PMP Certification… Is it worth the effort and money?

Posted By Pankaj on December 4, 2007
Filed Under PMP

I think, it certainly is and especially if it is mandated by your employer or sponsored by the organization (or anyone else for that matter :).

But what if you have to pay every bit of the cost to acquire the certificate from your pocket, in which case I am sure you might get a bit reluctant as obtaining this particular certificate is not easy ( preparation effort & time could be intense) and definitely costs a lot.

So how does one decide if the PMP certification makes sense for you or whether to give it a pass? First let’s see what it means to be PMP certified. As I heard in the Episode 2 of THE PM PODCAST hosted by Cornelius Fichtner, PMP that having a PMP certification only means that

1. You have some education in project management
2. You have been able to prove that that you have some expierence in project management
3. You have been able to pass the PMP test

It certainly does not mean that you are a great project manager but it can definitely fuel your career growth in all possible respects. To name few of the benefits… it can fetch you more money, it can get you the desired job change (so many job requirements states that PMP certification is desirable or required), it can increase the respect towards you from your peers and subordinates and it definitely makes one feel proud :).

Apart from all the above, the biggest benefit I think is that the PMP certification can help you do your job better that is the winning benefit from my point of view.

So if you can afford it and serious about your career, go for it and be a PMP certified project manager.

Comments

One Response to “PMP Certification… Is it worth the effort and money?”

  1. Cornelius Fichtner, PMP on December 7th, 2007 10:38 pm

    Pankaj,

    Thank you very much for quoting me on your website. What I said in Episode 2 of my podcast is still correct. And I like your statement that “the biggest benefit I think is that the PMP certification can help you do your job better”.

    In a nutshell, the PMP Certification means that you have understood the basics of project management. How you apply it on your project and whether or not you have the skills to be a good project manager is written in the stars…

    Cornelius Fichtner, PMP

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