PMP Certification Useful?

Question

I'm not sure what forum to place this in....but now that I have finished studying for the GMAT and have a pretty good idea what MBA program I am heading to in the fall, I am considering studying for the PMP certification exam.

Has anyone found this certification useful pre or post MBA? In consulting, the industry I am currently in, I know people look for it. I am interested if anyone knows of it outside that consulting.

Thanks.

marshpa · Answer

Yeah I have heard about this program. PMP certification was used be very valuable but now a days there are many pmp certified people around. So you can imagine. These kind of certificates can be helpful if you are planning to go in the consulting sector post MBA. I heard Mckingsey recommends IIBA certifications for their junior staff.

isa · Answer

A lot of consultants I work with in the healthcare IT sector have the PMP certificates. I haven't worked with many that have both an MBA and a certificate - it seems to be one or the other, usually just the certificate.

Anonymous · Answer

People look for it in consulting, and the government has been including the PMP as a qualification on many of their major RFPs.

I personally am not a fan of the PMP certification. Probably because most people I know who have PMPs don't practice good project management so it makes me think twice about the purpose of the certification. I haven't gotten it because I'm not convinced it really means anything. If I wasn't getting an MBA I would have gotten one.

jimmyjamesdonkey · Answer

I could prob get my company to pay for it before I leave, so I'm thinking why not. Just another thing to add to my resume.

Anonymous · Answer

Oh then definitely get it. If I got it I'd have to pay it back, which is why I'm not considering it.

lsuguy7 · Answer

My take on the PMP - is we have a ton of them around here. So obviously we hire people with the certification. The thing I notice the most about the certification is that few of these people ever become "management" around here, they just become a senior PM or move on to bigger more high profile projects.

If you want to be a career project manager I think the certification adds value and shows your commitment to the field of project management, if not I think there are other areas of study that could add more value (of course I don't know what they are)

albyman32 · Answer

Since I'm in engineering I'm planning on getting this to help my case in showing that I have what it takes in terms of project management to transition to a business role. If your company is going to pay for it why not.

lsuguy7 · Answer

Well if you are going to get your PMP then you are already a PM or have 3+ years of documented experience in leading project tasks.

From PMI handbook.

Minimum three years/36 months unique
non-overlapping professional project
management experience during which at
least 4,500 hours were spent leading and
directing project tasks*

35 contact hours of formal
education

Here are the requirements from a basic google search.

A bachelor's degree and 4,500 hours of PM experience in the five process groups, OR, a secondary school diploma and 7,500 hours of PM experience in the five process groups.
 
35 contact hours of classroom instruction that relate to project management objectives. Several types of courses fulfill this requirement.

Supporting Documentation is required for the above qualifications.

Pass the PMP exam, which consists of 200 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 4 hours.

highhopes · Answer

Amen to that. I noticed that a guy that I work with just added PMP to his e-mail signature. I always wondered 1) how this guy got his job and 2) how he manages to keep it. And as far as PM skills go, well I won't even start. The people I know that have it have soured me on it.

jimmyjamesdonkey · Answer

I agree that those who seem to have it suck as managers. I

Anonymous · Answer

LOL I had this one guy try to tell me once that getting a PMP was equivalent to an MBA. I just nodded and said "yeah, maybe."
And adding PMP to signatures is tacky in my opinion, funny nonetheless.

HOWEVER, I would get a PMP if my company would pay for it and I didn't have to pay it back - why not right? It's definitely a good thing to have because it expands the number of proposals you can be bid on in the consulting world.

jimmyjamesdonkey · Answer

I had a guy tell me once a PhD from Univ of Phoenix was great. I'm not kidding.

Av · Answer

I've heard mixed opinions about the PMP cert. I'd consider getting one someday, but I'm not sure if I need it. Project management varies significantly between industries, so I'd imagine that the value is different for everyone. I'd be interested in seeing a typical day for a project/program manager in another industry. In Aerospace, we generally manage fewer programs for longer periods of time.

For now, I just read books that sound interesting. If only there was a book that could explain why MS Project is so unreliable.

I've read countless reviews for the PMBOK where people state that the text is simply unpractical and useless. Nevertheless, that's the material that you will be tested on in the PMP exam.

Here's a review from Amazon:
Let me start by saying that I did study the book along with other study materials, took the PMP exam and passed. Having some organized body to professionally certify project managers is a good idea. However, this book flat out stinks. It's incredibly wordy and makes simply concepts way too complex. That seems to be a major flaw with the entire PMI model. They are trying to make project management a science. It's not.

That being said, the certification process is worth your time. I did learn a lot. Just don't become a "PMI Junkie". Let me explain. Many of the things PMI teaches are a bit silly and don't really apply to real life situations.  There are some out there that just take what PMI says as the complete truth without questioning anything or seeing how the teachings relate to the workplace.  These are people I call "PMI Junkies".

leonidas · Answer

I work for a blue-chip company and have people from MIT, Stanford, Georgia tech and Univ of Phoenix too

It must have worked out for that guy!

juhaa · Answer

PMP is definitely the training to take for project management, no doubt!

juhaa · Answer

My friend talks about this all the time, does anyone know APMP

juhaa · Answer

I wonder who would win a tussle between APMP and PMI

juhaa · Answer

Is anyone here even know about project management structures and methodologies?

juhaa · Answer

How do the blue chip people at MIT view this, Lionidas?

PMP Certification Useful?

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