As we start to see the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel, there are growing signs of increased activity in the world economy, such as increasing production, hiring, and requests for proposals originating from various industries. This is because not only are we all tired of waiting for life and work to move forward, but because people and companies want to get a jump on the upcoming recovery. To this end, for individuals and staff employed by organizations, this is the best time to get project management certification because it gives you an edge over the competition. It is also an opportunity to improve your managerial skills and benefit from the new exam, which places a larger emphasis on conflict management, communications management, and organizational change, which reflect the current demands on project managers.
Project Management Certification
In addition to placing you in a more competitive position, being professionally certified will add to and improve your professional skills because of all the new and innovative things you learn while preparing for the exam. For example, you will learn a new process to address risk and quality issues. Both risk management and quality management are key success factors for any project, as well as for your deliverables, yet studies have shown that most project managers do not plan sufficiently for either; managers are primarily reactive when something goes wrong rather than trying to address and/or mitigate risks and the effects of poor quality.
So, why don’t most people certify? Well, for one thing, many people are intimidated by the exams, which can last from 3 to 4 hours, depending on the type of exam. However, the exam can be a breeze if you take the time to prepare and receive professional training. After all, it is said and done, not only will your résumé stand out from the rest of the stack, but you will also earn considerably more. Yearly studies conducted through project management organizations consistently demonstrate that certified project managers earn on average 20% more than their non-certified colleagues.
Once you decide to get certified, the next question will be, “Which certification should you go for?” The most common certifications are Project Management Professional (PMP,) the Project Management Institute Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP,) and the PRINCE2 (Principles in Controlled Environments) certification. The two former ones are administered in the U.S. by PMI, while the latter is a certification from the U.K. with a limited reach worldwide. The PMI certifications are more sought after globally, but any certification type will help improve your managerial skills.
When choosing your certification, determine whether you will be working on more traditional projects, also known as “waterfall” projects, because they progress in a linear fashion, such as designing and constructing a building, as well as any other project where the requirements are known early on and do not change dramatically. For example, you cannot decide to add a floor or two halfway through a skyscraper construction project. On the other hand, Agile products are more flexible in scope and more adept at changing, which is why it is known as “Agile.” Such projects include web design, intranet sites, and other IT projects where the scope typically changes as the work progresses. The project work you execute will determine the type of certification that will be more appropriate for you.
As we start to see the end of the pandemic, it is time to be more proactive in marketing, business planning, and skill development and improvement. Because once we come out of this relatively dormant phase, work and life will get busier, and we might even miss the days of “little to nothing” to do.
Project Management Certification Workshops and Online Learning
Why become a certified Project Manager in 2021?
Project Management Certification Courses
