The Project Management profession is similar to technical careers in which certifications hold weight to a PM’s resume and they can set you apart from the pack when being considered for a role.
There are many kinds of Project Management certifications with varying levels of complexity and use cases, so I will provide a list of the most common and established certifications and suggest which PM I would recommend them for.
Google PM Certificate — Beginner PM
If you’re at the beginning of your Project Management career or making a career switch — the Google Project Management Professional Certificate may be right for you.
It is a relatively new certification but is quickly gaining industry recognition as one of the top certifications for new Project Managers.
In gaining this certification, you will learn the foundations of Project Management, Scrum/Agile practices, documentation creation and all of the skills needed for success in an entry-level Project Management role.
CAPM — Beginner PM
The Certified Associate in Project Management Certification, or CAPM, is another certification geared toward beginner project managers, recent graduates or anyone trying to break into PM. This certification also teaches the foundational knowledge and skills needed for a Project Manager and it is from the reputable Project Management Institute (PMI), therefore it holds high industry recognition and regards.
General Agile Certifications — Both Beginner and Advanced PMs
If you’re not familiar with Agile, essentially, Agile is a way of working within a Project Management or Product Development team at a company. The framework uses short cycles called “sprints” to complete projects or tasks tied to the overall development or launch of a certain product or service.
Underneath the Agile umbrella, there is a framework called Scrum. Scrum is a framework for developing and sustaining complex projects within an organization. The nexus of Scrum is that it creates self-organizing, open-minded, and cross-functional teams that collaborate to complete complex projects. There are scrum teams across all industries — tech, design, entertainment, healthcare and finance. This is why I recommend all Project Management professionals get a Scrum certification, because it is well known across career paths and it displays an understanding of the foundation of Project Management.
Here are the Agile Certifications that I recommend:
- Certified Scrum Master (CSM) — A Scrum Master is a professional who leads a team using Agile project management through the course of a project. They serve as the most knowledgeable Agile professional on the team and their main goal is to foster a positive working environment for team members in a company and ensure the most successful outcome of a product or project.
- The Certified Scrum Master Certification from Scrum Alliance is a great certification for beginner PMs that want a credential that proves they know the framework of Project Management.
- PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) — the PMI-ACP is a certification administered by the highly regarded Project Management Institute (PMI) aimed at equipping Project Management professionals with the skills needed to collaborate in any agile environment.
- This certification benefits any professional working under the product / project umbrella including developers, PMs, Product Managers, Product Owners, etc. This is why I recommend it to all PMs starting out, because it will be beneficial in at any juncture of your career.
Project Management Professional (PMP) — Advanced PM
Chances are, if you’re just starting your PM career, or if you’ve been in the profession for a while — you’ve heard about the PMP. The PMP serves as the premiere Project Management certification and is often regarded as the highest PM certification that one can get.
But getting the PMP is not as easy as enrolling online and paying a fee. The PMP has rigorous eligibility standards and requirements that you must meet before you can even register to take the certification exam.
To get the PMP, you must —
- Possess 3 years of Project Management experience
- Undertake 35 hours of Project Management training
- Complete the PMP application process and get accepted
- Schedule the exam and pay the exam fee ($675)
- Study for the exam (it is recommended to study for at least 3 months for this exam)
- Take and pass the PMP exam to gain certification
The road to PMP certification takes years and the exam itself is very difficult. That is why I recommend the PMP for PMs that have been in the game for a while and have a deeper understanding of the career as a whole.
Overall, certifications are very helpful in the Project Management career path and choosing the right one for you can save time and money in the long run.
Be sure to do extensive research on any certification that you are considering and make sure that it is conducive to the path that you would want your career to take.