Project Management Certification: A Must-Have or a Money Trap?
Joel Dupont, CSM?, PMI-ACP?, PMP?, Prince2?
"The delivery guy" aka as Senior Project Manager & Agilist at Guidewire Software ?? Speaker, student and experimenter of communication
As a project manager or aspiring project manager, should you obtain a certification to boost your career in project management or don’t bother? ??
It cannot be denied that certifications is a money-making machine with exam fees, renewal fees to keep your certification, membership fees, ... constituting a well over $2 billion industry.??
Plus, the business model of certification bodies may put you off.??
??
But wait, will you get a return on your investment???
??
The project Management Institute (PMI) publishes a biennial salary survey called “Earning Power” across countries, years of experience, industry as well as project size and it argues that holders of the Project Management Professional (PMP) can command significantly higher salaries. ??
?
In its Earning Power Project Management Salary Survey Thirteenth Edition of 2023 Project Management Institute, it states:??
“Those holding the globally recognized PMI Project Management Professional (PMP)? certification report considerable earnings increases in most countries included in this study as compared to their counterparts without PMP certification”??
??
It may be a biased and self serving argument and my experience does not align?with that. In my previous jobs, I cannot say my salary factored in my PMP certification.??
??
Another angle to judge the merit of holding a project management certification is to find out whether it is in demand by reviewing project manager job offer requirements.??
??
I had a perfunctory look at 100 project manager job offers in Ireland and 40% of them had a project management certification as a requirement or a nice-to-have?e.g..: “PMP or similar certification preferred”??
??
This is a personal observation across the last few weeks, rather than a sound statistical study and it may differ across countries.?
??
PMP and Prince2 (mostly used in UK government organizations) are amongst the most widely recognized project management certifications and require you to have project management experience before you can take the plunge into the exam. PMI and Prince2 also offer agile certifications.??
??
I see 2 valuable character traits in pursuing a certification and a 3rd one not so shiny:??
领英推荐
Going for a certification is both a financial and time commitment. While others?certifications were paid for by my company, for the PMP I forked the money myself. Cost can include the exam fee plus?training costs for those who choose so rather than free/cheap self-study with a book.??
It is serious work to prepare for a certification on top of your daily job.??
??
It at least demonstrates you have some intellectual curiosity and willingness to learn and that you would adapt when new methodologies and skills are required at your organization??
?
Some people collect stamps and you collect certifications without the purpose of applying your knowledge.??
??
While having a certification doesn’t guarantee you’ve got the right experience and excel at your craft, it consolidates what you practice daily and broaden your skills, tools, and knowledge. You can also remain current in project management trends by reading articles and listening to on-demand talks and trainings on the membership site.??
??
So, is it worth it???
?
Despite the costs and time required, if you want to become a project manager or further your career in this field, I will say:?go for it!??
??
It is not essential, but an additional useful tool in your professional toolbox. ??
??
Earning a certification is a bit like getting dressed for a ceremony. You could go without jewelry but wearing a shiny piece of jewelry?for the occasion would add some spark and is?one element to stand out. ????
??
What are your thoughts and experience on project management certifications??
?