Blog

Preparing for Post-Corona Job Opportunities with a PMP Certification: Tips to ace Your PMP Exams

The main aim of Project Management Professional exams is to ensure we have qualified managers. And we will need many of those as soon as the world cures COVID-19.

Since Corona was announced as a global pandemic, project managers have struggled to mitigate its effects. For many PMs, the big question is whether their project plans can weather these storms.

And it goes without mentioning that the future will be a buzz of activities as the world tries to compensate for the time it lost.

So why not brace yourself for the post-corona job market instead of whining about its adverse effects?

There will be lots of project management jobs to take on, but whether you clutch one of them depends on how qualified you are for the spot.

Project management plays a critical role in ensuring a project finishes as planned. These days institutions and individuals organize and carry out project activities in various sectors.

Project management training is the process of teaching a PM: the planning, starting, monitoring, and concluding of activities in a venture.

Managing a project properly ensures you achieve the end objectives using the available resources and within the allotted time. A good project leader should motivate his/her staff to finish their tasks as planned.

All these may seem easy until the ball is in your court. Proper preparation and training can help you become a competent project leader.

A PMP certification gives you an edge over other project managers. It is so far the highest level of certification in project management. The good thing is that you can take your course online without the chance of class interactions amidst the tough times.

PMP tests project managers on five main areas, each with its percentage score. These areas are;

1. Project launching stage
2. Project scheduling
3. Project implementation
4. Project management strategies
5. Project closure.

If you are a project manager who wants to rise above your competition, then getting a PMP certificate is an excellent place to begin.

PMP certification is not only important to project managers but also to the companies that onboard them. All industries feel comfortable hiring managers with PMP certification because they almost certainly guarantee the best results.

 13 Solid Reasons to Consider PMP Certification Now

If you’re in a catch-22 on whether to pursue a PMP certificate or not, then you should read on to discover what awaits.

As a PM, you enjoy many perks if you pass your project management professional exams.

Here are some of the many reasons to consider it.

1.  Eye the many jobs to come to Post-corona

Coronavirus has created a massive disruption in many workplaces. And while this has taken a toll on our day-to-day lives, it may also mean new job opportunities post-corona.

Prepare for the post-corona job market by taking a PMP course and increasing the chances of winning a spot in a cut-throat market.

2.  Increase your chances of Higher Pay

Since PMP certification is the topmost qualification, you will almost certainly enjoy great payslips.

Essentially, it helps you stand out and gives you an edge over your PM peers.

3.  Opens new career opportunities

Many organizations hire project managers based on their skillset.

When you undertake the PMP course and get a certificate, you will likely get better project management jobs, especially when a PMP certification is a must-have.

4.  Sharpens your Project Management Language

Project management comes with a lot of jargon that you can only find in a undergo PMP certification class.

Familiarizing with all the relevant project-related terms can make you a better project manager.

5.  It exposes you to different Projects

If you love challenges, then a PMP certification class can expose you to the most technical aspects of project management. With this level of training, you are well placed to handle any difficulties you may encounter in your career.

6.  Equips you with the skills to solve many problems

Project managers should be able to work in almost all industries. Various sectors have plenty of project-related work, and they require skilled individuals. With PMP certification, you can prove you have what it takes to manage any project successfully.

7.  Boosts up your Reputation & Job Security

PMP certification plays a critical role in boosting your CV. Current and future employers will consider such qualifications when hiring or retching individuals. And with the certificate, you will be well-placed to qualify than your competitors.

8.  You learn as you work

A PMP course will not eat up all your valuable job time. Signing up for an online PMP certification course can reduce the hassle of attending physical classes and allow you to work and study simultaneously.

This is also advantageous because you can learn and apply what you’ve studied.

9.  Gets you ready to become the boss or CEO

The roles of a CEO and a project manager are almost similar. Exemplary PMs have the potential to become capable CEOs faster.

But that doesn’t mean a project manager can directly become a CEO. Still, with a few supplementary courses and the spirit of an entrepreneur, you can be a CEO.

10.  It is an industrious career

If you choose project management as an occupation, you allow yourself to improve other people’s lives. Typically, when people decide to do something, they give everything they have because it comes from the heart.

An organization with qualified PMs thrives because of flourishing projects. PMs ensure quality projects and see to it that they are successful, promoting the production of quality results.

11.  You can work from anywhere

PMs can control team members remotely and still drive a venture to success. Technology makes it easy for crew members to communicate and conduct activities without confusion.

12.  The right job if you tour the world

If traveling is your thing, then project management is your best career choice. Management of projects is not a fixed job like teaching, where you must teach the same school for some time before moving.

PMs travel a lot, managing different projects all over the world. You cannot afford to stay in an organization after finishing the given project.

13.  You get a job without a hassle

The employment of PMs is growing by the day. Industries come up with many different projects, and someone has to be in charge.

Last year’s project management statistics also indicate that by 2027 companies will need 87.7 million people with project managerial skills.

It is crucial to upgrade your education level to carry skill sets that are high in demand and for job security purposes.

One way to attain the two is to acquire PMP certification/membership and enroll in project management workshops.

 The Skills many Employers look for in a PM

It almost goes without mentioning that the demand for PMs is continuously increasing.

Still, many companies insist on specific managerial skills when looking to employ a PM. That is why all PMs must strive to be conversant with the following set of skills;

1. The Knack to Organize a Team: Even with all the certifications and knowledge, a project manager must carry the right leadership skills to run and complete ventures successfully. PMs should be able to manage and coordinate their crews. The Project Management Institute (PMI) recommends 66% leadership skills.
2. Excellent Communication: Seamless communication is a priority if you are going to manage a team. Honesty and understanding can motivate crew members to address concerns and share ideas for the good of the project. A PM with excellent communication skills manages to convince many customers and stakeholders. It also helps to reduce interruptions, confusion, and mix-up during the project process.
3. Better Project Cost Management: Controlling costs is a critical process within projects. A competent project leader should minimize expenses (as much as possible) without affecting project activities. Project management training helps you understand the different types of costs that may arise in a venture and how to handle them.
4. Informed Decision-making & Risk Mitigation: Risks are unforeseen events that may arise during a project and affect its activities. Project management training helps you learn how to identify potential risks and develop a robust risk management protocol. Identifying hazards in the initial stage can help you plan better and increase the likelihood of a happy ending. The manager must also be a quick decision-maker. They should also have the knack for delegating duties to crew members, solving conflicts tactfully, and ensuring the project is on track.
5. Good Quality Control: Managing and controlling quality standards help project managers ensure that all operations run per the standard. Quality control ensures that a project’s end product or result is satisfactory and meets all requirements. You can only carry out effective quality control after appropriate training in project management.
6. Strategic planning: Project administration lessons help you learn how to bring order to a project. A well-thought-out plan helps to ensure all project activities run smoothly. Planning helps to organize tasks and activities and define a clear path towards the project objectives.
7. Well-thought-out Scheduling: After planning project tasks, the next logical step is to create a schedule that dictates how everything will go on. Proper scheduling helps the project administrator to ensure that all activities end on time.
8. The Knack to Influence Others. How you relate with team members and other essential business shareholders matters. Members working under you must be willing to follow your instructions and work hard to ensure the quality of the project. Skillful PMs should know how to promote teamwork, motivate, and build trust. When people believe in you and your work, it gets easier to deal with them.

Now that you know what employers look for, it is also essential to learn where to source such skills and competencies.

Signing up for a PMP course and passing your project management professional exams is the best way to go about it.

Must-have Skills to Acquire from Project Management Professional Training

You’ll undoubtedly acquire different skillsets if you take this course.

These skills can help you become a reliable and dependable project administrator. Here is a list of the many competencies you can gain if you take project management lessons.

1.  Management & Leadership skills

Leadership skills help PMs to lead, control, and motivate their teams. A thorough training process ensures you acquire the right skills and becomes a better project administrator.

2.  Better Communication

Successful projects largely depend on seamless and adequate communication between the stakeholders, administrators, and the team of experts.

Project managers must stay in touch with their crew to understand and solve arising issues in good time. Project administration lessons can help you acquire professional communication and etiquette skills.

3.  Critical Thinking

Expert project managers must be critical thinkers.

Ventures often run into problems in the course of their lifetime. Critical thinking can help you make informed decisions amid chaos and easily solve such issues.

4.  Project Recovery

You can learn project recovery skills by undertaking project management lessons. But how do you apply these skills in the workplace?

Suppose you are a project leader who gets a chance to manage a failing project. You require project recovery skills to know how, when, and what to carry out to ensure the project recovers and returns to the desired path.

Watch out for this skill, especially post-corona, because many companies have had many failing projects that they would like to continue as soon as things normalize.

How to Get Ready for Your Project Management Professional Test

After acquiring PMP credentials, you will experience the many benefits of posing as a qualified project manager. But first, let’s learn what to do as a manager to pass the test.

1.  Draft a Study Timetable

Many managers handle projects and take courses simultaneously. This can be challenging because they still need to prepare and revise for their PMP exam, do research on technical matters, and grasp all the content that may determine results.

Divide your content into manageable portions, then devote some of your time to go through those materials. Schedule and balance your social life, office, and study time to learn more despite your busy schedule.

2.  Get up to speed with the info in the PMBOK

The original official copy of the PMBOK guide is very long and has a lot of information to catch up with.

You can opt to use versions of other authors like Rita Mulcahy’s guide. Failure to go through this guide puts you at a high risk of failing the exam.

3.  Practice: Try Past Project Management Professional exams

Practice makes perfect merely implies that the more you do something, the better you get at it. Revise for an exam by going through many questions and answers as possible. That way, you get to cover almost all topics.

In answering these questions, you will be able to categorize and understand the types of questions and how to approach each tactically. You’ll also be able to learn, master, use, and apply formulas like an expert.

4.  Go through Online PMP Exam Courses and Go to Workshops

Online courses and workshops help many project managers prepare for PMP exams. Those with the money to attend PMP exam preparation workshops can depend on online tools.

5.  Enroll for PMI Individual or Student Membership Before Taking A PMP Test

Obtaining PMI membership before sitting for Project Management Professional exams increases your odds of passing the exams. Becoming a member gives access to the relevant documents. It also allows you to meet, share, and learn more from icon project managers.

6.  Discuss with Other Experts

Trying to get other people’s opinions on PMP exam preparation hints or just for advice helps a big deal when preparing for your project management professional exams. Consulting senior project managers who’ve taken the same test can help prepare you for what lies ahead.

Begin Right Away!

Project management plays a critical role in ensuring a project finishes as planned. These days, institutions and private firms arrange and carry out project activities in various sectors.

The main aim of Project Management Professional exams is to ensure we have qualified managers. And we will need many of those as soon as the world cures COVID-19.

Project managers and would-be venture leaders should consider acquiring a PMP certificate. Use the above tips to prepare for your Project Management Professional exams to increase your chances of passing the final test.

Start searching now because great opportunities await, but only if you have what it takes.