Photo by Sukanto Debnath via Flickr
I found a blog today titled “HISTORY of Linux and Minix” and found this particular post interesting. I think the author of this blog is anonymous, but they are giving some good advice for folks who are looking into PMI and the PMP exam in particular.
Check it out!
Chasing the PMP Certification Exam
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Josh,
Thanks for sharing this, as it gave me another opportunity to debunk the sham that I think PMI is perpetrating on the practice of project management, by allowing or encouraging claims that those who have their PMP are any more or better qualified than those who do not.
There is simply no credible research I have ever seen saying that those who have their PMP deliver projects more successfully than those who do not.
And from first hand experience, we are seeing more clients coming to the realization that having a critical mass of PMP’s does NOT result in projects being delivered on time, within budget, in substantial conformance to the specifications, while substantially meeting the objectives for which the project was undertaken in the first place.
In the end, the ONLY valid measurement of COMPETENT project managers can be found by following professional engineering,the medical profession or commercial airline piloting. Years of EXPERIENCE under the watchful eyes of a master practitioner.
Sorry folks, but IMPO, the PMP does not stand as evidence of a project manager being competent anymore than the Engineer In Training (EIT) exam stands as evidence that an engineer is competetent and qualified to approve (“stamp”) design drawings.
BR,
Dr. PDG, back in Jakarta from Qatar and Bahrain
Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo, CDT, CCE, MScPM,
Senior Technical Advisor, PT Mitratata Citragraha, Jakarta/Singapore/Anchorage/Amsterdam/Johannesburg http://www.getpmcertified.com
Adjunct Professor, Project/Program Management, Lille Graduate School of Management, Paris, FRANCE http://www.esc-lille.com
Curriculum Development Consultant/Adjunct Professor, Asset and Project Management, University of Western Australia, Perth, http://www.blendedlearning.ecm.uwa.edu.au
Board of Directors, Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards (GAPPS) Sydney, AUSTRALIA http://www.globalpmstandards.org
Thanks Dr. PDG.
We’ve been over this ground before, (1), (2), etc.
It still baffles me how your getpmcertified.com site offers what amounts to a PMP boot camp. I assume other people must work that.
A quote from me from earlier conversations:
Yes Josh,
It looks like we are pretty much in violent agreement on most of the FACTS.
I think the big difference is I feel as a lifelong project manager, that I have a moral and ethical obligation to speak out when I see postings such as Anonymous made, where all this person is doing is perpetuating a myth that PMI is more than happy to see spread.
I fault the organization for not being more truthful and forthcoming, first in explaining to people what the original purpose of the PMP was when it first started out, and secondly to debunk any claims that having a PMP results in better project management. Simply not true.
As to you point about the degree, given a choice between taking someone with a degree in project management (or business or any other discipline) and a knowledge based credential (such as the PMP) I will take the degree over the credential any day of the week.
BR,
Dr. PDG, happy to be back in Jakarta
http://www.getpmcertified.com
“violent agreement”…. I love it!
This is an interesting conversation to me. I came to this site becuase I wanted to get information on if I should seek a PMP certification.
I have a bachelors in Information Technology and a Masters Degree in Project Management.
I work in the information technology field for a major government contracting firm.
I am 48 years old and feel 25. I currently make well over the standard salary of a project manager. I use project management skills in my profession daily. I form project teams and live by the triple constraint appraoch.
I was wondering if a PMP credential should still be on my list of accomplishments or at this point in my career I am waisting my time.
The primary reason for persuing this credential is to meet a standard and form relationships with PM professionals.
Some would say you are wasting your time. I wouldn’t.
Personally, I think any opportunity to learn and improve is beneficial. If you are not familiar with the PMI standard, you would become familiar with it through your studies.
As I always say, if you are doing it simply to memorize answers and pass the test, you probably are wasting your time. The PMP designation itself has value, but not much when compared to what I learned while going through the process of studying the concepts. In several cases I modified what I do on a daily basis because I found a better way.
Josh
After reading the emails you sent, now I understand this comment.
Thanks for your help.
By the way
I am in the interview process with a major communications company. My project managemet expreience and degree along with my IT degree has put me in the drivers seat.
I am not a project manager by hire but I use these techniques as the foundation of my work process.
My knowledge makes me a major player in the industry. My techniques make me a super star.
Think I will persue the PMP Certification, to stay current with trends.
Thanks for your direction Josh
You have been a great help
Clement
A PMP is a title. So is “doctor” and “professor”.
1. A title helps others recognize us (common language etc.).
2. Employment – it pays to have a PMP, PRINCE 2, IPMA etc. certificate.
3. We are more confident as a certified professional.
A PMP needs all the means he/she can muster to support the difficult task of managing projects.
Apart from that (or perhaps – especially because of that), any network of professionals is a huge benefit by itself.
http://pmstudent.com started when Josh was preparing for his PMP. A worthy cause if you ask me.
Cheers!
Thanks for the comment Lech! A few comments and a correction:
I didn’t start pmStudent when preparing for my PMP. I had gone back to school for a degree in Project Management, and this blog was a way for me to share my thoughts as I explored the world of formal PM, viewing it as a discipline with right and wrong approaches. It also helped me formulate applications of theory to my daily work as a project manager.
Second, I disagree with points 1 and 3. I certainly don’t mean any of this harshly, and want to encourage Lech and others to keep sharing their thoughts! I just think it’s important to distinguish between a piece of paper on the one hand, and real professional growth on the other. Both can be achieved if you pursue the PMP in the right way; both can be achieved in isolation of each other as well.
Point 1 – Although PMP is used as a title from time to time, it’s not a title in my opinion. I think it’s important to draw a distinction between certifications and titles. It takes more to earn a title in my opinion, meaning you earn the title of ‘project manager’ by managing projects. I’ve seen too many PMPs that are not managing projects to be comfortable with equating the certification and title.
Point 3 – The only way any certification should make you more confident is if you’ve learned information during the process of acquiring it that lead you to become better at what you do. I know that’s what Lech meant, but I want to make sure it’s clear that the piece of paper without the journey to acquire it is useless.
Josh, I’m sorry for the mistake regarding the beginnings of http://pmstudent.com.
As long as time and family allows I won’t get discouraged – expect me to add comments from time to time
I enjoy your blog. Besides, discussing topics of interest is yet another great way to learn, isn’t it?
Regarding the title thing… I thought it’s not that easy to get a PMP title, certificate, whatever… I would assume there’s enough work & practice involved. Anyhow, I think I might have followed a similar path like you – returning to get a degree in Project Management, plus a certification, separately. Both feel similar to me
One is a tad more academic, the other – more practical. Both required a decent amount of work.
I’m not talking about titles / functions at work. They are almost meaningless to me.
The energy behind the topic still eludes me. All credentialed engineers cannot successfully build a bridge. All doctors cannot treat all disease. All MBAs cannot run a fortune 500 company. All accountants can’t do your taxes right or keep the CEO out of jail.
We treat these various degrees and certifications and credentials with different levels of seriousness and credibility. But even among the more serious of them, we would not treat all practioners equalm neither would most of us hire one without that credential in most @ases. Most, ut not all.
…and apparently, not all Droid users can type well on this friggin’ tiny keyboard!! Moving on…
Anyway, the fact that the credential doesn’t guarantee a particular performance on a given project seems to me an insufficient argument against the credential. Unless we are positing that all credentials are worthless, a philosophical position that may well be defensible, but I thinl that is not what this tjread intended.
Agreed Max. Just because there are some doctors and lawyers who graduate but turn out to be terrible at their jobs doesn’t mean the education and certification process is worthless.
The longer and harder the road to get a certification or degree however, the better the filtering process.
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