PMP Certification

[FNFZ4]

Hi Guys,

I just want to ask if my Fellow IT guys here ever thought about PMP certification? Im thinking after upgrading to MCITP i would pursue a management certification.

What do you guys think? I Dont want to be an admin all my life. im getting too old for this $h......

[masterserg]

I got it. Got certified in 06. It requires some study but it is good to have. I would comment that you need to have the experience in order to get the certification, meaning you do not study to learn and get the cert but you certify that you already have the experience (it is part of the application process in order to qualify to take the test and it was pretty painful if I remember correctly). Once you qualify, there are a few good textbooks to practice, such as Rita Mulcahy's PMP Exam Prep.

If you can, defo go for it. Any extra credential helps.

[eric23]

I would stay away from that if I was you, I remember a time when PM’s used to make 5X more than I do, now there are so many of them the market does not pay like it used to. I now make more than most of them I work with. But that is just my $.02

[masterserg]

Originally Posted by eric23

I would stay away from that if I was you, I remember a time when PM’s used to make 5X more than I do, now there are so many of them the market does not pay like it used to. I now make more than most of them I work with. But that is just my $.02

That's a good point too. If you are going to be a sub-contracted PM ... forget it ... it is pure aggravation for low pay these days (and travel travel travel). Eric is correct ... after a while, you just end up being made responsible for all the crap that goes down and get replaced by the next in line. I've seen this so many times I stopped counting.

That said, it is good to have as an extra credential to complement what you already might have. Just don't look at it as career defining point because it is not.

[FNFZ4]

Originally Posted by eric23

I would stay away from that if I was you, I remember a time when PM’s used to make 5X more than I do, now there are so many of them the market does not pay like it used to. I now make more than most of them I work with. But that is just my $.02

True... but i dont think its the same in Canada and the US...

Originally Posted by masterserg

I got it. Got certified in 06. It requires some study but it is good to have. I would comment that you need to have the experience in order to get the certification, meaning you do not study to learn and get the cert but you certify that you already have the experience (it is part of the application process in order to qualify to take the test and it was pretty painful if I remember correctly). Once you qualify, there are a few good textbooks to practice, such as Rita Mulcahy's PMP Exam Prep.

If you can, defo go for it. Any extra credential helps.

yeah you need 4000 hours i think or something like that. Either i take that or ill go with security certs but im getting bored with all of these things... Its okay being a WAN engineer or an enterprise systems administrator but as you grow older (turning 34) its already taxing on you. the sleepless nights, the long hours of deployment and supervising designs etc....

you know what i mean? Some SAs here at FNF are 20 years into the company and they are still SAs. I dont want to be like that. I want to move up into a management position rather than being the grunt all my life you know.

[Baco Noir]

I think it's a joke. I have multiple engineering degrees and have done project management for the last 10 years including managing firm fixed price contracts using the earned value management system (EVMS). I decided a few years ago to get my PMP certification and took the prep class. I quickly figured out that it is a pure "memorization" course and uses terminology specific to the exam and not always the same as that used in industry. I lost respect for the credential and decided not to take the exam.

[vh_bu98]

Originally Posted by FNFZ4

True... but i dont think its the same in Canada and the US...

It's probably worse in the US due to population numbers alone.

Originally Posted by FNFZ4

yeah you need 4000 hours i think or something like that. Either i take that or ill go with security certs but im getting bored with all of these things... Its okay being a WAN engineer or an enterprise systems administrator but as you grow older (turning 34) its already taxing on you. the sleepless nights, the long hours of deployment and supervising designs etc....

you know what i mean? Some SAs here at FNF are 20 years into the company and they are still SAs. I dont want to be like that. I want to move up into a management position rather than being the grunt all my life you know.

I'm 35 and been a Network Admin for over 5 years now. It hasn't been that difficult although I dislike being on call. I understand what you mean by wanting to move up. Maybe you can change jobs to a smaller company where you can move into a management roll easier. That's what one of my former coworkers did. There's always the MBA option as well. This is probably the last year that I will be a NA, but my circumstances are different.

[FNFZ4]

Originally Posted by vh_bu98

It's probably worse in the US due to population numbers alone.



I'm 35 and been a Network Admin for over 5 years now. It hasn't been that difficult although I dislike being on call. I understand what you mean by wanting to move up. Maybe you can change jobs to a smaller company where you can move into a management roll easier. That's what one of my former coworkers did. There's always the MBA option as well. This is probably the last year that I will be a NA, but my circumstances are different.

Good point Vu. but smaller companies pay alot less and they dont have the solid benefits of Giants in the industry.

At our company, IT managers are basically project managers who oversee the SAs and their projects. Thats what got me thinking in a PMP cert. MBA is good advise i think. thanks

Ill think about it some more but you guys sure have some great inputs.

like i said either PMP or a security cert is my target. Maybe a Citrix or VMware too... Thats going to be the wave of the future.

[fuente858]

Got my PMP in 08 and at that time it was more a requirement for PM's then it is today. I think the PM pool has been watered down by mediocre PM's that got their PMP's during the PMP boom in 07/08 and 09. So just because someone has it, doesn't make them a good PM. I think now it probably doesn't matter as much as it did a few years ago, which is too bad.

What I have noticed in the last several years, is that most larger companies, including the one I work for, tend to contract out for specific projects and then cut the PM loose when the project is complete. With unemployment as high as it is, I don't see that cycle changing anytime soon. Take a look at careerbuilder and do a quick search with PMP as the keyword and you will see all the temp/contract positions for PM's. Not many permanent positions out there.

I guess it's better to have your PMP then not too if you are seeking a project management career. You need as much as possible to set yourself apart from others and some companies do still ask if you have your PMP and if you are in good standing. I have applied for some positions where they wanted to know my PMP number to check if it was still active and in good standing.
You do have to acquire 60 PDU's over 3 years to keep it active and I would bet a lot of PM's from the last few years have not earned their PDU's, I know many of them. So there will probably be many PM's that loose their credential in the next few years and maybe make it better for those of us that have kept it in good standing.

Good luck!

[masterserg]

Some good points above. I know quite a lot of folks who got the credential and I know for a fact they are not even close to meeting the experience requirements .... Let alone being good at their jobs .... It is reasonable to question how serious the whole thing is. Ultimately, it is a business ... Big bucks around prep courses, continuous ed, etc.

Still, if it gets you through certain doors, I am all for it. If you have the time and energy, I would certainly recommend going for an MBA or something at that level (apples to oranges).

[eric23]

I think the best way to move out of admin is to become a technical team lead and work your way up, A lot of my friends have done that.

Or you can just specialized in something and make a good living, That is what I did and I can tell you I make more per hour then anyone that I report to. I have been in IT for almost 14 years and I still don't want to get into management. I am on a project right now and we have gone thought 3 PM's in 6 months, but most of the time they keep the worker bees.

[masterserg]

Originally Posted by eric23

I think the best way to move out of admin is to become a technical team lead and work your way up, A lot of my friends have done that.

Or you can just specialized in something and make a good living, That is what I did and I can tell you I make more per hour then anyone that I report to. I have been in IT for almost 14 years and I still don't want to get into management. I am on a project right now and we have gone thought 3 PM's in 6 months, but most of the time they keep the worker bees.

Yip, exactly what i said above. PM is usually the first fuse to go (who else is going to admit to their mistakes) ... And the new one is usually worse than the one just departed. Very ungrateful line of work. I should know, I've done it for the last 15 years, though for a couple of consulting companies, never as a subbie.

I am happy to have different roles now, even if I am still in consulting.

Having real skills and being very good at it is always good advice. You just have to pick your field carefully.

[77T]

To the OP - a new specialization in Security or Cloud is a great idea. Better than a PMP alone. An MBA can help, too.

[vantzemi]

Originally Posted by Yellowdog

I think it's a joke. I have multiple engineering degrees and have done project management for the last 10 years including managing firm fixed price contracts using the earned value management system (EVMS). I decided a few years ago to get my PMP certification and took the prep class. I quickly figured out that it is a pure "memorization" course and uses terminology specific to the exam and not always the same as that used in industry. I lost respect for the credential and decided not to take the exam.

Amen brother. PMP is a scam in my opinion. I won't put the credential next to "P.E." after my name. It's an insult to the PE credential.

I've been a PM for years and anyone with a PMP does not automatically earn my respect. My first thought if you have a PMP is that you came from a PM mill....which is what that cert is.

Sorry fellas, just my opinion and I've been managing projects for quite a few years now.

[masterserg]

Originally Posted by vantzemi

Amen brother. PMP is a scam in my opinion. I won't put the credential next to "P.E." after my name. It's an insult to the PE credential.

I've been a PM for years and anyone with a PMP does not automatically earn my respect. My first thought if you have a PMP is that you came from a PM mill....which is what that cert is.

Sorry fellas, just my opinion and I've been managing projects for quite a few years now.

I wouldn't go so far as to call it a scam, but a lucrative business for sure!

[fusionstorm]

I've sold to IT personnel for over a dozen years, and count many managers, directors, VPs and CIOs as friends. None of them have a PM background, and I doubt even a handful have a PMP as a cert. The biggest leap obviously was going from an admin/engineer to manager. Typically, the path to achieve management was:

1) be a competent engineer while also demonstrating interpersonal skills
2) get "quality" certs and experience.
3) have a good relationship with your manager as well as any other IT management
4) move into manager role when an existing manager leaves or is promoted

An MBA has some value if you're looking to move into a VP or CIO role. At the manager level, it's more important to have experience and certs first.