Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification - anyone have it?

I've started studying for the PMP certification myself and wanted to see if anyone else had done it. Seems a few have, any other advice since 2017? Some just read a book/study guide and passed? I've been told the test was pretty formidable! I am reading the PMBOK6 right now, it's a ton of terminology but it makes sense for the most part. I've been looking into some online prep courses too, anyone have any recommendations?

 

I have it. And the exam is brutal, 50%+ failure rate. I know several very smart people who tried to wing it like you're talking about and none of them passed.

I would absolutely take a five-day prep course. Many of these also double as your educational pre-requirement for the PMP.

I studied for weeks and weeks and weeks and also attended a 5-day prep course. Learned all sorts of tricks and mnemonics to memorize everything. And when the exam was done I still wasn't sure if I passed or not until the screen popped up saying I did.

Coming from the IT world, I can say that the PMP carries a lot of weight due to difficulty of the exam and all of the requirements, where a lot of IT certs are sort of a joke. You also have to do 60 hours of continuing education every three years to keep it.

If you're a PM and you have the PMP, I know you have the framework for running good projects. There are so many 'Project Managers' out there but they aren't certified. What they really are is project secretaries unless they have some professional training to help properly structure a project. It's a science and an art, and the PMP helps tremendously.

I've even read some articles that debate the weight of a PMP vs an MBA. It's laughable when it comes to income, an MBA is going to net you far more, but I started my MBA and I can tell you it's a lot of leadership type classes, whereas the PMP is very technical.

I would say that if you're serious about being a good Project Manager, it's a necessity.

 

This is funny to look back on. I still haven't gotten my PMP despite buying the book recommended previously. I'm sure I'll do it someday but no one in my organization is really clamoring for me to do this so I'll probably hold off for now.

 

That's what it is in a nutshell. PMs can get hired without one, but the difference is there if teams are ready for one and the culture for solid metrics over quick progress is established.

For the most part, startups settle for less in order to please their shareholders, then become addicted to short term gains if the product manages to get lucky.

 

I got my PMP in August last year (and I have an extensive IT background). I had taken a five-day training course, and I failed the test the first two times. On the last time, I took a Thursday and Friday off from work, ignored my family over the four-day weekend, and just studied like crazy. Passed the test on my third try.

It's not enough to simply memorize the formulas (or anything else, for that matter) - you need to understand and comprehend what's being calculated and what's happening. The test will throw variations at you.

 

Oh hell I'm definitely taking an online course lol I'm not that smart. Will definitely be taking one of them, just seeing if anyone could recommend one. My experience isn't necessarily "project managing" since what I did was so informal. I worked for family so the need for such organizational structure was low, although the tasks I regularly did kind of do amount to something in the realm of project management. And for 15 years, I meet the requirement to test for sure. My cousin has one and recommended it too so I feel like I'm doing the right thing. It will give that sort of approval to my experience and like you say, it won't just be some vague resume note it's a known commodity. Hopefully it's enough of an edge to land another decent job. Job hunting sucks...

 

Tell your sponsors and stakeholders to pick two: Fast, Cheap, Good

Book is obsolete if you bought it in 2017. They went to version 6 last year and the test is supposedly completely different than it was in 2017 when this thread started.

Once you dive into the material your eyes will be wide open and you will connect the dots on things you've been doing for years and why certain things were so hard to do during a project. It's like learning to read body language. Once you know how, you can never go back.

 

It only works if they pay you to tell them that. If you're salaried, they consider you part of the problem...

 

I'm salaried. I tell them the truth. I get what you're saying, though. That level of honesty is earned over time with credibility.

Sorry breh, not ATM. We just laid off ~300 people, including two PMs. It's a shame too, because a good PM saves money by saving time and other people's time. The two PMs they laid off were a little salty and rubbed people the wrong way, so it was certainly personal at some levels. They did also lay off some superfluous executives which tells me the **** is really real this time.

 

This ^, they become note takers. Some companies don't empower their Project Managers.

On the flip side, if you are a PM, while you don't have to be the subject matter expert, be in the weeds, understand all the technical details. If you're working with the implementers (architects, engineers, developers, coders...etc), be up on the basics, the terminology, the lingo. Nothing worse in meetings, where the rest of team, has to slow down and explain because the PM only knows the "project management" side of things (statuses on tasks, deadlines...etc), but isn't equipped on the project itself.

Sadly, when layoffs come, PMs are often the first to go. PM teams shrink, or the implementers are then just asked to self manage their projects.

 

Exactly. A good PM doesn't have to be an expert, just do their homework, keep up and properly delegate. Control freaks don't actually make good PMs. You have to know when to trust your people and let them take the lead on tasks.

The value of Project Managers is becoming more and more obvious to executives. They're often better leaders than actual managers, especially when managers are promoted due to halo effect.

 

I did it. First try on the test this morning, AT/AT/AT "above target" across the board. I'm a PMP.

Thanks for the encouragement @Xerobull

 

Congrats! Got my PMP in 2011 so I know it was hard work. Significantly better ROI than additional degrees.

 

I run a PMP software company called Corgee.

We have a product meant for Outsourcing your staff, that is coming out, there are free looks at it right now, if folks are interested in checking out something that is cloud or locally based.

PM me, and I will set you up.

www.corgee.com

DD

 

Amazing! Great work, the results speak to your preparation. Congrats!!!!

 

I went through the process to be eligible to take the test.

..paid big bucks for a course.
I took the test and failed. I had a car accident that day and havent tried again. I suck.
Congrats to all you that passed!

Now i know how pmbok pmi wants to do it and that I suck at earned value clearly.

Phases and stages info is useful.
Ive never seen or been on a steering committee and do pm stuff since 90s

 

Ah that’s awful. When did you take it? There were zero questions asking for a calculation I didn’t even open the calculator. Def not necessary to memorize the formulas although I would say the process grid is important because it helps indicate the answer based on phase or group. It’s more about situational application of knowledge than the knowledge.

 

PMP changed since he did it. Good to hear that it's more of a knowledge than math cert now. It's silly to not be able to Google a specific type of calculator.