PMP Certification

[purbeast0]

Congrats on your PMP. Now go get your Certified Scrum Master cert so you can learn how to facilitate a proper Agile project rather than "manage" a project with obsolete Waterfall SDLC methods and artifacts and can toss crap like Gantt Charts in the trash where it belongs.

LOL holy shit, you basically described how the PMP's ran my last project to a T. wtf?

 

[z1ggy]

I plan on taking PMP next summer, and obtaining 6 sigma black belt (have green belt currently).

Congrats to you.

 

[FerrelGeek]

Congrats, OP.

Now to the posts below. Speaking as a software PM who's had to take the PMP test twice (passed both times) due to not getting the required sustaining PDUs, most of what's stated below is very true. You'll learn a few good nuggets in PMP training, but most of what they do still applies to big government or construction type projects. That's where the PMP methodology came from. I took my first PMP training from Kerzner.

I've been trying to get my current company out of the modified waterfall / simple iterative mode and into the agile world. Changing company culture isn't easy. My boss talks agile agile agile, but still wants some assurance that 3 months from now, bob is 28.652042604% complete on task 53,302

If you know how to run projects, you don't necessarily have to be a technical wiz, but you do need to be smart enough to be conversant in your chosen domain. Part of a PMs job is to be able to balance the needed details and still see things at the 5,000 foot level to convey things to an upper management audience. A good PM is supposed to have above average communication / people skills. I've had the privilege to work with some top-notch developers / testers. Some of them I'd trust to talk to upper management; others should NEVER be allowed anywhere near said management.

Congrats on your PMP. Now go get your Certified Scrum Master cert so you can learn how to facilitate a proper Agile project rather than "manage" a project with obsolete Waterfall SDLC methods and artifacts and can toss crap like Gantt Charts in the trash where it belongs.

Now you just have to blow a weekend a month and pay hundreds/thousands of dollars a year for training to keep that PMP scam active! It is a fad that I hope passes. (My wife is PMP certified.)

It won't unfortunately. Indeed new certifying bodies are springing up to fleece hopeful suckers for yet more fancy letters to put on their resumes which don't mean shit. "Certified Business Analyst Professional," "Certified Data Management Professional," the "Disaster Recovery Professional," and hundreds more with basically all of them being simply crap. Basically if it has the word "Professional" in it you can be assured that it's crap.

 

[purbeast0]

this thread got me thinking about becoming a certified scrum master. i might just do it next month since my company reimburses for that stuff.

 

[z1ggy]

this thread got me thinking about becoming a certified scrum master. i might just do it next month since my company reimburses for that stuff.

I'd do it then. My coworker is a CSM and said it's very easy. I'm on the border because my company won't pay, and it's $1000 for the cheapest course I can find.

Plus, I have no experience doing IT/software related PM, so I'm not sure how practical having a CSM, with no real backing experience is.

 

[purbeast0]

I'd do it then. My coworker is a CSM and said it's very easy. I'm on the border because my company won't pay, and it's $1000 for the cheapest course I can find.

Plus, I have no experience doing IT/software related PM, so I'm not sure how practical having a CSM, with no real backing experience is.

yeah i've been working in agile for like 3 years now so i'm really familiar with it so i figure it would be pretty simple to do.

 

[z1ggy]

yeah i've been working in agile for like 3 years now so i'm really familiar with it so i figure it would be pretty simple to do.

If it's 100% paid, there's no reason for you not to do it. Plus, you can go to the class in a major US city that you haven't been to, and go out on the town for a night. Win-Win.

I'll probably end up doing the cert if I find other companies are really looking for CSMs over PMPs. I'm sure they are in the IT field, but that's not something I plan on really looking into unless the pay is much higher than the manufacturing industry (what I do now).

 

[purbeast0]

If it's 100% paid, there's no reason for you not to do it. Plus, you can go to the class in a major US city that you haven't been to, and go out on the town for a night. Win-Win.

I'll probably end up doing the cert if I find other companies are really looking for CSMs over PMPs. I'm sure they are in the IT field, but that's not something I plan on really looking into unless the pay is much higher than the manufacturing industry (what I do now).

they have a bunch of the classes local to me so i won't be traveling anywhere.

 

[z1ggy]

they have a bunch of the classes local to me so i won't be traveling anywhere.

But if it's 100% paid... why not? You don't like to travel?

 

[purbeast0]

But if it's 100% paid... why not? You don't like to travel?

because i don't think my company is going to pay to fly me across the country when i could drive 5 minutes from home and get the same thing.

 

[Brovane]

Now you just have to blow a weekend a month and pay hundreds/thousands of dollars a year for training to keep that PMP scam active! It is a fad that I hope passes. (My wife is PMP certified.)

Yeah, I have been reviewing the 60-PDU's required every 3-years. The good thing is that the CBT Nuggets courses that my company has paid for a subscription for provide PDU's. There is some more courses on CBT nuggets on Agile project management that I want to take.

 

[Brovane]

It won't unfortunately. Indeed new certifying bodies are springing up to fleece hopeful suckers for yet more fancy letters to put on their resumes which don't mean shit. "Certified Business Analyst Professional," "Certified Data Management Professional," the "Disaster Recovery Professional," and hundreds more with basically all of them being simply crap. Basically if it has the word "Professional" in it you can be assured that it's crap.

I hear you on the certifications. Earlier in my IT career I was on that treadmill with my MCSE and then my CCNP. However the last 8+ years it really hasn't been that important at my employer until now. With the new corporate centralization of IT Infrastructure if I want to move into more of either a Architect role or Project Management role you will need certifications. The good thing about the PMP is that you cannot just take the test. You have to show at least 4500 hours of PM experience and take at least 35-hours of classes. For me I have 15+ years of IT Infrastructure experience backing up any certification's I get. So if I need to get a certification to get my Resume looked at then that is what I will do.

 

[z1ggy]

because i don't think my company is going to pay to fly me across the country when i could drive 5 minutes from home and get the same thing.

Oh, well if they aren't paying airfare, that makes perfect sense.

 

[purbeast0]

Oh, well if they aren't paying airfare, that makes perfect sense.

i think if it was a class only offered out of state, they would do it. but to fly out of state when i could just take it down the street, i don't think that would fly with them. they aren't stupid lol.

 

[Buttzilla]

You guys are a boat load of help. Last thing I want to do is dump money needlessly in courses I can get elsewhere for cheaper.

I'm currently a Training Lead/Project Manager for a Medical Device startup in the bay area. However, I realized I've learned jack shit my last 5 years here do to little or no oversight. This is my first corporate job after changing careers from the healthcare industry. I'm very technical and have excellent communication skills so my VP asked if I wanted to be our training manager (develope sales and technical training course, expand our contract technical team to cover all 50 states and Canada...and many other hats).

However, a close friend who's a PM at Cisco said I'm more of a business developer since I don't manage/coordinate small teams for an overall timed project. What I do is more is determine what my department needs and what can I do to execute it (at my own discretion )

I'm at the point where I feel i'm digressing professionally. We just started implementing Agile and instead of training us to manage the system we are hire experts instead. Working with them has shown how little I know about actual PM work haha. Oh well, gotta start somewhere right?