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To PMP or not to PMP?!

That is the question!PMPorNot

As implied by its name PMP (Project Management Professional), to obtain such a certificate you should be a professional in the field of Project Management… To my surprise, almost 95% of the people I met holding this certificate know nothing about Project Management!! They think that studying for this certificate and obtaining it means they are professional, although they should be professional to deserve such a certificate.

I understand that one of the prerequisites to get this certificate is to have some practical experience in the Project Management field. But for some odd reason, I discovered that the people I am talking about, which are a majority in the field now, don’t really have experience, some of them are even fresh graduates…

I once had a very aggressive argument with a “kid” in my team, and by the word “kid” I am referring to his age and his attitude in despising my knowledge and experience due to his ignorance, he was very aggressive and arrogant because he was studying to get his PMP while he didn’t know there were differences between requirements and design!! Unfortunately, such a kid will soon be a project manager! I really empathy his future teams Sad smile

Just to clarify, I am not against the certificate, I am against the people who claim being project managers while knowing nothing about Project Management. As for myself, I decided not to take this certificate because the only reason I will take it for is to write its name in my CV to be able to compete on jobs with such idiots, and this is something I don’t want to do in order not to disgrace such a respectful certificate.

As for the others, the question remains open… “To PMP or not to PMP?”!

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Comments

Ayat Elshami said…
I'm currently planning to get the certification Menna... but the true reason is not to claim that I am a project manager, let alone professional. I found that I want it for two reasons:
First, my current job conditions don't help me get enough management experience. So, I thought maybe if I get the knowledge, I will find myself implementing what builds the experience.
Second, actually everybody else is getting it, and I don't want to be left behind. For me, it's an attempt of staying marketable... hoping that it would open my mind u p a little bit....

And, a third secret, I found out that I enjoy passing exams coz it it reminds me that despite being quite bored with life in general, I am still up to short-term challenges.
July 18, 2011 at 9:10 AM
Mena M. Eissa said…
Learning is one of the best things one can do in his life... One who doesn't learn cannot be counted among living people... My concern here is not about the certificate... rather, it's about how people behave when they pass the exam and get the certificate... many of them mix the real experience and the essence of project management with some book knowledge, and think they know everything in the world for this reason.
I encourage you to learn and to get the certificates you want while making sure you're not wasting your time on something which you don't really need.
As for being marketable, there are two options:
1. be marketable based on true experience and willingness to develop yourself
2. be marketable based on certificates that don't relate to your real experience
The bottom line is if you can make use of what you learn to grow quickly on a scientific basis, GO FOR IT, otherwise, avoid it!
July 19, 2011 at 10:22 PM
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