Due to a boom in the IT sector, the demand for professionals with certifications and degrees has increased considerably. More and more people are engaged in IT-related employment at various levels. However, to equip yourself to prosper and progress in this field, you must equip yourself with appropriate PMP training and certification. A certificate in PMP can kick-start your career and help you build networks to assist and support you. Though it seems a tedious task, a quick reading about how to start a career in PMP field would help you plan your course of action better. Here are some interesting inputs about beginning a PMP career:
- Check Eligibility: One of the first things that you need to do is to examine whether you are eligible for a PMP certification. It includes thirty-five hours of training or three years of work experience in the field of project management when you are 4-year-degree holder else five years of experience. PMP certification is a significant validation and requires a genuine interest and experience to perform and progress in the field by providing viable and rational solutions to project-related issues.
- Enrol and Apply for Assessment: The next step is to enrol for a PMP programme to get trained and then subsequently apply for appearing in an examination. While most of the trainees do well during the preparation stage, very few qualify for the exam to become professionals as it needs a lot of commitment and dedication to clear the exam.
- Simulate The Exam: One of the ways to prepare for the exam is to invest in simulating the PMP examination. It helps you to get a fairly good idea about the actual exam question patterns as well as conditions. You are ready for all situations and perform well in the final examination.
- Attempt The Exam: Once you have done all the preparations, take the exam. It is advisable to select an appropriate date so that you can prepare well else you might have to reappear for the examination. PMP evaluation can be challenging if you do not study for the assessment. Hence it is advisable to prepare and then take the leap.
- Final Checklist: A comprehensive checklist about the preparations and actual examination as well as getting an idea about the future prospects of completing this certification is essential to motivate you. It helps to keep the progress aligned in addition to eliminating the chances of skipping any step. A PMP certification complete checklist may look like this:
- Criteria for eligibility
- Apply for the exam by completing the application
- Reviewing the application before final submission
- Making the payment for scheduling the examination
- Preparing and studying for the final examination
Conclusion
All these steps and processes help you to ensure that the project management certification is in place and you can obtain valid recognition in the IT sector. Once you have attained the certification and become a PMP-certified manager, several opportunities open their doors for you. So go ahead and start working on the checklist step by step.
A Quick PMP Certification Checklist
- Step 1: Fulfill Eligibility Criteria. There are two ways you can become eligible to take the PMP certification exam. …
- Step 2: Complete Application. …
- Step 3: Review Your Application. …
- Step 4: Pay & Schedule Your Exam. …
- Step 5: Prepare for the Exam.
Ultimately, whether a PMP certification will be worth it to you professionally and financially depends on your unique circumstances. Here are a few benefits you might see with a PMP under your belt to help you navigate your decision.
Industry recognition: The PMP certification can show employers or clients that you know the intricacies of project management, and have the experience and training required of a professional.
Learning new skills: You are also likely to learn a significant amount about project management as you prepare for the exam. Taking hours out of your life to master project management fundamentals like conflict resolution and budgeting can bolster the skills to make you a better project manager.
Higher salaries: The PMI found that India respondents to a 2018 survey reported a median salary of $26,620 (about ₹1,991,814) if they had the certification and $22,627 (about ₹1,693,042) if they did not, representing an 18 percent increase overall [3]. Median salaries also tended to increase the longer one was PMP certified. Global Knowledge reported that the PMP certification ranked fifth among IT certifications that were linked to the highest salaries in the IT sector.
Job prospects: The Project Management Institute (PMI) reports there is a widening gap globally between available qualified project managers and positions that need to be filled and expects India and China to represent over 75 percent of the world’s project management positions through 2027. Specific to India, it projects 7 lakh new project managers to be needed in India from 2017 to 2027. PMI also sees strong growth for project manager jobs internationally, estimating the sector to grow by 33 percent or 2.2 crore new jobs by 2027 [4].
I am new to project management—should I get the PMP certification?
The PMP certification is designed to build on and solidify the training an experienced project manager already has. If you are just starting out as a project manager, you may want to gain more experience or look into another certification—like the CAPM—before getting a PMP. The Google Project Management: Professional Certificate is also designed for those just starting out and will earn you a professional credential.
What’s on the PMP exam?
Here is an overview of what’s on the PMP certification test, which was updated on January 2, 2021.
- 180 questions total
- 230 minutes (3 hours 50 minutes) to complete
- Two 10-minute breaks
- A combination of multiple-choice, multiple responses, matching, hotspot and limited fill-in-the-blank questions
The questions fall into three domains:
People: 42% of exam
Composing a little less than half of the exam, the people section includes questions on leading and building teams, managing conflict, supporting virtual teams, mentoring, and other related topics.
Process: 50% of exam
The process section tests your knowledge on the methodology of seeing a project through to completion. You might be asked about managing budgets and other resources, scheduling, handling changes in the project, and determining the best methodologies for the project.
Business: 8% of exam
The business environment portion of the exam deals broadly with the more business-minded aspects that you will have to tackle as a project manager, like compliance, delivering value, and supporting organisational change.
Roughly half of the content represents predictive project management approaches, while the other half represents Agile or hybrid approaches.
