John BriesemeisterPower Plant Steam Turbine Systems Specialist| GNPower Dinginin LLCSaint Augustine, Fl, United States
Mar 31, 2016 9:47 PM
Replying to George Lewis
...
Anyone else with comments on this interesting topic?
Experience is a requirement since PMI may audit a person's project management experience, which happened to me and many others, before they provide permission to take the the PMP examination. Saving Changes...
It is always better to have the experiences and then the certification helps Saving Changes...
Avinash KharePM II| MAP-IT Consultant Project ManagementAmbernath (East), Maharashtra, India
A certain level of experience leading projects always helps after which certification is the icing on the cake. Saving Changes...
Laura GonzalesConsultant| State of NMSanta Fe, NM, United States
Certification gives people a common construct and the ability to communicate effectively using the same terms. It also gives others confidence in the project managers skills, knowledge and abilities. Experience allows project managers to work effectively, roll with the changes and recognize problems and opportunities before they become an issue. They are both important and serve different functions, but experience can be taught in a course or book.
...
1 reply by Rolf Dieter Zschau
Aug 05, 2016 6:19 PM
Rolf Dieter Zschau
...
I disagree. You can tell about your experience in a book, but you cannot teach it. Experience has to be made. But you can learn from told experience, if you can get some meaning of that talk for you. This is not the same, as for the one that made that experience.
But you can teach Information for a certification, which becomes knowledge when the student incorporates that Information (and blends it with his / her own experience). So experience is needed to incorporate Information and transform it into knowledge.
This means experience first helps to speed up to get knowledge for certification. Without, incorporation takes more effort - and can lead to false or incomplete knowledge.
Saving Changes...
Daynna SkiverPM II| Idaho PowerBoise, Id, United States
You have to have the experience before you can sit for the exam and get your certification. I am contributing this to the demonstrated hours of project management experience required to be able to sit for the exam and certification. I personally had the experience first and then got my certification. The real life experiences and managing projects in the real world I believe gives you a real advantage in getting your certification. Saving Changes...
Mitesh PatelSenior Consultant| DeloitteHouston, Tx, United States
Experience is always going to hold weight and is unparalleled against book smarts; however, the certification is the icing on the cake. Saving Changes...
Experience first and then certify provides you with enough experience at hand and hence whatever you learn is easy to link and implement in practical.
Whereas on other hand if one decides to certify first and then look for a job, it helps to avoid major mistakes as part of PM career but one must understand concepts and their applicability in practical situations. Saving Changes...
It is good to gain experience first and then obtain the certification. The latter sets a common ground enabling us fellow PMPs to speak the same language, i.e using the same wordings from the PMBOK standard when communicating with each other Saving Changes...
Ahmed MagedProgram Manager| Smiths DetectionDubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
I think PMI has developed very nice standards for that. If you have no experience in PM and at the same time you want to start PM career, then you go for CAPM. This low experience level certificate will help in providing the basic knowledge to start a PM career. Late on, once someone decided to continue in the PM career, he will gain more experience, which will help him on obtaining high level certificate like PMP and higher.
The idea is to keep the balance between experience and theoretical knowledge. And remember, certificates will not give you knowledge, you need to gain experience and knowledge yourself in order to be certified. Saving Changes...
Joan RichardsProject Manager, Regulatory AffAirs Associate| Aesculap Biologics, LLCQuakertown, Pa, United States
In regard to Certification Vs. Experience, my suggestion is that it’s best to have some experience doing project work prior to taking the PMP exam. If you have been an active project manager or coordinator, you can better relate to the information in the PMBOK and questions on the PMP exam if you have experience working on projects. Saving Changes...
