Do you really need a certificate to be a great
project manager? Recently I have published a video where I have made an
overview of the most popular project management certifications.
I have received a ton of feedback and I really appreciate
it. This current episode was inspired by one of the questions that I have
received. The questions was: Is it important to obtain a
certification to become a great project manager? Let's
knock it down. What is up everyone? Welcome to my
project management sandbox! If we have never met before my name is
Kris, I am PMP certified and have a wide experience in the tech industry projects.
So yeah, I'm a project manager myself. If you want to know my tips and tricks
on project management make sure to subscribe and hit the bell to be
notified about new episodes on Wednesdays. Now let's
get directly to our topic for today.
I would like to talk about the mindset and to discuss the popular belief
in the professional certifications. You know I do have a professional
certification myself and not only this. Actually there was a
time when I was a project manager without a certification.
Therefore, I know what to compare. Thus, let's dive in and discuss if we
really do need to have a professional certification to become great project
managers; and if we do then why do we need it. To begin
with, let's discuss what makes people get
professional certifications and why finally they're getting them.
Reason number one is a higher income. There are so many people
who believe that having a professional certification will
automatically give them a higher income or
they are going to get their dream job on autopilot.
Well, this is not true. To be honest, professional certification
is not a ski pass to the top of the mountain where you are getting
a higher income or a dream job. Basically, this
gives you a certain level of advantage and
this could help you getting those patterns, however,
in most cases professional certification
is not a sole reason for increasing your income. Don't
swallow this hook. Number two, people think that
it is gonna increase their professional status.
In some level I would say yes, but
this is more like a tick on your board; or
new milestone that you have passed in your professional roadmap.
Reason number three is self-esteem. And you know what, I would say
this is true. So yes, getting a certification
will definitely increase your self-respect.
This is not a secret for everyone that for getting a cert
you need to apply a huge volume of efforts and work. This is not just simply
passing a test. To pass this test you need to spend a
ton of time and apply a ton of efforts in order to
get prepared. You need to combine and obtain all the
new knowledge; apply the new skills; your experience;
mix it all together and push yourself for the final effort in
passing the exam.
Thus, it's true the cert is very much desirable for many of us
and the answer is yes, this reason is completely true. Reason number four
is networking opportunities. Some people believe that having a professional
certification will help them increasing their networking opportunities and
meeting new people in the industry. I can't say this is completely true
because there are a lot of project management communities who welcome
everyone who is working in this field regardless
whether they have a professional certification or not. Of course, there are
some conferences, meetings and communities that are
reserved for people who have only these kind of professional certifications. Therefore,
if you're eager to join them, then probably you need a
professional certification of that kind. In other cases I would say this is not
necessarily true. By the way, if you have any kind of
professional certification; or if you're willing to get one, I would love to know
what advantages you personally see in obtaining a professional certification?
Let me know in comments!
We have discussed
several reasons which make people move on and getting a professional
certification; but finally, do you really need a
professional certification in order to become a great project manager?
I can say that I know a lot of great project managers who are successful in
their field and who do not have professional
certifications. Thus, a short answer is 'No.
To become a great project manager; or to even start your career in project
management you do not have to have a professional
certification." Actually, success in the project management
field is a combination of your experience
and your professional knowledge. As of that,
to be a great project manager you need to surf
the project management wave and to learn new flavors of this craft to be able to
sail or to dive when needed. Getting a
professional certification or not getting a professional certification
is absolutely up to you. However, there is another
reason why you might finally want to get
certified at the end of the day. The biggest reason to
get certified for me personally is by getting certified you are showing
your dedication as a professional. It is similar
like when you're trying yourself in this field, touching and tasting it you're
like flirting; and when you're getting
certified you could say got married. This definitely means
something. Obviously, if you are getting certified
you are not going to instantly hop to another field or switch your career
accidentally. This shows your dedication to your profession
because you are investing in your professional path. Also, it structures
your professional strategy. Which means, by getting certified
you show your intentions are serious and you
aim to get till the end. As I have mentioned
getting certified or not getting certified is absolutely
up to you; however, in my understanding going this
extra mile will help you standing stronger
in your professional life. I hope now you know
whether you need to get certified to become a great project manager;
and what impact certification could make to your professional life.
If this video brought some new thoughts to your table make sure to subscribe and
to hit the like button. I would love if you share it with
your friends. See you next week. cheers!