Roger SchillerSenior Project Manager| IterisMilwaukee, Wi, United States
I'm not sure it's an either/or proposition. I think most folks get some experience, then get certified as a career booster BUT I could also see a recent or new college grad getting the cert as a way to demonstrate commitment and the ability to work hard and see it through, which could make a difference when applying for jobs. At the end of the day though, I think experience matters more than the lapel pin.
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1 reply by Cynthia Clark
Jul 08, 2016 4:33 PM
Cynthia Clark
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How can a college graduate provide the pre-requsites to apply for approval to even take the PMP exam? It requires 3500 hours of leading and directing projects with four year college degree!
Prerequisites
•Secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree or the global equivalent)
•7,500 hours leading and directing projects
•35 hours of project management education
or •Four-year degree
•4,500 hours leading and directing projects
•35 hours of project management education
In the beginning of my career I got the chance to take the PRINCE2 foundation course/certification. For me this was a nice introduction to project management, because I hadn't worked in that field yet. This allowed me to get introduced to the types of documents used in my organization, and allowed me to quickly provide added value on the first projects that I was a part of.
Currently, I have worked as a project manager for some time and am studying for the CAPM certification. I find that extremely valuable, since I am able to relate what I am learning to the approaches I am taking every day. As I am going through the book, I already come up with ideas of how to better implement the best practices in my current projects.
Therefore, I feel that first gaining experience and then taking a certification is a lot more valuable.
Certification process itself requires minimum experience, which I agree very much, as to understand a topic you should at least know it and know how to deal with it, then take PMBOK and PMP recommendations as best practices to evolve your management style
I'm sorry, but I don't' consider the following pre-requisites to successfully apply for approval to take the PMP exam "minimum experience"!
Prerequisites
•Secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree or the global equivalent)
•7,500 hours leading and directing projects
•35 hours of project management education
or •Four-year degree
•4,500 hours leading and directing projects
•35 hours of project management education
Certification will be additional and will enhance your profile where there is sufficient experience. In addition, experience along with certification can help enhance how you approach the job activities. However, certifications will definitely demonstrate knowledge on specific areas where experience may be absent and will enable one to take up jobs in the specific field of interest and in turn gain experience in the field. In other words, certification and experience complement each other.
So, for me, one should have basic knowledge in the area through experience, and then take certification. In this case, certification will hold more value which will enhance knowledge and enable one to gain more experience through better job opportunities.
George LewisProgram/Project Manager| DXC Technology CompanyHeredia, Costa Rica
Jul 07, 2016 11:42 PM
Replying to Zeyad Marachi
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Certification process itself requires minimum experience, which I agree very much, as to understand a topic you should at least know it and know how to deal with it, then take PMBOK and PMP recommendations as best practices to evolve your management style
George LewisProgram/Project Manager| DXC Technology CompanyHeredia, Costa Rica
Jul 08, 2016 12:42 AM
Replying to Sushma Narasimha Prasad
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Certification will be additional and will enhance your profile where there is sufficient experience. In addition, experience along with certification can help enhance how you approach the job activities. However, certifications will definitely demonstrate knowledge on specific areas where experience may be absent and will enable one to take up jobs in the specific field of interest and in turn gain experience in the field. In other words, certification and experience complement each other.
So, for me, one should have basic knowledge in the area through experience, and then take certification. In this case, certification will hold more value which will enhance knowledge and enable one to gain more experience through better job opportunities.
George LewisProgram/Project Manager| DXC Technology CompanyHeredia, Costa Rica
Jul 07, 2016 2:31 PM
Replying to Veroni Brussen
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In the beginning of my career I got the chance to take the PRINCE2 foundation course/certification. For me this was a nice introduction to project management, because I hadn't worked in that field yet. This allowed me to get introduced to the types of documents used in my organization, and allowed me to quickly provide added value on the first projects that I was a part of.
Currently, I have worked as a project manager for some time and am studying for the CAPM certification. I find that extremely valuable, since I am able to relate what I am learning to the approaches I am taking every day. As I am going through the book, I already come up with ideas of how to better implement the best practices in my current projects.
Therefore, I feel that first gaining experience and then taking a certification is a lot more valuable.
Kacy KellyProject Manager, Assistant Vice President| PNC BankPittsburgh, Pa, United States
In my case, I had little experience but acquired my certification. My hope was that my PMP would open doors to a career path I was passionate about and wanted to be a part of it. However, many employers see the certification and assume I have years of hard PM experience. I have the knowledge base but little experience putting that knowledge to work. I've lucked out and found a position, but it was difficult. How do you get experience when employers won't hire you because you don't have experience?
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3 replies by Cynthia Clark, Kacy Kelly, and Welton Spratley
Jul 08, 2016 4:47 PM
Cynthia Clark
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What I have suggested to many people asking the same question, is that you can work as a Project Coordinator or even may Business Analyst jobs are really PM jobs. Working in the industry in a relative entry level position can quickly get you the experience to add to your resume to move of the ladder in that company, or to a better position in a new company.
Jul 10, 2016 12:38 PM
Welton Spratley
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Hi Kacy,
I would recommend if you don't want to start in an entry level position to gain PM experience, then you can try volunteer PM work. Preferably something with high visibility so that you can gain more recognition of your performance. PMI can lead steer you towards possible volunteer opportunities depending on where you're located at.
Mar 09, 2017 9:59 AM
Kacy Kelly
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thank you both for your advice.
Saving Changes...
Gail RaynorProgram and Project ManagerLas Vegas, Nv, United States
I would lean towards experience over certification, but with the growth of Project Management as an industry, we are seeing more Project Management programs that provide students with a strong enough foundation to enter the field without any experience. Saving Changes...
Radhika NamburiAssociate Vice President Site coordinator| Wills Towers Watson CompanyVisakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
I think it is really important to study for the certification and at the same time experience what the knowledge areas are talking about. So I think certification and gaining experience should go hand in hand. Saving Changes...
