I am considering taking a class to get my PMP (Project Management Professional) to advance my job search. Anyone have theirs already? Any suggestions on classes being classroom vs internet classes? How was the test? Do the practice tests reflect the actual PMI test?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

DK

I am considering taking a class to get my PMP (Project Management Professional) to advance my job search. Anyone have theirs already? Any suggestions on classes being classroom vs internet classes? How was the test? Do the practice tests reflect the actual PMI test?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

DK

 

 

No info or experience with PMP but if you want to glance over this there are a lot of benefits to some of these courses, just something else to look at and something that seems to be product that some industries are starting to really look at..

 

Lean, and Lean Six Sigma

 

Harry

I'll ask my dad for you. He's a PIMP er.... PMP... he's on the certification board too.

OK he said to go to the ESI web site and also the PMI web site for the list of classes.

You should join the local PMI chapter. They should help you with where to look from the local area.

I took two classes and my company decided they weren't going to pay for the classes any more.

 

Do learn Microsoft Project.

I held my PMP about 12 years ago when I was with BellSouth. I found it to be a wast of time and money, but I was already in the job. I personally despised PM work on IT projects, so I never really cared to keep up to date with it. MS Project and Visio expertise was more important then PMP certs in my mind.

 

What exactly are you trying to achieve in your career. Most employers are looking for real world expertise, not just certificates.

I have my PMP. The bottom line is this. It is pretty much worthless, BUT if someone is looking at 30 resumes and 15 have PMP and 15 don't, guess which 15 get tossed in the garbage? So even though it is worthless, if you are looking for a job, you really need it in this field.

 

If you can't afford courses, I recommend one book by Rita Mulcahy called PMP® Exam Prep Products – Sixth Edition (or PMP® Exam Prep, Seventh Edition! if you are taking the test after August 31st).

 

http://www.rmcproject.com/product/pmp-prep.aspx

 

http://www.rmcproject.com/product/pmp7_prep.aspx (for 7th addition of the test)

 

This is all I used and I went over the questions many times. Her practice questions were almost identical to the test. Don't get discourage when you only get a 60% the first time you take the practice test, take it over and over and understand the reasons behind the answer. When you start getting 95% on the practice test, take the exam and you will pass.

 

Worked for me. Got a job because of it and now I am a Senior Project Manager.

Thanks for all the info. As I understand the thoughts on a cert being a waste but what holds water with me as a hiring manager is I agree with the 15 resumes without end up in the trash so to speak. As I do not have a college degree I wanted something to sweeten the resume to buy me a interview atleast and a oppurtunity to sell myself and my real work experience. As I am wanting to move back to real world in the mid south I will be possibly needing a new job down the road.

 

As classes locally to me are in the $1500.00 range and book/cd prep kits being $250ish. Can one really (meaning me) get it done with just the prep stuff and not take a actual class (save money). I know there has to be a level of self disipline there to get the work done and study. I tried a online course once for IBM and I did not take it seriously as the disipline was not there. I need to think about this decision.

Thanks for all the info. As I understand the thoughts on a cert being a waste but what holds water with me as a hiring manager is I agree with the 15 resumes without end up in the trash so to speak. As I do not have a college degree I wanted something to sweeten the resume to buy me a interview atleast and a oppurtunity to sell myself and my real work experience. As I am wanting to move back to real world in the mid south I will be possibly needing a new job down the road.

 

As classes locally to me are in the $1500.00 range and book/cd prep kits being $250ish. Can one really (meaning me) get it done with just the prep stuff and not take a actual class (save money). I know there has to be a level of self disipline there to get the work done and study. I tried a online course once for IBM and I did not take it seriously as the disipline was not there. I need to think about this decision.

 

 

As I said, what I did was just used the Book from Rita Mulcahy. Did not take any classes and passed on my first try. The key is to take her practice test over and over and over again and understand the reasons for the answer and you will pass. I swear when I took the test, I thought the book I used stole the questions from the PMI, that's how similar they were.