Which certification do you mean? There are different certification bodies for project management.
As a certified PMP, I tell you it is definitely worth it if your aim is to progress the course of the profession, fellowship with people of similar concerns, be exposed to new approaches and methodologies in project management and to have access to literature that grows your knowledge and competency.
If your intention is to get a raise or secure a plump Project Management job, you might be very disappointed. Why certification is increasingly become a requirement in most industries, the power of your network and proven abilities can not be diluted by certification.
Thank you for your response. At least where I currently work, a project management position can hardly be considered "plump". Most of our Projects are launching new products and I enjoy the prospect of being involved from start to finish. Having worked in manufacturing/industrial engineering positions for close to 20 years, I am considering looking into project management then as a possible evolutionary path. PMI seems to be a prevalent body for information and I began to consider the CPM. Are other certification bodies potentially superior? Are the tools and information offered useful? What would be recommended sources for further information?
Without equivocation I can tell you that PMI is the most established and accepted PM certification body. Other bodies like IPMA and APM are equally renowned.
In terms of superiority, I won't pick one for the other. They seem to be "different ways to killing a rat", however in my opinion the PMP certification process and its curriculum seems to be more structured. The structure of the "A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge" PMBOK, which establishes five process groups that cut across nine knowledge areas makes understanding PM processes easy and even easier to adopt to any form of project, whether in government, IT, engineering or medical projects.
I will enjoin you to spend some time going through the certification curriculum of the different bodies so you have a good Idea of what they would offer you as well as expect from you. I wish you the best.
The most value I got from certification was the training that was required. My employer wouldn't have paid for that much training normally. The certification isn't worth much without the experience to back it up but you probably have that.
You might also look at the the PDMA has to offer since you want to do new product introductions.
Are there currently PMPs in your company and field? Where I live most of them are doing IT work.
We do not have any Project Managers with PMP certifications at present, nor do we seem to have a consistent set of tools for running projects. Every few years, the product launch procedure significantly changes. Currently we are in a consolidation process after purchasing another company. Procedures are likely to change again.
I am from mechanical field and honestly PMP seems to me more for like software developers.
Its more oriented towards them and I endedup wasting money for this.
I don't think anyone cares in my field if you are PMP. Lot of people don't even know about it
On one count, you are right, but way off the mark on two important points.
1 Yes lots of people dont know about it. But that is what gives you the cutting edge, that is what sets you apart from the rest. The corporate world is gradually seeing the benefits in project oriented management approach particularly as espoused by PMI.
2 No it is not oriented towards software developers. The truth is that they are more willing to experiment new ideas, even in management. Project management is a modern management approach that aims at ensuring that the work defined for a project are accomplished within time, quality and cost constraints. This applies to projects from IT, construction, medicine, education etc.
3 Did you waste your money? Well I think this stems from the misconception that there will be an immediate reward other than improving ones competency in the feild. Depending on your company's project management maturity, you can get an immediate recognition and vice visa.
The beauty in PMP certification is that the PMBOK upon which the certification is based can be applied on projects accros all deciplines. However, to hone in on the specific needs of some application areas, PMI has developed supplements to the PMBOK like the Construction Extension to PMBOK, Government Extension etc.
The challenges you face working in an evironment where there is no PM culture is not isolated, you should visit the PMI website and find articles on how to build PM awareness in your establishment, but first you have to be the PM light with some enthusiasm.
The PMI organization has taken all the PM lingo and standardized it. This is very useful as long as everyone on the project also uses it. It won't do you good talk the PMI backed jargon if no one understands you.
From experience, using all the standardized tools don't work well with projects under 6 months in lenght or under some value, my industry that would be about $2,000,000.
I have to agree. PMI and other organizations provide some good overall background informaiton, gets you up to speed with the basic of PM and you will come away with some good general tools and theory.
The problem I see is, especially in the upstream energy industry where I consult (project and construction management), is it is not tailored to our industry and thus misses many of the key processes that are required to assess and manage the situations we face.
My advoe would be if you are relativly new to the management arena or want to break into it, go ahead and get the certification. It will be a nice line on your CV and it will help you get up to speed a little faster when plugging in to an exisiting, tailored project management system.
However, if your company does not have a solid PMS in place, I'm afraid that PMI is not going to give you the tools to develop one for them.
My recommendation would be to bring someone in and put together a comprehensive, industry specific system along with the tools required to implement, monitor, and improve it.
I have known colleagues that have gone and obtained their "Project Management" certification. They have found it useful. In many cases, it was paid for by the company.
I am not in management, so, don't have any first hand knowledge.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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I disagree with GregLamberson on the usefulness of PM in upstream energy sector, that is were I play too.
It is important to understand that PMI standard, PMBOK Guide, does not set-out a methodology for managing projects, it has rather espoused standard tools, techniques and terminologies inter alia for the profession.
While a methodology tells you the different steps you must take at every point on a project, the PMBOK equips you with the resources to create methodologies as it will fit your specific needs and circumstances.
I have been using Project Management long before I got introduced to PMI. Acquiring the PMP certification itself has not added to my profile in my company, ofcourse not to my salary, but the competence I aquired in the process of preparing for the certification has greatly improved my productivity and effectiveness.
When I consult for companies, I always start with their present PMS and build on it using the PMBOK as a standard. PMI even stated repeatedly in the PMBOK Guide the importance of organisational assets and environmental factors.
So let us get it right, do not use PMBOK as a methodology where you have to implement all the steps in the order stated, but rather use it as you would any standard in your industry.
I threw my two cents in earlier and i eluded to my industry, its midstream energy and here is the reason why GregLamberson is correct. UNK-UNK's per the PIMBOK. The closer you are to mother nature, the less control and the wildered it gets for management, tools or no tools. We had a smarty pants PMP ask why we didn't control ROW acquisition by sealed bids....
That is exactly the point dcasto, the "smarty pants PMP" was offering you tools that will inprove your processes, it is left to you with the experience in these area and with the benefit of hindsight to say no this won't do us much good.
Talking about ROW acquisition, in my experience we have to involve communities, family land owners, and government representatives in negotiation for ROW; we dont even bid for it. Same goes for the maintenance of the ROW, the communities and family land owners are given contracts for this job.
I believe this is the same problem people face with EVM, by trying to implement the standard to the letter, even for projects that dont amount up to the cost of the paper needed for EVM.
With a good understanding of project mangagement and a good understanding of your industry needs, you will enjoy the value of PMBOK.
PMBOK is not a REGULATION, it is a STANDARD. If you dont like it dont use it unless you are compelled by your client.
Well, here you have it, the full gamit of opinions. I'll reiterate my position, if you are starting out and need some background and a line on your CV, go for it. If your expectations are that you will come out ready to manage a large project, I'd look elswhere, such as within a major operating or EPC company.
I did consulting for one of the large majors for a numbre of years and they had considered PMI/PMP, but rejected it, opting instead to develop their own Project Management System that was geared 100% for the upstream oil & gas industry.
I have been a management consultant in the industry for over 25 years and have developed my own Project Management System that is geared specifically for managing and executing complex international upstream and midstream oil & gas projects and I can tell you, it resembles PMI/PMP only at the very basic level.
To conclude - it depends on where you are in your career and what you wish to accomplish. There is no right or wrong answer. I do wish you good luck in whatever path you choose.
Greg Lamberson, BS, MBA
Consultant - Upstream Energy
My thanks to you and the other respondents. Yes I am still considering project management and certification. I plan on doing this independently at this point just to establish a decent foundation on the subject. I have also been around long enough to know that just because you have successfully made it through book learning does not mean you are ready to jump in as a full player.
Where I currently work, we are once again in the process of re-vamping our system for product launches. It seems to happen on an annual basis. If this new system lasts for over a year, I may then persue a position in PM here.
I initially obtained the PMP during a career transition in order to accent my resume. It has proven extremely useful since then. The PMBOK and the access to training (99% company funded) allows me to develop my junior engineers and myself. It helps greatly with PDUs for my PE as well. If you're thinking the PMP or knowing the PMBOK will land you a PM job or make project management easy, think again. Nothing substitutes experience. The cost is not that bad. Several hundred dollars ($400-$500 maybe) to join PMI and sit for the exam. There is a reasonable renewal fee every year for PMI membership and one every three years for the PMP. All in all I feel it's a good move to get the PMP.
Thanks asergek. I regard project management as a possible evolutionary path. I have run a few projects before but it would be nice to have some standardized tools to work with. As expected, our integration efforts with the company we purchased is causing additional procedural changes and I am wondering now if we will have PMs. In terms of it being easy, I have never considered it so. My current position is relatively thankless. I am an expense until something goes wrong and then it is "Hey, your the engineer, fix this quick!" Project Management also looks to be a bit thankless but at least you can have a sense of accomplishment when a project is finished. I currently live with stuff throughout it's production cycle and still it lingers as long as we provide service.
