I’ve seen lots of postings on LinkedIn, and heard lots of arguments around the question of certification. I have to admit, I’m confused by the whole controversy. Certification isn’t a magic bullet, nor is it the political nicety that people seem to think it is. Certification is a choice for the most part. It’s often a must have to get a job, and it’s a validation that you’ve completed a minimum knowledge and experience requirement. Just like an MBA doesn’t mean you’ll be a successful business leader, a PMP doesn’t mean you’ll be a successful PM but it does say something about what you should know.
The experience requirement is interesting; it states a minimum number of hours, but not a success rate. So, you can participate in projects for the required number of hours (3 or 5 years depending on whether or not you have a degree) but never participate in what PMI would suggest is a successful project. The educational requirement is not that onerous, and can be completed by studying for the PMP certification exam.
I have to be honest; I did learn a few things as I prepped for the exam. I learned why some of the processes were needed; I realized why some issues rose again and again – it was because we weren’t doing a great job earlier in the lifecycle. I also had to memorize things I’ll never use (or have to do manually). I can’t manually estimate duration to save my life – that’s why we have PM software – but, I do understand what the software is supposed to do. I can see where it’s wrong even if I can’t calculate it myself. I have never had to use Earned Value; I memorized it for the exam but I assume I will get a spreadsheet or something to use if I ever need to report Earned Value.
Are people afraid to fail? I did pass the first time (yes, I’m bragging) but I passed mostly on my people management experience. I know 5 other people who sat the exam, only one failed the first time – over thinking the questions is a killer. It’s no harder than any other exam, if you know your stuff, you will pass.
I recommend certification for people who want to be project managers, not just within their current employer, but as a career. When you are looking for a job, or contract, you will meet the criteria to apply. Right now, it’s a buyers market in the job hunting field. That said it’s rarely a sellers market. Why would you want to exclude yourself from eligibility for a job just because you are missing those three letters? As someone who used to hire project managers, I can tell you that I wanted certified applicants because I knew they had the knowledge, and hoped they had the skills. I couldn’t spend my time interviewing people who may have the knowledge and hope they had the skills.
I doubt you’d go to a doctor or a dentist if they didn’t have their certification; or fly in a plane with an unlicensed pilot. But, you have probably experienced a doctor with no bedside manner, a dentist who doesn’t have a gentle touch, and had a bumpy landing in a plane. Why do you think project managers should be different, it’s a profession and as such has certification.
