What Happens after Your PMP Certification?
Sunday, September 9, 2018, 6:00 AM | Leave Comment
‘Congratulations!’ I bet this is one of the most exciting information anyone who has just undergone four hours of the strenuous PMP examination could see on their computer screen. With this message, you are now officially a certified PMP (Project Management Professional).
All who have undergone the process of obtaining the certification can agree on the fact that it is quite complicated, costly and requires extensive preparation.
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What is the PMP Certification?
PMP is a certification that’s on offer at the Project Management Institute for professional project managers as recognition of their expertise in everything pertaining to project management. This certification is an assessment of the education, knowledge, and experience of project managers on a professional level.
Of all the certifications in project management, the PMP certification is considered the gold standard of all. It is therefore highly recognized and greatly on demand worldwide. With this certification, you have been validated as a competent professional project manager to direct and lead teams and projects.
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Benefits of having a PMP certification
On the bright side, a PMP certification will beef up your resume, putting you on the higher side as you look for a job as a project manager. This is a great way to prove your experience and expertise in project management.
Having this certification puts you on the higher chances of making more money compared to a project manager who has not yet received the certification. Having this certification is also an indication of your commitment to your profession, something that potential employers would not let go.
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So, What Next?
From that moment that the ‘congratulation’ message pops on your screen, this means that for the next three years, you are an officially certified PMP. With this, you have crossed a major milestone, and this calls for a celebration.
But then, the question comes, what next?
The credential certificate gets to reach you via mail in the next six to eight weeks. This will come as a package: the credential certificate, a congratulations note, and information pertaining how you will be able to maintain the credential.
Upon passing the exam, it is about time that you begin the collection of your professional development units (PDUs). As you await the actual certification, you may obtain a printed exam report from your exam center, which will act as a proof of your PMP status in the meantime. It is crucial to keep this report safe as some computer errors may occur making your results unavailable. In such a case, failure of having your report might require you to retake the exam if at all you are going to be certified.
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How about going for an added credential
You can decide to give more control to your PMP certification and be able to apply the learned principles even better. With the certification, you may choose to advance to a more lucrative and more interesting career. There is just so much that you can do to accelerate and keep up your career momentum.
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How about going for another certification?
With this, you will be able to keep your skills exciting and fresh over time. You will also realize that once you have a PMP, adding an extra credential is quite easy. The fact that you get to earn PDUs at the same time is quite enticing.
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So, what certifications go hand in hand with the PMP certification?
To begin with, the PRINCE2 certification is a good idea. This, compared to PMP, is quite easier to learn. This combination of certifications is quite popular worldwide, and you can never go wrong in your profession with these two.
If you are a PMP specialized in the IT field, then you might want to go for a certification in Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). This stands to give you a deeper expertise in IT as you carry out your management skills.
Other certifications that go hand in hand with the PMP certification include Program Management Professional (PgMP). The certification is simply an addition to the PMP, building onto your already earned skills in PMP.
Putting into consideration the current economic conditions, project managers love going for projects that allow for efficiency and cost cutting. With this in mind, a combination of the PMP with a Six Sigma PMP will make you quite powerful in the project management environment.
Conclusion
It is a great joy to achieve your certification as a PMP. However, do not dwell too much in the celebrations. That is just one milestone. There are many more yet to be achieved in the future career. It is about time that you start thinking of the future. Remember you just have three years to use your credential before you are required to renew it; make maximum use of the time.
As discussed earlier, you may decide to strengthen your PMP skills by going for another credential or you may choose to advance your career position. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you all the best!
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