Project+ Questions- Please Help

aftershocckk

Hello all. First and foremost, thank you for reading and taking the time to offer your help. I am a junior MIS student at a university in Ohio. I am looking to pursue a career in project management, and I have struggled to find an internship or any related work so far despite work history since I was 16, and pretty good grades. With that being said, I started thinking about other ways to make my resume stand out after I finish college. My cousin is a PM for a very large international corporation, and I noticed a lot of his PM certifications such as PMP, PSM, and KMP. I thought it might not be a bad idea to do a lot of self teaching and learning over the summer and try to obtain a certification before graduation, and I stumbled upon the Project+. As far as I know, I can take this exam without any experience or a completed degree, correct? Also, do you believe that I am correct in my thinking that this could help set me apart in the future? I know that this cert doesn't quite hold the same meaning as the PMP or the CAPM, but I figured it could be something to show that I have taken the initiative to do some learning and gain experience on my own. Any information or suggestions you guys can offer would be wonderful. Thank you so much!

Deus Ex Machina

Hello aftershocckk, and welcome to our forums.

I was in almost your exact same shoes a year ago, if that makes you feel any better.

The PMP is a gold standard certification for project management, but it is not something you could get right now, as it requires 5 years of management related work experience.

The CAPM and the Project+ are both good certifications to have, though I would give a slight edge to the CAPM simply for having slightly more notoriety, though neither certification is very well known or going to single-handedly get you a job.

Judging from the situation you've described, you just need to get a certification in general. Most college kids don't have any of them, so having a certification on your resume puts you ahead of the pack by default.

What is much more important is that you get work experience. The dilemma you are in right now is that most internships for the summer have already closed their application windows.

I know I was pretty lost when I was in your shoes, and I know that the only real cure for that which I can offer you is a specific road map. I'll offer you specific instructions, but its up to you whether you think they will be helpful or not.

1. You said your cousin works for a large company. If you haven't already, talk to him about internships and see if there are any still available, and if he can put in a good word for you. If the application window is closed, then move on to step 2.

2. Buy the uCertify CAPM course, and make a goal to get the certification by the end of April. State that you are "Pursuing the Certified Associate in Project Management" on your resume somewhere. Simultaneously, start looking for connections anywhere you can. I'm talking about everywhere, church, school, work, local events, you name it. Most colleges have job fairs that are an amazing way to talk to recruiters and push your resume. If you are unable to find a connection to help you get your foot in the door by the end of April, move on to step 3.

3. If the end of April rolls around and you still don't have anything (but you have the CAPM), look for volunteer work. Luckily for you, management is a field encompassing a large number of skill sets, so there will be a large abundance of volunteer opportunities that will help improve your "management" skills in some way. You need to try and get that volunteer experience in over the summer if possible. If you do that, you'll still be way ahead of the curve. Applications for full time jobs oftentimes open up around the fall, so you will effectively have relevant work experience, a good GPA, and a certification on your resume by that time. If you consistently begin going to relevant job shadows and career fairs and establish some connections, you will be competitive for entry level PM roles.

I wish you luck. Keep me posted!

Deus Ex Machina

Oh, and the CAPM requires you have spent at least 23 hours in a project management class. I am assuming you've long since met that requirement as a junior in an MIS program, but just thought I should bring that up too.