Frustrated over getting certified

I would like to get a certification in project management, but it seems that any cert worth having requires one to FIRST have thousands of hours of project management under his belt already! If I had that much experience, I'd already be a PM! This seems to be like a classic circular problem - get a job with the cert, but you have to already have the job to start the cert.

Is there a PM certification that doesn't require one to have previous PM experience first? Just to take the test? That's worth having, at least. If not, I may have to look elsewhere.

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NetworkNewb

https://certification.comptia.org/certifications/project

jelevated

Fortunately atleast PMI (owners of PMP) recognize this issue you face and offer the Certified Associate in Project Management certificate. All you have to do is complete the 23 require project management hours and you're allowed to sit for the exam. You can do this through something like PMP Prepcast: https://www.project-management-prepcast.com
You can then parlay this associate certification to more junior project management roles at work.

Cat5

That's a start. However, my role at work offers no opportunities to do any project management. That work is all handled by outside employees. So I don't know if this Certified Associate in Project Management certificate would be worth the effort if that's all I would be able to acquire.

TechGuru80

How much work experience do you actually have? Most organizations I have been a part of, allow more senior staff to start leading projects because there is more of an impact on the organization...thus very important to budgets. You could always change departments / organizations but at this point that doesn't really seem to be an issue...guessing you are fairly early / junior based on your current certifications.

OctalDump

Yes, the PMI PMP is "gold standard" in a lot of places. It's a bit like the CISSP. Its value in part is due to its experience requirement.

So, where do you start, then? Project+ and CAPM are both worthwhile. Both align with PMBOK (the basis of the PMP). Project+ is lighted/easier and is through CompTIA. CAPM is from PMP, and is sort of PMP lite. CAPM has an education or education/experience requirement. There is an online course on Udemy (perhaps others) which satisfies the CAPM education component.

Prince2 has no experience requirement, although it might not have the visibility in your market. It is compatible with PMBOK, so it isn't wasted knowledge, more like a different perspective on the same content. I've heard it described as a "Project Lifecycle" focus.

There are several varieties of Scrum certification. It isn't Project Management as such, but can do what PM does in many situations. It is IT centric, and quite popular. It's also an easy way into Agile.

There's also AgilePM, which is probably even less visible than Prince2 in most markets. But it does offer a complete project management framework with an Agile perspective.

That's by no means a comprehensive list of available PM certifications, but it's a few options that are easier to access than PMP.

And there are also formal qualifications - eg Master's degrees - in project management.

DoubleNNs

The CompTIA Project+ doesn't have any prereqs - no education or work experience requirements. Additionally, a lot of junior level PM jobs don't seem to have any hard prereqs and you can get the job w/o having already been a PM.

I just passed the Project+ last Friday. Took me less than a month to study for. Additionally, a friend of mine is still studying for the Project+ (started studying together) and she got a PM gig before she could even pass the exam. She mentioned that she was in the middle of studying for the cert during her interview.

Cat5

Ok, I was talking with a coworker where I work. He said that a girl he used to work with was not a PM, but her job duties (I was told) involved many of the things that PMs do. She got her boss to sign off that she did equivalent work and for X number of hours (she had been with them for years), and he basically verified that she was largely doing the same kind of work that PMs do. After that, she took the PMP test and passed it. She soon landed a well-paying PM job. Now, I don't know what her job duties were, but I can tell you that I undoubtedly do a lot of PM things. My question is - how much is enough? Is there a list of prereqs to fulfill that I could show my boss so he can see if what I'm doing fulfills the requirements in order to take the test?

mzx380

Cat5
My advice to you is to go through the PMBOK and align what temporary endeavors you have performed in your job qualify as recordable project hours. While doing that you can study for the PMP exam which will provide you with a solid foundation of PM concepts to apply at your position. You can then apply for the exam and if you get audited, you will need to go to your boss to sign off on the activities you have listed in the application process.

If you do that successfully, you will be cleared to take the exam.

Taking any other PM certification at this point other than PMP would be a waste of time & money

PJ_Sneakers

Cat5 wrote: »

Is there a PM certification that doesn't require one to have previous PM experience first? Just to take the test? That's worth having, at least. If not, I may have to look elsewhere.

You could check out APMG's AgilePM certification. I don't believe there are any experience pre-req's to sit the exam.

EDIT: Check out OctalDump's review here: http://www.techexams.net/forums/project-management-certifications/125179-apmg-agilepm.html

Cat5

mzx380 wrote: »

Cat5
You can then apply for the exam and if you get audited, you will need to go to your boss to sign off on the activities you have listed in the application process.

Not that I'm worried, but how often does one get audited in this process?

mzx380

Cat5 wrote: »

Not that I'm worried, but how often does one get audited in this process?

It's a totally random process and there is no one thing that triggers it. As a PM, I plan on appearing for this exam and after research, I've found that almost half the applications get audited. I think if you are honest about your tasks and your boss cosigns on them AND if they meet PMBOK domain requirements, you should be fine.

ItsmHarun

best luck ...
try your best