PM Qualifications

Are PM Qualifications worthwhile?

The Employers Perspective:

PM Qualifications ensure a common language & basis of project knowledge across all functional areas

PM Qualifications establish an efficient project management process to deploy key projects

PM Qualifications helps build a team of professionals with common levels of project knowledge

PM Qualifications helps provide performance criteria for project employees

PM Qualifications establishes hiring requirements for project management positions

The Employees Perspective:

PM Qualifications demonstrates your capacity to grasp and contribute to project concepts

PM Qualifications increase your ability to more successfully deliver your organization’s business initiatives

PM Qualifications help you gain  credibility among your peers & superiors

Sharpens your project-solving & decision-making skills

PM Qualifications demonstrates your knowledge of project management tools, techniques and processes

Which PM Qualification is best for you? 

Because there are many PM qualifications available this can be a tricky question to answer

Employers are increasingly placing more importance on Project, Programme and Portfolio Management qualifications; it is therefore important from a career development perspective to choose the right one

 Click here to help you decide

Here are some basic guidelines when choosing 

You need to decide: 

If Portfolio, Program(me) or project management is best for you

  If your organisation operates within the US, or is a multinational, then you should consider the PMI

If your organisation operates within Europe or the UK then you should consider the APM and APM Group

 If you are a Programme Manager working  in the UK for a company involved in government contracts where use of the MSP methodology is mandatory you should qualify in MSP

  If you are a Project Manager working in  the UK for a company involved in government contracts where use of the PRINCE2  methodology is mandatory you should qualify in PRINCE2. Consider also gaining an APM qualification which deals with the tools and techniques to deliver a project

If you are working in a predominantly IT focused industry, the ISEB is likely to be more appropriate

If you are intending to be a full time project/programme manager apply for membership of the most appropriate association - e.g. the APM or PMI

Unfortunately there is no straight forward answer to this. A lot depends upon your personal and professional circumstances

Click here to help you decide

Some reasons that people consider qualifications:

My organisation wants “professional project managers” and believe that qualifications are one way to ascertain that I have decided that I want to make a career in project / programme management and need formal qualifications in order to take my career forward

I’ve been working in project management for some years and feel that it is the time to gain a professional qualification

I’d like to understand how other project managers (and other organisation’s) approach project management

I’ve worked with several project / programme management methods but I don’t have a qualification that proves that I have knowledge and understanding of them (e.g. PRINCE2 / MSP)

I'm sure that I would benefit from learning the theoretical side of project management to complement my practical knowledge and experience

My manager has suggested that I should gain a PM qualification to help me in my professional development