Becoming a PMP? ... What Changes?
It is a repetitive question from clients and interested candidates who want to obtain their PMP? credential from the PMI? to ask about what is it to be a PMP?? There are those who definitely know what being a PMP? is but there are those others who would always want to get it right by asking of the reward of obtaining this credential.
I received the following questions every time I am engaged in an awarness session on PMP? and every time I start the very first session on PMP? prep course. Some other times I will be the one asking the question and encouraging the participants to share their expectations.
I am always being asked:
- Would obtaining the PMP? allow me for a pay rise? and I answer: not necessarily
- Would it enable me to progress for a better position? and I answer: not necessarily
- Would it allow me to change my career? my answer is again: not necessarily
- Am I going to be easily employed? my obvious answer is: not necessarily
and it goes for more of similar questions and more of the same answer of not necessarily. My answer has the small "yes" hidden behind the "not necessarily" but I for one reason cannot answer with us. Not only because since I got my PMP? I have not got any of the above but to a very simple fact that there are more factors influencing the chances of receiving a pay rise, progressing to a better or higher position, changing the career or being easily employed than only obtaining a credential.
Nevertheless, going through the journey of studying, practicing and preparing for the PMP? exam is one of the most enriching learning journeys in my life. I learnt in that short period more than I learnt in my journey towards getting my MBA. Preparing for the PMP? involves a lot of reading, listening, planning and analysis of situations all with reference to a very well defined and very well explained framework. Learning with reference to that particular framework described in the PMBOK? is what you end up with as an outcome at the end of this journey which has more value than passing the exam itself. That is why there are those who will only attend the courses to get the knowledge and improve their skills rather than being obsessed about passing the exam. Passing the exam and receiving the title that will allow you to add it to your CV and at the end of your name on LinkedIn just like what I am doing and so many others do, has its flavor of accomplishment and the feeling of privilege. That is true. But it is less meaningful compared to the knowledge and experience to acquire from the learning journey.
So in contrast, to all those who are interested in joining and completing this very interesting journey, to all my current and future candidates whom I will always share this article with I summarize what I think is the more valuable outcomes from obtaining the PMP? as from my own experience:
- It strongly builds your understanding of the workplace structure, culture, stakeholders and environment that influences the decision making
- It increases your awareness on workplace communication needs and expectations taking in consideration the power of influence of various stakeholders.
- It builds the awareness and the understanding of the need to thoroughly plan for everything taking in consideration the buying-in of the team, experts and stakeholders
- You will be more able to link and interrelate various work and business activities which will result in making you a better sensible and rational person at work when it comes to understanding the scope of work, requests of changes, client requirements and different departments –interested parties- interests and involvements
- You always be looking very wide at a full picture and from different angles when it comes to decision making, considering the risks, the quality, the resources, costs and meeting the objectives
- You will produce less errors and you will be less panic and you will create less conflicts at work because you will be better in understanding the process inputs and outputs so you will be better in asking the right questions to acquire the needed data and information and you will be always thinking of the most right tools and techniques before you start on a trial and error basis
The above are some of the guaranteed things you will get out of your PMP? learning journey which in my point of view that on a longer or shorter run will result a big "yes" for one or more of the above questions that I have answered with "not necessarily".
Ali AL Asfoor
Office: +973 17470019
Thimar Group
P.O. Box 82354, Budaiya
Kingdom of Bahrain
…