Cynthia ClarkProgram Manager| Dish NetworkCentennial, Co, United States
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
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 Saving Changes...
Cynthia ClarkProgram Manager| Dish NetworkCentennial, Co, United States
Jul 05, 2016 3:26 PM
Replying to Roger Schiller
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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.
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 Saving Changes...
Cynthia ClarkProgram Manager| Dish NetworkCentennial, Co, United States
Jul 08, 2016 9:38 AM
Replying to Kacy Kelly
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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?
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. Saving Changes...
I'm a believer of that you need both (and a bit of luck). You need to present skills understand the concepts when for when you get your first job. Then when you have some further experiences and exposure aim to master these concepts. The "luck" part if finding a job that gives you that experiences and certification.
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1 reply by George Lewis
Jul 14, 2016 1:06 PM
George Lewis
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Mac - thanks for your input... Everyone has a different answer to the same question. It is indeed an interesting discussion.
Welton SpratleyIT Project Manager, M.S., PMP, ITIL| U.S. ArmyRowlett, Tx, United States
Jul 08, 2016 9:38 AM
Replying to Kacy Kelly
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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?
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. Saving Changes...
Shiva KProject Team Leader| Worley AustraliaPerth, Western Australia, Australia
André TrindadeInfrastructure Senior Project Manager & Team Lead| Fresenius Digital TechnologyLisboa, Portugal
It depends on each person background and professional experience. Regarding my personal thoughts, i believe that the certification exam was easier due to my experience...
Perhaps with no experience, i wasn't able to pass the exam. Saving Changes...
YOGESH RAMASWAMYProject Manager| CLS (Calidus Land Systems) Automotive Technologies LLCAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
I would prefer the second option. Gain project experience, get certified and apply and practice that knowledge. Saving Changes...
Stephanie GrahamVP of Strategy| BankOnITOklahoma City, Ok, United States
I would say experience first, then certification - except in the case of wanting to prove knowledge or proper terminology and in the cases like with PMI, you have an opportunity to get a more entry-level certification (CAPM) based more on just education. Saving Changes...
Frederick GriffinCEO| Griffin & Associates Management, LLCEvans, Ga, United States
George,
Very early in my career, I had the priviledge of working for organizations that required a phased approach to learning and certification. Essentially, you learned through mentorship and on-the-job training and, when you demonstrated a certain level of competency on a consistent basis, you were given permission to certify via either examination or board review. This process was repeated as your progressed through each layer of increased responsibility. The certification was also linked directly to the performance evaluation system; which meant that an individual had to make the effort to certify as a performance criterion.
Since this type of process has gone by the wayside I would say that, in today's world, certification depends on the needs of a potential employer. I can appreciate the need for certification because it represents a few key factors about the individual. First, we learn the individual has demonstrated a specific level of knowledge within an industry or technology. Second, we learn the individual has made a commitment to either an ethical or a quality standard. If these attributes are high on the potential employer's criteria for candidate selection; then certification will assure proper filtering. However, if a potential employer prefers a candidate pool where proven experience is of critical importance.
There is a side effect to the certification versus experience debate. I'm convinced that many well intentioned professionals simply use certification as a means to gain entry into a particular field. While there isn't anything wrong or unethical about this approach, in my experience, the individual usually gets frustrated by the lack of opportunities stemming from simply "punching the right tickets". Unfortunately, in my opinion, the frustration is a direct result of the misrepresentation of high profitability associated certifications.
Thanks,
Frederick
