Project Management Certification
How Experienced Project Managers can Improve a CV and Find a New Job
Sep 1, 2009
Project Management as a profession rather than a role is being accepted more and more across all industries. This has not been without perseverance of project managers throughout the world and the professional organizations which support them. Like other professions, it is important to have a common language and a guiding organization. There are a few choices when it comes to Project Management. Highlighting the common language presented by one of these organizations, the Project Management Institute, and the advantage it offers experienced project managers looking to update their CV and to find a new job is the goal of this article.
To benefit the most from what the PMI has to offer experienced project managers to help improve their CV and their success in changing jobs, the following four steps need to be followed.
Accept There is a Common Language
Being a successful project manager has much to do with the experience and skill set of the project manager and may be quantified by a list of successfully closed projects. However, the project manager must also show a solid understanding of and ability to communicate in the language of project management. Without a professionally developed and widely accepted documentation of this ability, such as the PMP® certification, it may be hard to prove this understanding during the job search.
See How the PMI Has Documented the Language
More commonly for project managers then for some other professionals, the desire or requirement to change industries is quite common. Examples include moving from banking to government, or from government to entertainment.
Established 40 years ago, one of the largest professional groups guiding project management, The PMI (Project Management Institute) does not see this as a major risk for a project manager. In A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®), the PMI does not differentiate application of their guidelines from one industry to another. Much of the PMP® (Project Management Professional) certification exam is based on the PMBOK®. During studies for this exam, students will likely come across commercially available sample questions whose answers emphasize the PMI’s philosophy that project management skills and experience transcend industry and application areas.
A project manager having spent the last 10 years managing projects for the IT department now wants to transfer to the product development group? If PMP® certified; PMI does not see a problem. The ability to successfully manage new product development projects benefits from the same skill set and processes used in managing IT projects.
Sound too simplistic to be true? Think again.
Many of the secrets to successfully closed projects are not specific to the industry or department. They are down to the successful management and control of:
- Scope
- Time
- Cost
- Quality
The same skills, discipline and experience required to deliver a quality result within a defined scope, a specific time frame, and a constrained budget are the same ones challenged whether one is planning and executing a family vacation, the construction of a new home, or the writing and publishing of a new novel.
Understand Criteria for a Certification to be Successful
Certification for experienced professionals alone does not guarantee success. To achieve maximum benefit, the credential must:
- Be well known and respected in the profession
- Encourage ongoing professional development through a continuing education requirement
- Have a minimum education and experience level to qualify
The PMP® checks all these boxes. It shows that the recipient has successfully met the requirements of the PMI to be professionally certified. Most importantly it shows that the certified professional has mastered a common language: The language of project management as implied by the PMBOK®.
Get PMP Certified
For a project manager looking to change jobs, professional certification will give them some extra points over the competition when documented on their CV. Details on the PMP® certification program requirements and how to take the exam are in the PMP Credential Handbook; available at www.pmi.org.
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