| Mike: | I know that both you and Debbie have new projects, but I’m still waiting. I know both of you are PMPs, do you think that would help me here? |
| Debbie: | That might have something to do with it. The company is finally recognizing that there is more to project management than just timesheets. When I met with my new manager about his project he asked specifically if I was a PMP. |
| Doug: | Debbie’s right Mike, the company realizes that the training and experience that PMPs bring to our projects have helped the bottom line. The billing project was on-time and close to budget – only the software development costs were greater than expected. |
| Mike: | So, you think that because my area was over-budget, the company doesn’t want me to manage another project? |
| Debbie: | Mike, that isn’t what Doug said. The project was a great success, but management has noticed that the PMP-managed areas were more successful. |
| Mike: | Alright, if it’s not my successful performance, but the PMP’s more successful performance that counts, then let’s go back to my original question – should I look into becoming a PMP? |
| Doug: | Absolutely! You need to look at the last three years on the billing project as a gift. You were a project manager on a complex project and you did a great job. To become a PMP, you need actual project management experience, and the billing project helped provide it. |
| Mike: | Three years experience – is that all that I need? |
| Debbie: | No Mike, there’s more to it than that. The experience needs to span different areas of project management such as scope, communications, risk and others for a total of 3,500 hours. You will need to accurately chronicle your time in these areas in order to sit for the PMP exam.
You’ll also need project management training. I took my training online with a company called PMCAMPUS.com which provided everything I needed to take the exam, (except for the actual answers of course). |
| Mike: | Tell me more about the training I need. |
| Doug: | The Project Management Institute, or PMI, is the accrediting organization for the PMP exam and associated training. PMI requires 35 project management training hours before registering for the PMP exam. Registered Education Providers, or REP, is the designation that PMI grants to qualified companies to provide courses for that training. Debbie had researched REPs and found PMCAMPUS.com for her training and exam preparation. |
| Mike: | So the training can be online? |
| Debbie: | Yes, it usually is. PMCAMPUS.com has online courses in the knowledge areas that are defined and explained in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (or PMBOK). You’re drilled in these knowledge areas using a question and answer methodology. The answers have explanations that make it instructive – in other words, you’re not just answering questions, you’re learning too in a structured course curriculum. |
| Doug: | That’s right Mike. The online courses are convenient, but more importantly, the training provided is exactly what you need to prepare for the PMP exam. |
| Mike: | How should I start? |
| Doug: | Start with www.pmi.org, and read the requirements. You have the necessary experience, so it’s really just a matter of getting the right online training to prepare for the exam. |
| Debbie: | Okay guys, the meeting is starting…. |
| | …………………………………………………85 minutes later |
| Doug: | Good meeting. |
| Mike: | See you later. I’m going to take advantage of my downtime now and start working on my PMP. Debbie, did you like your online training? |
| Debbie: | It was excellent. I’ll send you the link, it’s www.pmcampus.com, but it’s easy to remember. Whomever you select, make sure that your training is through an REP registered provider. |
| Mke: | Thanks Debbie, thanks Doug. |
| Doug: | Mike, if you had your PMP, I could bring you on to my project. Let me know when you get it! |
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