PMP certification is the gold standard in IT project management. Over 65,000 professionals are now PMI PMP certified. Go to DICE.Com or Monster.Com job sites to get a clear handle on the demand for PMPs. If you like to eat, then I suggest you get certified, ASAP!!! The market demands it. Saving Changes...
Andy JordanPresident| Roffensian Consulting S.A.Cherry Grove, AB, Canada
OK, sorry, but I can't let that go. PMP is not designed to be a standard for IT project management, it is intended to be a standard for project management, period. Therein lies part of its limitations (and the limitations of all methodologies) - it is just one approach out of many - the secret of success is matching methodology with environment. PMBOK is a very good general approach, but there are a number of methodologies tailored to specific industries that may (let me say that again) may be a better fit. A number of companies look for PMP as a measure of quality, but few will reject a good resume because of the lack of those letters. To suggest that you won't work without PMP is melodramatic at best. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Thank you Andy. I have more than 30 years of experience in project management. I do not have and I do not plan to get a PMP. Just because someone has a PMP that doesn't make them better than someone that doesn't have a PMP. Saving Changes...
Attention Andy Jordan, I repeat "PMP is the gold standard in IT project management". Just try and get a high level PM job without this certification. Again, checkout DICE.Com, Monster.Com before putting your foot in your mouth, Andy. Sorry Andy, the market establishes the standard, not you. Of the over 65,000 PMPs, the largest group is IT professionals. Andy, you are totally misinformed!!!
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While I certainly agree that PMP (as a label) has advantages for those looking to make the cut, it also has severe limitations that we must acknowledge. The PMBOK does not mention anything about actual project execution. It assumes that the PM manages the project through a remote control - Plan, dispatch and control. It looks good on paper, but try managing a real project and let me know how it feels to be completely lost. Any management, any new endeavour, needs a lot of common sense and experience. It's easy to say - 'prepare a WBS' or 'follow the 5 processes for every phase'. But try doing it even for a small IT project with all it's dynamics, undefined dates & requirements, fuzzy phase boundaries, the company's PM and procedural methodolgies, and staff and you find that without experience you just can't do it. In my view PMP's who don't have domain and execution experience in similar projects tend to be "project administrators" and not project managers. Thus someone else actually executes the project whle they receive status reports and manage the funds movements. As an aside, I am an IT PM and I admit that I am preparing for the PMP cert to boost my profile! Saving Changes...
Anonymous
I reviewed some of the posts discussing the drawbacks to the PMP such as not investing enough time in the execution of projects and not being able to determine who is and who is not a good project manager and I think some people are really missing the point. For example...all lawyers must take the Bar exam to practice law but as we all know not all lawyers are good or even adequate lawyers....Also I'm sure the bar exam doesn't focus on any one speciality of the law but is rather broad....but it's still an exam that patent lawyers, criminal layers, etc. must take. As stated by previous members the PMP shouldn't be the end all be all but it shouldn't be dismissed either. The information it provides is of value and more importantly (to your bank account) companies place a pretty significant value on the PMP. Saving Changes...
Andy JordanPresident| Roffensian Consulting S.A.Cherry Grove, AB, Canada
I am happy to debate this issue, but only in a civilized manner. Tom, if your response to this post is vitriolic I will respectfully back away from this discussion. My opinions on the merit of the PMP were stated in this thread on August 25th, 2004, and I stand by them. From a personal standpoint, I am in Toronto, I am 33 years of age and I am running my second PMO. I don't have the PMP, and don't intend to get it, though I am familiar with PMBOK. I am also familiar with SDD, RUP and CMM / CMMI. I am not sure if my position would be considered "high level", but I'm certainly comfortable with my progress and surveys would suggest that my remuneration is at worst competitive. I have no information on how many PMPs are in the IT profession versus others, but in reviewing PMBOK it is clearly a reference that seeks to avoid being industry specific - the only point I was trying to make. Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Dear Tammy, congratulations on a great post! I for one enjoyed reading the feedback and opinions of others and learning from the various posting points. In response to your original post, "PMP Cert... Worth It or Not", the various replies leave me with two conclusions. The first is that the PMP cert is worth it. Whether measured as an investment or as a professional credential, the data seems to be convincing that getting a PMP is by all means and measures not "Not Worth It", pardon the double negative; it was intended for effect. The second conclusion comes somewhat as a surprise. That is, it appears that the PMP credential seems to have a polarizing stigma attached to it. I wouldn't raise this to the level of controversial, but it does seem that there are those that appreciate and support the PMP as a professional credential of importance and there are those that think the PMP is over rated as a professional credential and inconsequential as a measure of project manager performance capability. I am keen to understand what would make the PMP more "Worth It", relevant, and accepted amongst those that, at present, don't appreciate it, or don't support it, or just aren't convinced of it. Toward that aim, I will give thought to a new post. Thanks again for yours! Cheers. -- Mark Perry, VP of Customer Care, BOT International Saving Changes...
Andy JordanPresident| Roffensian Consulting S.A.Cherry Grove, AB, Canada
Mark, you raise some interesting points. My reservations with PMBOK (not PMP) (I wouldn't put it any more strongly than that) is that for my specific needs there are potentially more appropriate methodologies when looking to hire a PM. I have no problem with the PMP itself, but the underlying methodology does not meet my needs. If a company based it's methodology on PMBOK then I can think of nothing better. In an ideal world I would love to see PMP embrace industry specific certifications - in IT a 'PMP IT' certification that includes other methodologies - RUP for example, as well as PMBOK. I recognize that logistically this is difficult, but I'd love to see it - there are differences in project management methodology requirements across industries - I can't see a 10 year pharmaceutical development project working well with a RAD like approach (an extreme example I know, but illustrative I hope). Historically, I did have some concerns with the old style (pre-PMBOK 2000) exam in that the 4 option 400 multiple choice answer exam style without a continuing professional development program did have some weaknesses. The need now to maintain certification through PDUs gives the certification much more merit, but for me personally it comes down to the underlying methodology - if that doesn't suit me, then it won't be top of my list. To use an IT example, if someone is certified in C++ and I need VB then the C++ certification doesn't help me - it doesn't belittle the qualification, but I'm not going to look for it. Apologies for the long post, especially with Gantthead's 'formatting elimination' style. Andy Saving Changes...
