A search of PMP across search engines reveals multiple results for places offering PMP certification programs. The competitive prices from these places around the world are a visible indicator of the demand present in the career market for candidates with PMP certification.
Over the years, PMP certification has grown through the ranks to be the top identifying certificate for potential employees by employers across all industries for their upcoming and ongoing flagships and ongoing projects for their brands and companies. The trend can be picked up from the big flagship projects that were run from start to completion by professionals in project management.
A PMP certification is an attractive piece of your CV attachments and a head-turner for your resume on a project management related job interview. The PMP in the coming years is expected to grow and become a mandatory requirement for project managers seeking employment. Recent research by the Anderson Economic Group revealed that at least 1.2 million project managers would be needed to fill positions by the year 2020 with PMP certification being an obligatory requirement.
At Project Management Training Institute (PMTI), we consider PMP certification the secret ingredient for any person with the aspiration to join project management or if they are looking to improve their qualifying credentials for future opportunities. PMP certification comes with abundant benefits not only for your project management career but also as a learning ground for new competency skills and knowledge applicable and practical in scenarios encountered during project management. In this article, we will delve into the benefits of PMP certification and its suitability in today’s dynamic job market.
Why Do Employers Prefer PMP Certified Employees?
I. PMP certification is in High Demand
PMP certification is highly demanded in the global business environment from the heavy attribution it is accorded toward brand success. This is a result of the economic worth displayed from the successful completion of projects within planned time, budget, and effective management. PMP certification is not only limited to government entities but also private firms, especially those working on government projects. IBM, for instance, is seriously considering certified project managers for the job by encouraging PMP certified project managers to submit their resumes. From the rave PMP has already created, I would start considering pursuing a certification program.
II. A PMP Certification Indicates You Speak the Common Language
Various reasons are given for failure in project planning and execution strategies. The top reasons for this failure are poor risk management, shortage of resources, inadequate planning, all of which can be attributed to problems in communication. In fact, according to a study conducted by the Project Management Institute (PMI), a third of project failures fail due to poor communication.
Project managers spend a substantial amount of their time communicating, and therefore it’s crucial to speak a common language for easy understanding. Acquiring a PMP certification is a precious addition to your capability to talk about the style of professional project managers. This enhances knowledge among team members, clients, sponsors, and fellow project managers. For instance, PMP certified project managers would have an understanding of concepts involving the Procurement Performance Review and Procurement Audit while quickly telling them apart.
III. PMP Certification Affirms your Focus and Hard work
Achieving a PMP certification is a clear indicator of your ambition to add set off or advance your career in project management. To prospective employers, this is a sign that you understand and are well equipped for the job position.
Receiving PMP certification is not a walk in the park. It requires focus and dedication to fulfill the qualifying requirements. You can begin your PMP Certification journey with gathering information about PMP certification requirements on PMTI. The exam is considered among the most challenging exams in current curricula, and this is the reason why PMP certification is held as a coveted credential, which employer would turn down a high achiever?
A PMP certification is an Indicator of competency in projects management
Projects are dynamic, and each comes with unique challenges, and therefore there is a need to have a certain level of understanding to handle such problems. It’s vital to develop a standardized procedure that can be repeated over time to ensure projects are a success. A PMP is one such procedure, packing up all that is required to run any project competently.
What a PMP Certification Can Do For You
Here is what a PMP Certification can do for you.
- PMP certification Improves your Salary
With a PMP certification, you are likely to earn 20% more salary as compared to non-certified counterparts. This has been reported in a recent survey by Earning Power, which indicated that PMP certified project managers earn 20% more salary compared to their non-certified peers. Further, a recent study showed that the average salary for a project manager who is PMP certified is $ 108,200, while project managers without PMP certification earn an average annual wage of $91, 000.
Project Management Institute also established that 71% of project managers reported an increase in salary over the past 12 months. PMP certified project managers are well compensated globally, with another PMI survey indicating that PMP holders in countries in the Middle East, such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, earn more salary.
2. PMP opens up More Career Opportunities
PMP certification, according to PMI Pulse, significantly advances career and offers project managers lucrative employment opportunities across diversified industries. By building on your existing project management experience, PMP certification promotes your career achievements which translate to collectively improving job prospects and knowledge of the profession.
3. Job Security
PMP certification, according to 80% of professionals, offers a sense of security against job dismissals or redundancies. This is mostly because PMP certification demonstrates the aggressiveness and adaptation required to maneuver through new heights in the profession.
4. PMP certification is Recognized Globally.
Unlike other certifications, PMP certification is recognized globally and implies competency when putting up against professionals in other countries. PMP certification indicates up to date information and the know-how in trending issues, and this rouses inside you the courage and confidence to network with project management experts and professionals recognized across the globe.
PMI contributes significantly to networking among project managers by holding regular PMI meetings where members interact, learn, and explore emerging concepts in Project management. Such meetings are essential for project managers to earn new career opportunities and establish contacts for future collaborations and peer consultation.
5. Confirms your Extensive Experience in Managing Projects
PMP certification is, no doubt, a validation of rich experience in project management. Before sitting for the PMP examination, you are required to have achieved a particular level of competence in project supervision and successful completion of the same. Project managers with an associate’s degree are required to have at least 60 months (7, 500) hours of experience over five years. On the other hand, those with a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent are required to have 36 months (4,500 hours) of experience over a minimum of 3 years before sitting for PMP exams. PMP certification points to a great deal of experience in the project management industry.
6. Beefs up your Resume
PMP certification gives a resume a higher edge over the others; therefore, increase your margins of earning a position at your coveted firm. Applying for a job opportunity is usually a competitive affair, and consequently, it’s crucial to possess unique identifiers through various competence indicators such as PMP. This certification can be the bridge between landing a dream job and being left out altogether.
What are the steps in Getting PMP Certified?
There are specific eligibility requirements you must have achieved before taking the PMP exams. These requirements fall into two categories, as indicated below:
Category I
● Secondary degree, high school diploma, associate’s degree, or a global equivalent.
● 7,500 hours in supervising projects in various fields with at least a five-years of experience in managing projects.
● Complete 35 hours in PMP certification training from a PMI accredited PMP training institute.
Category II
● Bachelor’s degree or above.
● 4,500 hours if managing projects with at least a five-years of experience in managing projects.
● Complete 35 hours in PMP certification training from a PMI accredited PMP training institute
You are also required to provide entry of projects you’ve previously managed and classroom sessions you’ve attended as they contribute to PMI’s contact hours.
The cost of taking the PMP exams is $405 for candidates with PMI membership, while non-members are charged $555 to undertake the exams. PMI members are additionally provided with the latest version of the PMBoK guide book at no cost. On the contrary, non-members are charged $99 for the same book, which can also be acquired from various other sources such as bookstores at varied prices.
Candidates sit for the exam, which runs for four hours at different examination centers across the world. Students are advised to spend at least 35 hours to prepare for the exams. The exam is set according to the PMBoK guide book, albeit students can employ the help of other study materials to get a better grasp of the course content. Project Managers can enroll in a PMI Registered Education Provider to access the formal study course. Computer-Based Testing (CBT) format is used to deliver questions to candidates, and they can access the results right after finishing the exams.
Conclusion
To conclude, PMP certification is a crucial requirement for both project managers as well as their prospective employers. For project managers, PMP amps up your resume giving you an edge on landing employment over other non-certified project managers.
The ideal project managers have unique qualities such as excellent communication skills, an eye for detail, precision, and judgmental skills, among others, which are natural and may not be gained through PMP certification. Nonetheless, PMP certification training is vital to enhance and amplify such skills for their objective use in projects for optimum results in execution and overall success. You can enroll in various training centers wherever you are across the country, including Atlanta, Orlando, Chicago, Dallas & San Francisco.
In essence, PMP certification lives up to all the hype it has been given. To remain competitive and relevant, employers will continue demanding PMP certification from it demonstrated worth.
