I think I might have an interest in project management when I'm ready to come up for air after baby #2. My career is very project based and I've gotten more interested in efficiencies and processes rather than the products I'm developing. I'm wondering if taking a project management course or certification would be a good step.
Do you have any experience with PMI or another project management curriculum? I'd love to hear your experiences. Value, time requirement, difficulty, etc.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
@Corduroy: PMI is the official project management institute, so getting the PMP is the most widely recognized certification in the project management industry. Most PM positions will have "PMP required" or "PMP preferred" in the job description. Getting it would definitely be an asset if you want to continue on this career trajectory. If you sit for the exam, it is recommended to become a member through PMI first because then you get a discount on the exam, and a free PDF copy of the PMBOK.
In order to take the exam, there are certain requirements you have to meet (and you may get audited like I did where you have to prove your hours and get sign-off from employers) -
Prerequisites
Secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree or the global equivalent)
7,500 hours leading and directing projects
35 hours of project management education
or
Four-year degree
4,500 hours leading and directing projects
35 hours of project management education
****
The exam is 4 hours long and 200 questions. Not easy to pass, and most fail on their first try, but you can retake it up to 3 times within the same year. From the time you get approved for the exam you have one year to schedule your test and take it.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
For more personal experiences, I love reddit - everyone has different approaches to studying and what worked/didn't work for them...
Free practice tests here: http://www.examcentral.net/pmp/pmp-exam-questions
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@Mrs. High Heels: Yup! Was going to say the same thing. I have the degree, the hours and taken the coursework but not the exam. For my field it wouldn't get me much right now and with raising babies, studying hasn't been a priority.
pomegranate / 3272 posts
My husband was going for his PMP and has all of his hours in. He just needs to take the test. He was hoping he could get his company to pay for it so that's the only thing holding him back. From what I gather, it's a definite bonus to have the certification.
apricot / 371 posts
I have a PMP thru PMI that I tested for this year. I think if your primary driver is just interest, I might just see if anyone has a PMBOK you could look through. I did it because having the PMP credientals is good in my field. The material in the program was mostly not new to me, but that could just be because I did my MBA recently and most of my work is project mgmt focused.
My manager recommended a boot camp and I think it was a great approach for me (if your company will foot the bill, I wouldn't take PTO and pay for it...) I took a week off work and went to this class. It was probably overkill for me since I was already familiar with the material, but a big help for most.
The test itself: if you've reviewed the material recently I don't think it's so bad. I passed on my first try.
For how you report/record hours - it's self recorded/reported and you do that when you apply to sit for the exam. Some % of applicants get audited and the rest they just trust you told the truth.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
@looch: In the exam application, there's a section you fill out where you list your hours worked, the project name, and the project description. It's pretty much based on what the applicant says, but if you get audited you will have to get your manager/sponsor from those projects to sign-off and verify that you did the work you claimed you did.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@Mrs. High Heels: I think there are new forms. You now have to do a chart I believe showing what stages of each project you worked on and document enough work on all stages.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
@T.H.O.U.: Oh yes! That's what i meant when I said "hours worked". I really meant "hours worked per area" (initiating, planning, executing, etc)...
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
DH is getting his PMP but he's doing a full masters program through a local university. There have been a few classes where he's applied the info. I debated getting mine, too, but they also sounded painfully dry 
he said there's a workbook everyone at school has recommended. You could also work towards a certificate, which he started towards before diving in
pomelo / 5789 posts
Also I'd look into getting a scrum master certification. Many companies are moving away from the waterfall (PMP) to agile (Scrum).
eggplant / 11824 posts
@wheres_c: agreed. I work for a large company (fortune 300, international) and we're all agile and scrum here. They are always hiring for scrum masters.
pomelo / 5258 posts
Thanks for all the feedback. I'll look into it all.
@wheres_c: I'l check out Scrum too. DH is acting as a Scrum master at his job now although he has no formal training.
pomegranate / 3231 posts
I run a team of approximately 20 project managers. My company does not emphasize this certification. We have one PMP who is a disastrous PM and has moved on to another role in the company. We have another PMP who is far less technical than our other PMs, and his lack of technical expertise has held him back a bit (though he is great with clients).
We don't tend to value PMPs when we are hiring on to our team. We are much more concerned with analytic thinking, technical background, and experience in the industry we service.
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