On Certification

I'd written this many years ago shortly after getting certified as a project manager. I'm posting it here because I think my line of reasoning applies to other types of certifications and academic credentials in general. And, as you'll read later, academic/institutional credentialing has weighed heavily on my mind lately as I consider education options for my kids.

If you're getting started in project management or looking to take your career to the next level, you may be considering PMP certification. In addition to catapulting your resume to the top of a recruitment manager's pile, it often commands a higher salary and even the envy of non-certified colleagues. The PMP is a desirable thing indeed.

Unfortunately, it's often desired for all the wrong reasons, namely, earning a higher salary and the envy of colleagues. Worse, after countless hours of studying PMI's narrowly defined processes and cramming for an exam, many people begin to look at their real-world projects as academic exercises and start to get a little crazy with things like formal communication, protocol and documentation. Don't get me wrong; there's nothing wrong with wanting to earn more, and I am all for adhering to standards and using best practices. In fact, I'm a fairly active member of PMI and intend to maintain my certification status. However, only a small part of my value as a project manager can be attributed to what I learned while studying for the credential.

Frm my perspective, the two best reasons to take the PMP exam are:

1. You want a new job. If you're looking for work as a project manager, having this credential will definitely  give you an edge over the competition. The process you have to go through just to sit the exam is just arduous enough to scare off enough people to boost your chances of landing the job you want.
   
2. Your company said they'd pay for it. One major deterrent for taking the exam is that it's expensive. I addition to the approximately $500 exam fee, you need to spend a certain amount of time sitting in a classroom, taking online courses, or attending seminars. I spent about $3,000 on the structured learning necessary to sit for the exam. If your company offers to fund your pursuit of the PMP credential, it's wise to take them up on it. It's a good investment for your company too, especially if they have prospective clients who factor professional certifications into their vendor selection process.

If your only goal is to improve you abilities as a project manager, your time is best spent reading up on project management lessons from the real world, and finding ways to work closely with more experienced project managers.

In short, the earning PMP certification will NOT make you a better project manager. It will, however, help you to appear more legit in the eyes of traditional organizations.