So can you tell me what certification would best fit my needs? I’ve just received my MBA and I have a couple years of project experience and some project management experience. I’m sure that demand depends on location, but from what I can surmise it seems that agile is currently more in demand right now while the PMP is more comprehensive. Could you tell me what you all think? I’m just not sure which I should be going for at the moment. Thank you for your replies. Saving Changes...
I still see most project manager jobs require/prefer a PMP, even if it's an Agile based role. I say no matter what that if you qualify to sit for it, you should. At a minimum it'll get your resume past the screening pile.
I'd recommend doing a PMP if you qualify (not sure if you have enough right now based on what you wrote) and while you do that do one of the intro Agile certifications (CSM or PSM I).
That should give you enough of a basis to get a job - then from there decide which direction you want to go. If you want to keep working in Agile approaches - PMI-ACP and possibly a high level scrum certification. If you want to do more with risk management - PMI-RMP. If you decide to be a business analyst - do one of the IIBA certifications first, then probably PMI-PBA.
The formula used to be MBA + PMP = in demand (I'm also an MBA so I know) it's changed to MBA + PMP + Scrum / Agile.
I got my CSM in December and I'm getting way more contacts and inquires than I did with just my PMP. Saving Changes...
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
Mar 01, 2020 5:35 AM
Replying to Thomas Walenta
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Jonathan,
a PMP requires you to learn for approx. 160-200 hours and pass a 4 hour exam, of which many say it was one of their hardest. A CSM in comparison takes you 16 hours of preparation and pass a 1 hour exam.
I do not consider CSM or other agile certificates (somebody posted a list with several hundreds on this forum) a career defining milestone or an enlightening/mindset-changing event. I know of many people with PMP who think their intensive learning for the exam indeed gave them insights they did not have before, some changed jobs, in average PMPs earn 20% more than non-PMPs (see PMI's latest salary report).
CSM is a good knowledge addition, though you will become a good scrum master by practice only, same to PMP and any other certificates. You will need to learn permanently in this profession anyhow, e.g. you could also attend a 4 day Prince2 class, a 2 day IFPUG class or a FMEA bootcamp for 4 days. All enhance your knowledge to do better projects and give you certificates.
From July 2020 the PMP exam will test agile knowledge, 50% of the 200 question will be agile, that's 100% more than the CSM test.
The PMP is targeting the full project management profession, not only the agile subset. Do not compare apples with berries.
By the same token, though, we should not confuse project managers with scrum masters. The two roles are not related. That's why I would recommend to anyone making a career decision to learn more about the roles before choosing a certification path.
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2 replies by Susan Marangos and Thomas Walenta
Mar 02, 2020 4:17 PM
Susan Marangos
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Correct but an entry level scrum certification will at least give you an understanding of how it differs. PSM I is only $150 for the test, which is cheap as certifications go. In my mind the product owner in Scrum is more equivalent to a PM in waterfall. However, I've seen far more postings list a CSM or PSM for a project management role (in addition to a PMP) than the CSPO or PSPO
Mar 03, 2020 7:32 AM
Thomas Walenta
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Agree, two different roles and qualifications. I have seen project managers acting as scrum masters but not vice versa.
Product owners sometimes act in a role of project manager (e.g. if the organization wants one person accountable), but are not always qualified to do so.
By the same token, though, we should not confuse project managers with scrum masters. The two roles are not related. That's why I would recommend to anyone making a career decision to learn more about the roles before choosing a certification path.
Correct but an entry level scrum certification will at least give you an understanding of how it differs. PSM I is only $150 for the test, which is cheap as certifications go. In my mind the product owner in Scrum is more equivalent to a PM in waterfall. However, I've seen far more postings list a CSM or PSM for a project management role (in addition to a PMP) than the CSPO or PSPO Saving Changes...
I'm just trying to gain some point of reference. I'm grateful. Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Mar 02, 2020 2:49 PM
Replying to Wade Harshman
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By the same token, though, we should not confuse project managers with scrum masters. The two roles are not related. That's why I would recommend to anyone making a career decision to learn more about the roles before choosing a certification path.
Agree, two different roles and qualifications. I have seen project managers acting as scrum masters but not vice versa.
Product owners sometimes act in a role of project manager (e.g. if the organization wants one person accountable), but are not always qualified to do so.
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1 reply by Wade Harshman
Mar 03, 2020 4:13 PM
Wade Harshman
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i agree with that. And I would argue that if a team has a project manager, the PM should work very closely with the PO and help fill that skills gap. But far too many teams think the scrum master is the project manager, and that creates a lot of unnecessary difficulty.
I agree with some of the earlier statements that studying agility can only help project managers. And you may even be able to "double dip" and use agility training for project management education (I know you can for PDUs, but I'm not sure about PMP eligibility). But to the original question of an agile certification or the PMP... those are two very different career paths. I want to make sure we're not accidentally de-valuing the PMP by simply telling people to chase the easiest certifications.
Saving Changes...
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
Mar 03, 2020 7:32 AM
Replying to Thomas Walenta
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Agree, two different roles and qualifications. I have seen project managers acting as scrum masters but not vice versa.
Product owners sometimes act in a role of project manager (e.g. if the organization wants one person accountable), but are not always qualified to do so.
i agree with that. And I would argue that if a team has a project manager, the PM should work very closely with the PO and help fill that skills gap. But far too many teams think the scrum master is the project manager, and that creates a lot of unnecessary difficulty.
I agree with some of the earlier statements that studying agility can only help project managers. And you may even be able to "double dip" and use agility training for project management education (I know you can for PDUs, but I'm not sure about PMP eligibility). But to the original question of an agile certification or the PMP... those are two very different career paths. I want to make sure we're not accidentally de-valuing the PMP by simply telling people to chase the easiest certifications. Saving Changes...
Jared PadgettVerizon MediaVentura, Ca, United States
I think the certification depends on what you plan to do. Agile is big in technology organizations, and has spread to other industries. The PMP is still the premiere PM certification, and it carries a lot of weight. The fact that it now incorporates Agile will give it even more staying power. The PMI-ACP is quickly gaining ground as a valuable certification. It is focused on Agile and contrasts and somewhat conflicts with some of the practices behind traditional waterfall based project management. This doesn't itself make one worth pursuing over the other.
Something else to consider would be the option to get both. The PMP meets the project experience requirements for the PMI-ACP, so you can focus on the PMP first and take the PMI-ACP second to be efficient. If you have enough experience to be eligible for the PMP, this might be a good way to go. I did my MBA and DBA degrees, then I earned the PMP and CSM, and am now studying for the PMI-ACP. This reflects my progressively changing goals over time, and worked for me so far.
Again, it really depends on what you want to do, what experience you have, and your specific needs or goals.
Whichever way you go, good luck. Saving Changes...
