Earning a project management certification can do several things for you the project manager. A certification can:
- Prove that you have project management experience.
- Show that you understand the principles and processes of project management.
- Prove that you could pass an exam.
- Distinguish you from competing project managers when it comes to seeking employment.
- Show that you have a commitment to the project management career.
So should you certify? It depends on what your goals are. If your goal is to find a better project management job then I’d say having a project management certification is practically a requirement. Hop over to Monster or Dice and search for “PMP” jobs. You’ll see a bunch, I’m sure. But if your goal is to just be a better project manager, then I don’t believe that having a certification will do the trick.
Having a project management certification doesn’t make you a better project manager. It can’t. Project management certifications show that you know how to be a project manager, not necessarily be a good project manager. Like most things in life, you really learn by doing.
When it comes to certification I make a good chunk of my living by writing and teaching project management exam prep materials. I’m okay with that, but be realistic. There are tons of people out there selling PMP, CAPM, and Project+ certification materials. Good for them and good for us. Having competition brings prices down, but there’s also a “gold rush” mentality to the PMP and similar certifications.
Do you remember the days of Windows NT 3.51 and the launch of the MCSE certification programs? I do. I fear that soon the PMP will be as common place as just the job title of project manager and it won’t matter much at all. Maybe I’m wrong – it’s happened before. Sometimes the rush for certification becomes more about membership to a group than promoting good projects.
