Route 172

These lines are for those who understand that the world has already been working on projects for half a century, and a certification in project management is still an indicator of a candidate's potential for employment. Meeting the right trainer is saving money and effort, and the path seems shorter.

Allow me to tell you about 'Route 172'...

This is how I termed?my experience with the PMP certification process.?You will understand why, and it's a good story for the beginning of this year.

One month before the PMP ExamPrep course started,?I wrote an email to Ilie I. Dragan , the Romanian trainer about whom I read would be no 1 in this matter. A few days before the course, I met him. He gave me Rita Mulcahy’s book. “Don’t worry!” he said, noticing the ?surprised expression on my face, “Don’t worry about the 600 pages, you will read them and you will understand. Trust me!”

At the moment, the projects were at the end of the Waterfall story, and without any exaggeration, during those days Ilie made us already start thinking Agile. Without neglecting the Waterfall approach and terminology that we needed to pass the formal certification, he transferred us the confidence?of being able to create solid products, and to adapt to uncertainty. That was for certain Agile philosophy: “It’s OK to see you don’t know things, it’s a good thing! You'll get the chance to learn something new!”

When it comes to his teaching method, I think it successfully combines traditional and new techniques - no PowerPoint slides,?only flip-charts where he meticulously wrote and explained everything in detail afterwards. Those pictures were a good tool that helped me understand the concepts later, when I prepared for the exam. He answered all the questions in a precise and simple manner, progressively adapting to our level of knowledge. I guess he applied some kind of 'progressive elaboration' while teaching!

He permanently stayed connected to us even after the course and his contract ended. Maybe that happened because?he applies the PMP concepts about the products lifecycle to his students? – where ending a project is followed by the ongoing and maintenance activities, isn't it?

Being a very well organized trainer, he made a plan for each, he adapted himself to our needs of improvement, and explained a great number of concepts.?Now, being PMP certified, I know that he did that because in order to pass the exam, it is necessary to understand and learn practical and theoretical concepts.?This exam is based neither 100% on practical assessment, nor on 100% practical assessment.?The answer?is somewhere in the middle, and it?requires one's efforts.

In this process,?the exam simulation software that Ilie offered was extremely helpful, for understanding and getting familiar with the way PMI interprets situational and even theoretical questions. A recommendation for those interested to solve tests: I used the “keyword” search functionality a lot, for understanding terms and formulas both in theory and in situational contexts.

The PMP standard was created long time ago for the defense industry. From the perspective of being a professional in this field for some years, and managing projects in order to meet the interests of the most important stakeholders, the citizens - I can feel its?immediate utility, deriving from the fact that?PMP is all about rules and ethics, organizing processes, activities and resources. Moreover, I believe that?PMP might improve one’s life, balancing individual thoughts and actions.

The PMP certification process was quite a journey!?And?Route 172 is inspired by the number of emails Ilie Dragan answered during the learning process I went through, in order to help me to prepare the exam. Always there, always in a good mood, with that particular sparkling in his eyes...?he is quite a trainer!

The 'WHY' of this article

It was published five years ago as a testimonial for my experience with the PMP certification, under the pseudonym Lucia Tudorita. Today, I am rewriting here to promote the concept of project management in my professional network, and to make the name of a good trainer known. Although, at least in Romania Ilie is too well known from his courses, or the PMI Romania Chapter .

And because sometimes one can become sentimental when meeting people who walk the same road, and I have frozen "Route 172" as one that definitely influences my career destination today.