Whether you’ve recently received your PMP Certification, been a PMP for years or are planning on taking the exam in the near future, you’ve come to the right place.
Project Management Professionals are in high demand in many industries. By getting your certification and staying current with the latest methodologies and practices in the field, you will have a level of career flexibility that is matched by few. The PMP Lifestyle can also provide an interesting framework for approaching a variety of personal endeavors.
Project Manager
The Project Manager is the person assigned by the performing organization to lead the team that is responsible for achieving the project objectives. Whether it’s product or service-related, a PM’s job is an extremely important one, which is why properly certified PMP’s are among the most sought-after professionals today.
Most are employed as client representatives to shepherd projects from initiation to closing/turnover. No matter what part of the world you may live in, there’s always a demand for effective and skilled Project Managers.
Project Management
The Project Management Institute defines a Project as “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.”
While a Project Manager’s power and responsibilities will vary based on his/her organization’s structure and the characteristics of the project, the Project Management job is to shepherd along the project through its various processes rather than necessarily participating in the actual activities that build the product or service.
- Initiating
- Planning
- Executing
- Monitoring & Controlling (M&C)
- Closing
Within each phase of process of the project, the PM may need to manage according to the following considerations and constraints.
- Project Integration
- Scope
- Time
- Cost
- Quality
- Human Resources
- Communications
- Risk
The interactions of these considerations as the project moves from Initiation through Planning, Executing, M&C and hopefully closing is what gives Project Management its complexity.
PMP Jobs
As previously mentioned, the demand for qualified Project Management Professionals is extremely high. As long as you meet the qualifications and have completed the proper training, you have a great chance of leveraging your experience into fantastic new job opportunities or moving forward within your existing organization.
Whether it’s through a private company looking to hire their own employed Project Management Professionals, or a consulting company that employs a cadre of Project Managers who can be distributed to various job sites and clients, your chances of moving your career forward are excellent.
PMP Certification
To apply to take the PMP Exam, you need to have either:
| Criteria Set #1 | Criteria Set #2 | |
| Degree | Secondary degree (HS diploma, Associate’s Degree, or the global equivalent) | Four-year degree (Bachelor’s Degree or the global equivalent) |
| Job Experience | 5 years of PM experience | 3 years of PM experience |
| PM Hours | 7,500 hours leading and directing projects | 4,500 hours leading and directing projects |
| PM Education | 35 hours of accredited PM education | 35 hours of accredited PM education |
Once you have fulfilled either criteria set, you are eligible to schedule your exam date/location. The exam is a 200-question, multiple-choice test which lasts 4 hours.
For more on the PMP Exam, including test question breakdown and the application process, click here.
PMP Certification Maintenance
A certified PMP will need to earn 60 Professional Development Units (PDU’s) per three-year cycle in order to keep his/her certification.
For more information on the best ways to get your PDU’s, click here.
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“Project Management Professional (PMP),” “PMP,” “Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM),” “CAPM,” “PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP),” “PMI-ACP,” “PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP),” “PMI-RMP,” “PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP),” “PMI-SP,” “Program Management Professional (PgMP),” “PgMP,” “PMBOK® Guide,,” and “PMI,” are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.