Project Management Certification
Out of 3 credentials offered by PMI (Project Management Institute) PMP Credential is most accredited and widely accepted Certificate. In the post Dot-com era more and more companies in software industry are adopting various Project Management techniques. Either they might choose a framework like Prince 2, Tenstep or RUP, or using tools like MS Project or formerly niku’s Clarity every where PMP taught knowledge and principles are adopted. Now every software vendor or frameworks are more closely aligning themselves with PMI’s PMBOK guide the backbone of PMP.
In the wake of this development more companies are seeking candidates with PMP certificate. The clients of freelance consultants, particularly in the IT, Pharmaceutical, Government and Construction sectors are particularly looking for PMPs, often filtering out those who do not have the credential.
Project management has become a profession. Project management has protocols, methodologies and professional practices based on experience. Project management is a whole different specialty and PMP is the professional credential for the profession. Still organizations promote people with long functional association with subject and call them as functional managers or SME’s. They still dominate the functional areas, but many times when projects are drawn the threads are given to title holder “Project Managers”.
This is not the case across the world. EU countries are strong on UK’s Prince2 or other local Project Management methodologies. Like wise Australia has its own defined methodology. But overall PMI is showing its own progress in those areas. So investing time and energy in PMP credential is very good long term prospective thing.