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Why PMP Designation will Definitely Add More Weight to Your CV

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With companies across the world looking for smart, cost-efficient and time-saving options for their projects, the project management professional (PMP) certification has become a must for the professional planning to build a long-term and successful career in project management fields. You may be already working as a project manager or aspiring to become a project manager, the PMP designation will help you in getting both lucrative job offers and recognition from the prospective clients and employers. You have to invest some amount of time, efforts and money to clear the professional certification exam administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). But once you clear the exam and obtain the certification, it will definitely make your CV more impressive and weighty.

Beat Your Competitors: Nowadays, thousands of jobseekers apply for a single job vacancy. So you must possess professional skills and expertise that differentiate you from others. When a prospective employer is interviewing you for a job opening, you can use the PMP designation as an advantage. As many professionals find it difficult to pass the certification exam, the designation will highlight your skills and knowledge on key project management topics. So you can use the PMP certification as a smart tool to beat the stiff competitor.

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Global Recognition: Each professional has to frequently explore options to get appreciation and recognition from his employer, client and peer. The PMP designation is recognized in various parts of the world. Also, the credential is considered as the global standard for the project managers. So the professional credential will definitely help you in getting recognition from various sources. As you have to prepare thoroughly to clear the tough certification exam, the process will give you confidence to meet various job interviews.

Acquiring Fresh Skills and Knowledge: Once you obtain the PMP certification, it will remain current for three years. You have to complete continuing education training requirements to maintain and renew the designation. As per the PMI guidelines, a PMP designation holder has to earn 60 professional development units (PDUs) every three years to keep his credential current. So the certification will indicate your knowledge on some of the latest project management concepts and methodology. When your mention the professional certification on your CV, it will convey your professional skills and advanced knowledge.

Better Marketability: Despite possessing adequate experience and skills, many project managers fail to negotiate for a higher pay package. Many employers will hesitate to hire you for the managerial positions, if you are not able to convince them about your ability and skills to manage projects. But the PMP credentials will make it easier for you to market your skills. As the designation is recognized as a global standard, you will not be required to put extra efforts in convincing your employer or client. The designation will further help you in offering your professional services as a consultant or freelance project manager.

Added Experience and Competence: The pay package of a professional increase with his experience. But often experienced professionals fail to negotiate for the desired salary. Many employers consider the job aspirant has expertise on certain aspect of project management. They also feel the candidate lacks adequate skills to manage a wide variety of projects. But when your professional experience is backed with the designation, you can definitely negotiate for better position and salary.

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Project Management qualifications – Questions answered

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This week we have a fantastic question about PM qualifications from one of our clients’:

I have been working in the project management domain for a number of years and been working to a fair few methods due to the variety of projects delivered, all my methods have been learnt on the job and I feel I have a good grounding which will be attractive to employers. Do you think I should gain formal accreditation in these methods, will it enhance my career moving forward or will employers be happy with my hands on experience?

David, Project Manager; Leeds

Hi David, many thanks for your question – glad to hear you are going about the big qualification issue the right way. First of all having the structured approach experience is always paramount to the majority of employers out there and also for your own professional development. I all too often see a lot of project professionals who have gained accreditations before putting the method to practice; this is often deemed the wrong way to go about things. I agree that more junior PM staff and those starting out in project management would benefit from taking introductory courses which will allow them a good understanding of why / what the stages of structured PM are in place, but don’t recognise the benefit of taking qualifications for methods which are not currently being used unless there is a requirement to bring such structure to the project with no other champions in the field available to oversee the implementation.

As a seasoned professional you would be adding to your current repertoire by taking qualifications relevant to your experience as this adds reassurance to the hiring manager that you are committed in the field of PM and also willing to enhance your own professional development. As such I would evaluate where you see your career heading and take an informed decision as to which qualifications to run with. If you have a particular specialism and can see this as a growth area in PM then it would be wise to follow this route, there’s little point in going for the qualifications which you don’t deem personally useful moving forward. As PM courses can prove to be expensive, you might also look to your current employer and see if they are willing to invest in your professional development. By providing a good business case for the need; such as training others / implementing companywide structures etc you should be able to strike a deal which will be mutually beneficial.