degrees, but they were immensely talented and also struggled to get recognized. The corporations that hired them had to pull strings to bypass the HR requirements, but they were nonetheless able to do so. If you're a newcomer wanting to work in the corporate world, not having a degree remains a major roadblock. Unless you have connections (and the people I mentioned above did), the chances of your resume sticking out are almost nil. But it can happen.
Government work may provide a good inroad. The entry barriers are usually lower and opportunities usually present themselves to motivated workers. Saving Changes...
Gary DrummCEO - Sr. ITSM Consultant| Drumm Consulting GroupKennedale, Tx, United States
To follow up Alex's point about diploma mills, Villanova's online program is part of the University Alliance network, which also includes such schools as Florida Tech, Notre Dame, and Tulane. In addition, Villanova was ranked the 13th best business school in the US by Business week earlier this year, so it's NOT a diploma mill.
Another way to make certain that your school is not a diploma mill, os to check out the list of education resources on PMI's website. If they accept degrees and PDU's from a particular school or program, odds are it's accredited appropriately.
As for my personal education, I fully intend to go back and complete an MBA, and likely a BS in Electronics Enginieering, once I finish my PMP and ITIL certifications, but I'll be doing that more for personal fulfillment rather than career choices.
With PMP and ITIL certifications, and (by then) 17 years of practical experience, nobody will really care about a degree anyway, for what I do. Saving Changes...
Hey Bryan! I have agreed to your experience in your field, and most of the industries prefer to experience behalf of certificates and experience latter from another industry too! But now academic degree is necessary for this time and here you have opportunity for getting online Life Experience Degrees Accredited in your program. Online is only one way where you can complete your academic study in your schedule as well as searches, job when it gets so join it without any difficulties as you think if you start so have to go to your college or any institute, it does not go there so you will be filled. Saving Changes...
