Stephanie HaasePropulsion Production Manager| United States Air ForceWichita Falls, Tx, United States
I obtained the PMP last year. Should I attempt Agile Practitioner? Program mgmt? I have a year left in the military. Might as well use up all of my educational benefits. Which is more sought after? Saving Changes...
What types of work are you passionate about? What sort of a role do you aspire towards?
Until you answer those questions, any development path may or may not be the right one...
Kiron Saving Changes...
Stephanie HaasePropulsion Production Manager| United States Air ForceWichita Falls, Tx, United States
Just worried about being behind when I transition into civilian life. I am more focused on obtaining experience in each of my certifications. It's better to be experienced and know what you are doing than to waive a cert or a degree around. My undergrad is Aeronautics. Aviation is my passion, specifically engines. I would like to remain competitive and marketable, that's all. Saving Changes...
Take a look at the job market where you will be a civilian. What are the jobs you want in your job market? What credentials are they looking for? Depending upon where you live, you may see all of one and none of the other. If you have time, you might also track how they trend. I think where I live, ACP is trending up and PgMP may be either stable or trending down (based on job descriptions I've looked at, not industry data). However, neither appear on the majority of Project Manager job descriptions that I have looked at. I'm not sure what the dependencies are.
If you want to be more mobile in regards to where you live and work, the ACP might be a better choice, but I don't have any data to back that up Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
One factor in your decision is your experience. Each certification requires a certain amount of experience to apply for the exam.
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1 reply by Stephanie Haase
Sep 04, 2019 4:54 PM
Stephanie Haase
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Very true, I do not have nor could I obtain agile experience. Thank you
Saving Changes...
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
Stephanie, I don't have answers, but I'm curious about this as well; let us know what you decide.
Aviation seems like a great choice, given your passion and your background. You obviously had enough project experience to earn your PMP, and there's nothing wrong with simply getting more experience before you ETS. You're going to have to go through all the TAP classes but I don't think you're going to have a hard time with the transition given that you're already in a related branch and you have both your degree and your PMP. Just remember not to call your civilian co-workers "fatty."
What will the Air Force pay for as far as certifications? That might be one thing to consider. None of the PMI certifications come close to the recognition that the PMP has, so you've already earned the one that counts. And many PMs have long and successful careers with nothing but their PMP. But if you can add a free certification to your tool belt, then why not?
I haven't taken the ACP so I can't speak to how well it applies to Aerospace. (USAF played a big role in the development of Agile, but many modern Agile certifications are myopically focused on software development.) I wonder if the RMP would be a good fit for your industry?
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1 reply by Stephanie Haase
Sep 04, 2019 4:51 PM
Stephanie Haase
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Haha excellent tip, I will keep it in mind haha. Trainings aids and training software. VR/AR for aircraft maintenance training...although I am against it's use, it does not replace hands-on training that is required. But it's a good avenue to consider.
Many factors at play here. Your interest should be the first. Then what is the market looking for in your region or the region you plan to be for your civilian life.
All certification is interesting
Obviously those certifications you have required experience. Saving Changes...
Stephanie HaasePropulsion Production Manager| United States Air ForceWichita Falls, Tx, United States
Sep 04, 2019 4:25 PM
Replying to Wade Harshman
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Stephanie, I don't have answers, but I'm curious about this as well; let us know what you decide.
Aviation seems like a great choice, given your passion and your background. You obviously had enough project experience to earn your PMP, and there's nothing wrong with simply getting more experience before you ETS. You're going to have to go through all the TAP classes but I don't think you're going to have a hard time with the transition given that you're already in a related branch and you have both your degree and your PMP. Just remember not to call your civilian co-workers "fatty."
What will the Air Force pay for as far as certifications? That might be one thing to consider. None of the PMI certifications come close to the recognition that the PMP has, so you've already earned the one that counts. And many PMs have long and successful careers with nothing but their PMP. But if you can add a free certification to your tool belt, then why not?
I haven't taken the ACP so I can't speak to how well it applies to Aerospace. (USAF played a big role in the development of Agile, but many modern Agile certifications are myopically focused on software development.) I wonder if the RMP would be a good fit for your industry?
Haha excellent tip, I will keep it in mind haha. Trainings aids and training software. VR/AR for aircraft maintenance training...although I am against it's use, it does not replace hands-on training that is required. But it's a good avenue to consider. Saving Changes...
Stephanie HaasePropulsion Production Manager| United States Air ForceWichita Falls, Tx, United States
Sep 04, 2019 2:39 PM
Replying to Stéphane Parent
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One factor in your decision is your experience. Each certification requires a certain amount of experience to apply for the exam.
Very true, I do not have nor could I obtain agile experience. Thank you
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1 reply by Wade Harshman
Sep 05, 2019 8:19 AM
Wade Harshman
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The USAF actually played an important role in the development of modern agility, going back to the Skunk Works in the 1940s, to COL Boyd and Boyd's Law, to Jeff Sutherland's early experiences before co-founding Scrum. You may not have been on an "Agile Team," but you've probably been exposed to some principles or practices that you can build on. I guess the question is what you want to do when you transition out. If you like problem solving or product development, then Agile training might be fun for you. But perhaps you should scan the job boards and find positions that look intriguing, then see what sorts of certifications they're looking for.
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