In the next year, you will see the PMP initials next to my name. Right now I am preparing for the PMP exam and wanted to share what I am working on.
The PMP Certification will show that I am “skilled at managing the people, processes, and business priorities of professional projects.” While I’ve been leading professional projects for years, passing the exam will be a formal acknowledgement of that skillset.
The steps I am taking to become a certified project manager include the following:
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Take a project management Udemy course. The course I enrolled in will cover the 35 hours of project management education required.
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Study the PMBOK guide. This book is the most important resource to me as I prepare.
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Follow project management experts on LinkedIn. That is free education right there.
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Document my project management experience. I will need to verify 36 months of experience leading projects across the last eight years.
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Pay for PMI Membership. Non-members pay $575 for the exam, and members pay $555 (for membership and the exam fee), and membership comes with resources to help study, so it’s worth it to join the institute.
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Apply for, and schedule, the exam! And obviously, pass.
Why I am doing this? Part of me likes the challenge and the excuse to put together a study schedule. I also weirdly enjoy standardized exams? Mostly though, I want the validation that comes with having a formal leadership qualification. This will be beneficial to my career as it makes me more credible as I take on new challenges.
I’m always trying to push myself to grow and learn new things, so the PMP is a natural next step. It can apply to any industry, and supports professionals in many different roles. For example, as a senior instructional designer, I lead customer education projects as part of my job.
I already have project leadership experience; the PMP is just a way of signaling those skills to the public.
Day Learning Design 