The PMI or the Project Management Institute is the world’s leading non-profit association and certification body that trains professionals for the Project Economy. It is known for its Project Management Professional or PMP certification and the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), which is essentially a collection of best practices and standards in the world of project management. For getting professional jobs, must complete ECBA certification.
PMI and its affiliate organizations provide training, research, networking opportunities, project management tools and other resources to Project Management professionals. It maintains a Business & Government resource page which contains case studies and whitepapers, in addition to information on talent management, government advocacy and more. It boasts a total of 470,000 members in 207 countries making it the world’s largest Project Management association.
The PMI started in the 1980s with the PMP credential but has a wide range of Project Management courses focusing on program management, portfolio management, agile practices, risk management, business analysis and scheduling.
Types Of Certifications
PMI offers an assortment of credentials across specializations and in various levels. These are a few of their much sought after certifications:
1.Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
This constitutes an entry-level certification that is ideal for beginners interested in a career in project management. The eligibility criteria require a candidate to have either of the following:
- A high school diploma (or equivalent)
- Associate’s degree along with 1,500 hours of project experience
- Twenty-three hours of PM education
2.PMP: Project Management Professional
The Project Management Professional Certification is one of the most trusted credentials in the world of Project Management. The eligibility criteria for this certification includes a high school diploma or associate’s degree (or equivalent) along with either of the following:
- Five years of project management experience with a minimum of 7,500 hours spent leading projects, in addition to 35 hours of project management education.
- A four-year degree or its equivalent, with three years of project management experience, a minimum of 4,500 hours spent leading projects and 35 hours of PM education.
3.PgMP: Program Management Professional
This PMI certification helps train Program Managers to supervise several major projects while meeting business objectives. The eligibility criteria for this certification are the following:
- A high school diploma, associate’s degree or equivalent
- 6,000 hours (four years) of project management experience
- 10,500 hours (seven years) of program management experience
Alternatively, you could also satisfy the following conditions:
- A four-year degree or equivalent
- 6,000 hours (four years) of project management experience
- 6,000 hours (four years) of program management experience
4.PMI-ACP: PMI Agile Certified Practitioner
The role of a PMI Agile Certified Practitioner would require a candidate to be well versed in agile practices of Project Management and be able to use appropriate tools and techniques efficiently. A candidate should satisfy the following criteria to be eligible for this certification:
- Possess recent general project experience which required 2,000 hours on project teams. This can be substituted by a recently acquired PMP or PgMP credential.
- Possess recent agile project experience with 1,500 hours on agile project teams or with agile methodologies
- Twenty-one hours of training in agile practices.
Related Jobs And Careers
Regardless of the industry sector, you want to work in, the demand for PMI certified professionals is high and is expected to remain strong. PMI-certified professionals are highly required by various organizations, and their skill set is valued by employers. This is reflected to a great extent in their compensation.
Professionals possessing the credentials of CAPMs and PMPs tend to occupy the roles of Project Managers, Project Coordinators, Project Schedulers, Project Management or Office Directors. Those with an Agile certification work as Scrum Masters or Agile Project Managers.
Professionals with a higher-level certification such as Program Management Professional (PgMP) or Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP) can manage and direct multiple programs or develop strategic corporate portfolios. PMI-PBA certified professionals work in policy planning or as a business analyst.
Conclusion
Becoming a PMI member not only opens up a plethora of opportunities but also offers a variety of benefits which include access to digital editions of PMI global standards and the PMBOK Guide, discounts on certification exams and renewals. The PMP certifications assure employers that a professional is trained to manage projects and his skills have been validated by a globally recognized certification exam.