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Is PMP certification worth your time and effort?
by John Brave BloggerNowadays, if you are willing to have a successful career, you need to learn new skills and earn relevant certifications. There are numerous programs you can opt for. While some are great and helpful in advancing your career, most of them are just not worth it. With such programs, you shouldn’t waste your time, effort, and money in completing these programs.
On the other hand, certain certifications actually help you advance in your profession. One such certification is PMP - Project Management Professional, which is one of the most valued credentials in the industry. It is considered that every project manager should have this certification. The credential might be highly recognized, it is not easy to obtain. For passing the certification exam, you need to be dedicated to your preparation.
What are the possible obstacles to getting PMP certified?
While it is well-known that PMP certification offers significant benefits, you might still have doubts over it. Should you get PMP Certification? Getting certified comes at a cost. However, if you ask an expert or certified professional, they will say that the benefits outweigh the costs.
Following are the factors that may make you consider whether taking the exam is worth it or not:
Expense: Getting PMP certification is not an inexpensive affair. The certification cost reduces a bit if you are a member of PMI. At the same time, there is a certain membership cost for PMI as well. Of course, becoming a PMI member comes with several benefits apart from cost savings. Furthermore, if you fail in your exam and want to retake it, you have to pay a fee for that as well.
Apart from the examination cost, there are other costs that you incur while preparing for the exam as well. These include the cost of preparatory books, PMP training sessions, sample questions, etc. All these costs accumulate a hefty amount for getting the certification. However, in the long run, the certification provides a kind of career growth that makes the cost more than worth it.
Difficulty: Almost everyone will agree that the PMP certification exam is particularly hard. For some, it might even be the most difficult exam they ever take. In the examination, you will be tested on your memory of the concepts as well as their practical applications. Not just that, you will be given 240 minutes to answer 200 questions. So, you will always be running against time. The time one takes to pass the exam also differs from individual to individual. For some, 2-3 months of preparation is enough for success while others prepare for years and still cannot get the certification.
However, if the certification exam was so easy that everyone could pass it, the value of the certification wouldn’t have been what it is today. There are tough standards involved in clearing the certification exam and maintaining the certification. That is exactly what makes it a prestigious certification! So, you will have to work hard to earn the certification but you will find your effort truly rewarding once you clear the exam.
Time-consuming: For most people, the cost of time is the bigger issue than the money involved in getting PMP certified. If you want to pass the exam, you have no option other than dedicating your time to its preparation.
Given the difficulty of the exam, you need to spend hours every day to master the PMBOK guide. However, that is not all. You will have to read several other guides, write sample tests, attend preparatory sessions as part of your preparation. All of these activities take a good amount of time. Most aspirants of PMP are people who have a job, so the time comes crunch for them.
You also need to document the projects you executed. You are required to write about these projects in the most minute details. You cannot afford to take this activity casually as an audit process is conducted by PMI for establishing the authenticity of applications.
What does PMP certification do for you?
With the obstacles of time, money, and difficulty, earning a PMP certification might seem intimidating to you. However, when you know the advantages of the certification, these obstacles seem too irrelevant to not try.
Increases your earning potential: A PMP certified employee tends to earn as much as 25% more than their peers. The certification does increase your earning potential. Most project managers have a compensation increase after getting the certification.
Opens new career opportunities: With PMP certification, your career is bound to take a turn for the better. Professionals in the project management world with PMP certification get better job opportunities. The certification gives you more projects. Of course, you get higher compensation if you handle more projects. When you fulfill complex projects, your career advances to the next level. All this translates to better recognition among other rewards and benefits.
Job security: It is believed that PMP provides you some sort of security against layoffs. If you earn the certification, you demonstrate core competencies that make you valuable.
Global recognition: If you are a PMP certified professional, it signifies that you understand and speak the globally recognized project management language. That way, you will be able to connect to a community of experts, professionals, and organizations worldwide. PMP is global and does not focus on a specific domain or geography. With the certification, you can work with any methodology, in any location, and in any industry.
Proof of experience: If you want to apply for the PMP certification exam, you need to attain a certain amount of experience directing and leading projects. If you have an associate’s degree, you need 60 months of experience and if you have a bachelor’s degree, you need 36 months of experience.
To sum it up, getting PMP certification might not be easy, but it is an important credential that makes your resume more credible, giving you leverage over others. Not just that, you develop important skills that help you excel in your career. So, PMP certification is indeed worth your time and effort!
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About John Brave 
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27 connections, 0 recommendations, 80 honor points.Joined APSense since, March 7th, 2019, From mumbai, India.
Created on Jul 10th 2020 02:57. Viewed 593 times.
