Without a doubt, the number one thing people have asked me over the past 5 years since retirement is how to become a Project Manager. It is a great question and a great career choice for any experienced NCO or SNCO. In this article, I will give you the basics on how to get your Project Management Professional (PMP) Cert.
Why a PMP?
The Project Management Institute (PMI ®) is the leading authority on project management. The Project Management Professional (PMP) ® certification is the gold standard in all project certifications. According to many surveys, those with a PMP earn approximately 30% more each year than those who do the exact same job without the certification. This fact alone, is all the motivation most need to study and earn their PMP.
Disclaimer: I left the Air Force with my PMP and, although, it helped me get the job I wanted, I did start out in an entry-level salary/role. However, after I proved myself and gained some experience, the role evolved and the pay increased significantly. This was most likely because I went into a contracting job in a new industry, but I did want to throw that out there for transparency.
1.) Meet the Requirements to apply:
To apply for this certification from PMI.org the requirements are a 4-year degree; 36 hours of experience leading projects; and 35 hours of project management education. If you don’t have a degree, it is 60 hours of experience leading projects (https://www.pmi.org/certifications/project-management-pmp).
The experience leading projects speaks to most of your time on the job. If you are leading an effort for your unit, it counts. You don’t have to be the overall project leader, just leading a piece of it. I have never met an NCO who couldn’t find the experience needed.
2.) Obtain the Required Education:
The book that PMI lives by is the Project Management Body of Knowledge or PMBOK, but it is not all-inclusive. The PMP exam is designed so that you have to use multiple sources and learn from project managers in the field to do well on the exam. I really like this idea, but admit it can be frustrating when you just want to study and prepare.
The education part is a two-parter for me. One sign up for a PMP boot camp. These are typically one-week classes that will prepare you for the exam and give you the 35 hours of required education. Many of them are even online now, so you can do them at your own pace. They offer great study resources and give you access to someone whose brain you can pick.
The second part is to get some other resources like books and videos to offer different perspectives. A great starter book is one I actually collaborated on, PMP Exam Prep Made Easy. This book is one of the cheapest resources out there and it goes off of the PMP exam rubric. It will give you an introduction to each area of the exam and show you where your blindspots are. Then you can dive in further knowing where to go next.
3.) Study, Study, and Study Some More:
I think this goes without saying. The exam itself costs $575 and was one of the hardest exams I ever took. It took me two tries to pass and it was because of studying. I have always been a good test taker and can pass most exams with minimal preparation…not bragging, just something I learned I am skilled at. I tried to take the exam shortly after my boot camp without really studying too much more and I fell short.
After that, I was fired up and studied using the rubric like in the book I mentioned above. I made a lot of notes, watched multiple videos, used the study resources from my boot camp and put a lot more effort into my preparation. It paid off the second time around, but if I would have studied properly in the beginning, I would have passed the first time.
Getting the PMP Cert is a great way to set yourself apart when looking to get into Project Management and I would highly recommend this path for any NCO or SNCO looking to transition to the civilian world. Feel free to reach out to me anytime for questions or advice on this.
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