Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/18157
BACK TO SCHOOL: ARE PROJECT MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS WORTHWHILE? “project management course” or “project management boot camp” along with your city to see what’s available in your neck of the woods. PROVING WHAT YOU KNOW Another way to prove that you are, well, certifiable, is to become certified by the Project Management Institute (www.pmi.org). Certifications include Management Professional, Certified Associate in Project Management, Program Management Professional, PMI Scheduling Professional and PMI Risk Management Professional. There are requirements you must meet to qualify for the certifications, and for a first-time test taker, the PMP computer-based exam costs $555. In addition to prep classes, many who take and pass these exams recommend purchasing flashcards and books to help prepare. One popular book is PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition: Rita’s Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam by Rita Mulcahy. WEIGHING THE PROS AND CONS After receiving a Master Certificate in Project Management (100 percent online), I have mixed emotions on the success of my endeavor. The cost was $10,000, which isn’t cheap when it’s self-funded. Further, I got bored with the pace and worked ahead of the lesson plan. The pace of the class seemed to move too slowly, which was likely because the institution had to take individual workloads into consideration. Overall, however, the pros far outweighed the cons. Though I didn’t like the slow pace of the course, I did appreciate the flexibility that allowed me to work ahead, making it one of the things I liked best about the online delivery. If I knew the workload at www.iltanet.org Project Management 27 my company would be busy during a particular week, I could complete my school assignments in advance. And while on business travel, connecting was never a problem because everything was online and accessible — including tests and quizzes. That said, online learning is not for everyone. You have to be self-motivated and be an independent learner. You must require little assistance, because even though you have an instructor or teaching assistant, you will not receive the same assistance from them as you typically would in a traditional classroom. Also, you won’t build the same relationships with peers in your class. FINAL THOUGHTS Philip Arnason from Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt also provides a word of caution. After training, you will want to make use of a number of new learned processes, and that may prove to be difficult if your organization has had minimal exposure to a more formal project management style in the past. Take baby steps. My parting advice is that if you take project management training, and even if you decide to get certified, don’t feel you have to use acronyms like AOA (Activity-on-Arrow), CPFF (Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee) or IFB (Invitation for Bid) all the time. After all, expert acronym usage does not a good project manager make! ILTA