It is crucial for effective project management that you have proven experience in the area you wish to consult in. However, since project management is a very specialized industry with specific tools and skill sets involved in success, project management certification is also vital to success.
Today, there are two primary forms of project management certification: the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification comes in two levels, and the CompTIA Project+ is used exclusively for the IT project management professional.
A PMP certification, awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI), uses a combination of proven experience, training, and testing to guarantee that a project management certification candidate has the skills and experience necessary to become a successful project manager.
The first level of certification, the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), is awarded to a candidate who has a minimum of 1500 hours of work on a project management team or 23 contact hours of approved training in project management.
This gives a project management candidate the basics they need to work on a project management team.
The Project Management Professional (PMP) builds on these skills. In order to become a PMP, a prospective project manager needs to have a minimum of 4500 hours of project management experience and 35 contact hours in approved project management education. In addition, they need to pass an examination and adhere to a professional code of conduct.
The primary project management certification for an IT professional is the CompTIA Project+ certification. In order to acquire the CompTIA certification, you should already be a certified IT professional with at least twelve months experience in project management.
The certification itself is awarded the successful completion of an examination.
CompTIA does not provide training to prepare prospects for this examination, but it does list vendors and reference materials that the prospect for project management certification can go out and get on his or her own.
A CompTIA Project+ certification examination will test what you know about managing IT projects as well as how well you understand the general concepts of project management and how well you can handle the tools of the trade such as project management software and tracking systems.
Why certification?
A certified project management professional is set apart from other project managers.
By acquiring a certification, a professional proves not only that he or she has accumulated the necessary skills to successfully manage a project, but also that they consider it to be a professional career track.
Certification is not easy or cheap to get. But even if you can get a project management certification without getting experience in project management, that does not mean the certification is a substitute for the experience.
Project management is a demanding and difficult job, and only those with appropriate experience have the real knowledge necessary to run a project successfully.
