Certification

It is always interesting to see how people feel about being certified as a Project Manager. On one hand I like having a standard set of criteria to normalize a base foundation of understanding PM principles. On the other hand I strongly believe that it is really the empirical background and work style of a person who makes them a successful Project Manager.

With over one million people certified it seems to have a lower standard since it would appear that most people can get their certification – and clearly PM certification is a business that needs customers. Most resumes that I see, people call themselves Project Managers and have the certification. However when I read the bullets the experience is pretty weak. I think these resumes are the ones that give certification a bad name and a reputation as being “watered down.”

You need more than the stamp

So I would propose that we take it in context. For people who want to enter the PM practice, looking at certification may be a good foundation for understanding the principles. But the focus should be on gaining “real world”
experience and possibly getting mentoring from a seasoned Project Manager.

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