Is PMI certification useful for IT professionals

[rajuram]

Does PMP offer any advantages in terms of promotions or getting a new job? Please share your experience.

[eb3retro]

yes, if aspire to become a PM.
no , if you dont want to go that route.

[xyzgc]

why not invest in a full-fledged mba instead? It will help you a great deal in your career aspirations.

[rajuram]

I am not sure how would MBA help if some one is working in IT.

Originally Posted by xyzgc

why not invest in a full-fledged mba instead? It will help you a great deal in your career aspirations.

[RDB]

I don't think PMP is useful in promotions......it may be helpful in getting a new job though.....but then you are limited in your career..........PMP doesn't help you moving upwards.....!

My 2 cents!

Originally Posted by rajuram

Does PMP offer any advantages in terms of promotions or getting a new job? Please share your experience.

[gcseeker2002]

Originally Posted by RDB

I don't think PMP is useful in promotions......it may be helpful in getting a new job though.....but then you are limited in your career..........PMP doesn't help you moving upwards.....!

My 2 cents!

Good discussion, Just thinking what are the chances of getting job and the types of companies/jobs in the current recession market for
1. PMP certification with few technical skills
2. PMP certification with heavy technical skills
3. PMP certification with no technical skills(only PM skills)

[rajuram]

Thanks

Originally Posted by RDB

I don't think PMP is useful in promotions......it may be helpful in getting a new job though.....but then you are limited in your career..........PMP doesn't help you moving upwards.....!

My 2 cents!

[reddymjm]

Originally Posted by rajuram

Does PMP offer any advantages in terms of promotions or getting a new job? Please share your experience.

Yes

[rajuram]

So is it worth while to invest $500 in PMI certification?

Originally Posted by reddymjm

Yes

[eb3retro]

Originally Posted by rajuram

So is it worth while to invest $500 in PMI certification?

did you read my response???

[FinalGC]

Dear friends:

As the Past President of a PMI Chapter (PMP for the past 10 years and working in the field of Project management for the past 15 years) let me shed some light to this query.

Reasons why you should do PMP
1) If you believe you need a promotion, new job or rise the corporate ladder within the field of IT or management, take PMP.....Billing rate of PM's is $90-150/hr for consulting, full time could be from $100K-$250K. The next generation CIO's will be highly qualified PM's.
2) Job security for PMP's. The only job that will not be outsourced to India or China is that of a project manager.
3) PMP will help you get the project manager job, if you do not have one. However, become a Project Manager only if you like working with people. Trust me, if you hate politics and hate managing people, it is better for you to stay a techie. Your life will be miserable if you do not like managing people. Do something that you enjoy, rather than what you may hate. It is all about people and people management, rather than project management in the world of PMP's
4) PMP has become mandatory for all large gigs or projects. Small projects do not need PMP's and small projects do not pay well too.
5) PMP does not make you a better project manager. But PMP is needed by the industry. It is the experience that one gets from being on the field from different industries that makes one a good project manager.

I hope this should help some of you to make a decision to be a PMP or not.

[natrajs]

Originally Posted by FinalGC

Dear friends:

As the Past President of a PMI Chapter (PMP for the past 10 years and working in the field of Project management for the past 15 years) let me shed some light to this query.

Reasons why you should do PMP
1) If you believe you need a promotion, new job or rise the corporate ladder within the field of IT or management, take PMP.....Billing rate of PM's is $90-150/hr for consulting, full time could be from $100K-$250K. The next generation CIO's will be highly qualified PM's.
2) Job security for PMP's. The only job that will not be outsourced to India or China is that of a project manager.
3) PMP will help you get the project manager job, if you do not have one. However, become a Project Manager only if you like working with people. Trust me, if you hate politics and hate managing people, it is better for you to stay a techie. Your life will be miserable if you do not like managing people. Do something that you enjoy, rather than what you may hate. It is all about people and people management, rather than project management in the world of PMP's
4) PMP has become mandatory for all large gigs or projects. Small projects do not need PMP's and small projects do not pay well too.
5) PMP does not make you a better project manager. But PMP is needed by the industry. It is the experience that one gets from being on the field from different industries that makes one a good project manager.

I hope this should help some of you to make a decision to be a PMP or not.

Well Said FinalGC

[vine93]

Originally Posted by FinalGC

Dear friends:

As the Past President of a PMI Chapter (PMP for the past 10 years and working in the field of Project management for the past 15 years) let me shed some light to this query.

Reasons why you should do PMP
1) If you believe you need a promotion, new job or rise the corporate ladder within the field of IT or management, take PMP.....Billing rate of PM's is $90-150/hr for consulting, full time could be from $100K-$250K. The next generation CIO's will be highly qualified PM's.
2) Job security for PMP's. The only job that will not be outsourced to India or China is that of a project manager.
3) PMP will help you get the project manager job, if you do not have one. However, become a Project Manager only if you like working with people. Trust me, if you hate politics and hate managing people, it is better for you to stay a techie. Your life will be miserable if you do not like managing people. Do something that you enjoy, rather than what you may hate. It is all about people and people management, rather than project management in the world of PMP's
4) PMP has become mandatory for all large gigs or projects. Small projects do not need PMP's and small projects do not pay well too.
5) PMP does not make you a better project manager. But PMP is needed by the industry. It is the experience that one gets from being on the field from different industries that makes one a good project manager.

I hope this should help some of you to make a decision to be a PMP or not.

2) Job security for PMP's. The only job that will not be outsourced to India or China is that of a project manager.

Wrong !!


I work for IBM and IBM just recently outsourced almost all the PM's and SDM's job to India only ( Not to China because of English speaking ability ).
IBM got tonnes of skilled MBA's with english speaking. As of now hardly I see any PM's from US during calls. But I admire you for all the other points. well said.

[gcdreamer05]

Folks,

I agree 100% with the previous post person.

I myself am a PMP. It is very easy to do one, you need to have the right project mgmt experience (PMI may audit it) and you need to prepare for few months and you can clear it easily.

But the question is, more than the exam it is the practical experience, sometimes this job can be so frustrating and you feel like a sandwich being hit on both sides.

If you already have a PM experience and you dont have the certification, definetly go for it, it is worth the spending.

Again remember it expires in 3 yrs , you got to keep renewing your PDUs to stay current... its not like MCSD or MCAD which is for life long...

[for_gc]

Originally Posted by FinalGC

Dear friends:

As the Past President of a PMI Chapter (PMP for the past 10 years and working in the field of Project management for the past 15 years) let me shed some light to this query.

...

Hi FinalGC,

What is your defintion of a large project ? How much budget/people/schedule etc should we use for that definition.