The PMP certification from the Project Management Institute has been on my radar for several years. With a high barrier to entry in the form of demonstrated hours spent managing projects (more on this in a bit) and an actual auditing policy to verify applicant's submission, the PMP certification carries weight and legitimacy.
The PMP requires proof that applicants have at least 7,500 hours of leading and directing projects. If one possess a four-year degree, that number dips to 4,500 hours. That's over three-and-a-half years of managing projects (without a degree) before even being eligible to take the exam. Furthermore, concurrent projects cannot be counted. If your time is split evenly each day between managing two projects, only half of your time goes to fulfilling this prerequisite.
The second prerequisite isn't nearly so arduous. Thirty five hours of project management training, referred to by PMI as contact hours. Training providers must be accredited by PMI and present you with a certificate of completion that will be submitted along with proof of project management hours. I used and recommend this course by Joseph Phillips on Udemy.
Luckily for me, I have a construction background and in construction everything is a project. The formal definition of a project. by the way, is a unique and temporary endeavor that has a defined beginning and end designed to accomplish a singular goal.
For my training, I'm utilizing several resources.
- The PMBOK guide, Version 5 - The PMBOK is more reference and shouldn't be read front to back.
- Rita Mulcahy's PMP Exam Prep - Widely regarded as the undisputed best resource for preparing for the exam.
- ITpro.tv's PMP Course - I think Don is a wonderful teacher. The video content is very long form. Some episodes are upwards of ninety minutes. ITPro.tv is a paid subscription service with a huge amount of content from the A+ to CCNP R&S to Shell Scripting.
- PMstudy.com - The material is $90 dollars for thirty days of access. So far I'm pleased with the content. Short, condensed videos, chapter quizzes, vocabulary training, and even podcasts.