PMP Certification and PMP Exam Preparation Guidebook

By Sarah Taylor

PMP Certification and PMP Exam Preparation Guidebook

The PMP, or Project Management Professional Certification is consistently classified as one of the top five most important certifications for IT professionals and is also broadly suitable to a wide range of industries. 

A PMP develops the skills required to succeed as a Project Manager and inaugurates new doors for those with the Certification. In this first book, I will assist you to understand if earning a PMP is right for you by looking at the advantages it offers and what enterprises and sectors it's best suited for. Then, we'll look at the requirements you must meet before applying for the exam and walk you through the application process. 

After that, we'll begin our journey of project management, defining what separates managing projects from the more day-to-day administration, needs of businesses, what key tasks and stakeholders are involved in project work, and what necessary traits and abilities can help you succeed as a Project Manager. By the end of this book, you'll know if earning a PMP is best for you and have a strong foundation in place from which you can proceed your journey discovering more about project management. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sarah Taylor
• Release date: May 21, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386190677

Sarah Taylor

Sarah Taylor has a BA in History and an MSLS. She enjoys reading and writing about history, playing piano, and going on park walks with her dog. You may find her at https://beautifuldreamerdotcom.wordpress.com and Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21550493.Sarah_Taylor.

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Introduction

First we'll look at how we get started with the PMP certification. What exactly is it? What benefits might it offer you? And what do you need to know in order to begin your journey toward earning a PMP certification? Then we'll look at how you qualify for the PMP exam? Not only the prerequisites that you need to meet, but how you can go about meeting them. Then we'll look at the PMP exam application process. How you actually go about submitting that exam and preparing the documentation you'll need in order to begin scheduling your exam test date. From there we'll begin our journey in understanding project management fundamentals. Before looking at key project roles and stakeholders and the skills that effective project managers bring to their project environment. In this module we're first going to look at what a PMP actually is and who should seek to pursue one. From there we'll look at PMI, the Project Management Institute, and the evolution of project management that's brought us to this point in time. Then we'll introduce the PMBOK Guide, the sixth edition of the PMBOK Guide in fact, which was released in late 2017 and as of early 2018 became one of the central pillars for the PMP exam.

What Is the PMP®?

If you're just beginning to learn what the PMP, or project management professional certification, is, it's worth taking a moment to understand the value that it can offer you as you continue on your journey to learn more about project management. The PMP is a globally valued certification recognized by companies, governments, and other organizations throughout the world. It's either required or strongly preferred by many employers or project management positions. In fact I've seen many positions that either require a PMP out right or have as one of the bases for your hiring being that you're able to earn a PMP within your first six or 12 months on the job.

The PMP certification is issued exclusively by the Project Management Institute, which is responsible for the initial development of the exam, as well as the PMBOK Guide, or project management body of knowledge, on which the exam is largely based. The PMP certification and exam have been developed by project managers for project managers. These are experienced experts who understand what it is you need to know in order to succeed within a wide variety of different project environments throughout different organizations and different industries.

A mixture of experience, education, and training is required in order to apply for the exam. The details of which we'll get to in just a little while. The PMP focuses on broadly useful project management techniques and concepts, not lobbying for any particular type of methodologies, such as either a more predictive or adaptive approach to your project. But rather it's focused on providing you with a set of universal tools that can be useful regardless of the type of project environment you find yourself managing. It helps to establish a common language for project management to occur across industries. And as such not only prepares you to better work within your project environment, but also can help to enhance your career versatility moving forward. And can help you in communicating with other project managers on a level playing field, working as peers, regardless of the type of industry you might work in, or the type of project you might be managing.

Who Should Pursue a PMP®?

One of the most common questions I hear regarding the PMP is who should actually go about earning one. Well originally the PMP was designed for the industries that really were in need of project management at the time that it first emerged. These included areas such as aerospace, construction, defense, education, healthcare, and information technology. All of these fields can still benefit from a PMP, but the versatility of the certification has grown over time as organizations in different fields have learned the value that projects can offer to them.

Now we see a much wider variety of industries where a PMP can be very applicable and effective for your career growth. These include new areas, such as automotive, education, entertainment, and finance, as well as food and beverage, gaming, logistics, telecom, manufacturing, utilities, and more. In fact, the PMP certification has received a variety of accolades over the years. It's considered the number one IT certification by both CIO Magazine and the IT Skills and Salary Report. And on an average basis, a PMP certified project manager earns a $10,000 higher salary than one who has not yet achieved their PMP certification. So why is this the case? Well a PMP acts as shorthand when speaking with employers, as well as with your colleagues within project teams regarding what your experience is and what value you can bring to the table. Because of the prerequisites involved, having a PMP certification proves that you have a level of project management experience coming into wherever you might be today. It also indicates a high level of project management knowledge, that you understand the industry leading terminology that's necessary in order to communicate effectively and to be able to manage projects using a standard set of tools that can be applied to a variety of different project management methodologies.

Further, it shows commitment to project management as a profession on your behalf. You're serious about managing projects, not just about management in general, or in undertaking projects as some sort of side diversion along with your other responsibilities. Rather, you are focused on being able to create unique results for your industry or your organization and to be able to turn around and do so again and again. Furthermore, earning a PMP provides you access to an exclusive networking environment. It helps to differentiate you from others who might not have already taken this step in their careers, and thereby, unlocks a variety of opportunities based on other PMPs who have already earned the certification realizing the value that it offers and the value that you might offer now that you've earned one. It's always good to hear directly from those who've earned the certification themselves. One tech professional who earned their PMP said that they always highlight their PMP certification to distinguish themselves from other PMs who don't have one. Another says that someone moving into the project management field will find that the certification will be a door opener to new opportunities.

A third said that their PMP credentials boosted their self-confidence and skills by providing them with the tools they needed in order to better succeed at