Certification on Program Management (PgMP)

Recently PMI (Project Management Institute) came up with new certification apart from PMP and CAPM. ie PgMP which is specfically targeted for program managers. As we all know a program is a group of projects. To deal with a program one needs special skills and this certification tests one on that area.

The eligibility criteria for taking this exam is

• With a Bachelor’s Degree (or a global equivalent): Over the last 15 consecutive years, applicants must have at least four years of project management experience and four years of program management experience.
• Without a Bachelor’s Degree (or a global equivalent): Over the last 15 consecutive years, applicants must have at least four years of project management experience and seven years of program management experience.

Those who are interested in this can refer www.pmi.org site.

Tips to take PMP Exam

It took me 3 months of study for many hours to prepare for the PMP certification from www.pmi.org. After long struggle I was able to clear my PMP certification which was my dream once.

What would one need to take this exam? Determination and willingness to take up this exam. Probably during our school or college days we would have put this effort. To do this all you need to do is the same thing.

Group discussions do help to pick up the keyword and understanding the definitions. As you should know PMP exam questions are more related to handling real time scenarios. But to do so you should be knowing the concept and definitions.

What did I do?
1. I started reading the PMBOK guide. I know when you read this for the first time it is weird. But still keep reading even if you did not understand.
2. Then you may read PMP Exam Prep by Rita Mulachy (http://www.rmcproject.com/about/rita.aspx). This would help you to relate the definitions what you read in the PMBOK guide
3. As you keep reading take notes in a word document on the definitions
4. Then you may subscribe at www.pmstudy.com and take mock up tests. There is one free mock up test in the site
5. Then read the PMBOK guide again and now you should be able to understand better.
6. If you can afford you can go for Rita Mulachy's simulation CD. It is expensive one and I did not buy this.

During this process I had taken lot of notes which would be helpful for reading. If needed you can email me to get it.

Looking for Job

Are you seriously looking for job? The questions you need to ask yourself is for why do you need to change your job. Is it because of your boss, pay, promotion, not satisfied with the appraisal rating, got bored with same job or could be personal reasons (which noone has control).

First choose any one of the reasons and start analyzing the pros and cons of it. When you start thinking this you would sometime back off from what you thought. Most of the time we make decision in haste which is wrong. Sometimes we discuss this with friends which is wrong thing to do. You know what is your situation than anybody else. So you make the decision.

Let me go by points I described above

1) Quitting because of your boss - Mostly people want to leave their boss rather than company. In this case try your best to move to different departments/vertical citing some valid reason which would convince your boss or HR people. Sometimes it is hard to do so but things can work out if you keep pushing. The companies does not want to loose people.

2) Pay - This is very tricky one. You tend to jump for new job just because someone is paying more. But what normally these companies does it they pay you but they ensure that they bring you to the par of other employees whenever normalization happens. It may not be the case that they would reduce your salary but the hike what you would be getting is comparatively lower or nil. But if you keep switching the job you loose your value.

3) Promotion - This is more of the experience what you have and what you deserve after certain number of experience. For attaining this you need to be proactive and get more visibility in the organization. Also it depends on the relationship what you have with your boss. Refer "Fire your boss" post. If you do not get promotion try hard next time with different strategy and attack them. Sit with your manager and set the goals and work towards them. Start taking his job.

4) Rating - I somehow do not believe this system as it is more of what rating you got in your previous appraisal, onsite opportunity, got promotion recently, etc., The organizations somehow want to fit people into some category which they do it randomly. It is surprsing that not many organization thought some better strategy for this.

5) Boring job - You go tell your manager that I want to move of the project nobody would be willing to do it. So, how do you really come out. You should be smart enough to remove the dependency on you by doing KT to other new team members. Once the manager feels that then he should not have any problem to release you to different project

Mostly it is advisable to stick with one company. When you keep moving across organization you tend to be in the same position and your growth is less even though it looks faster to you. Whenever you get into a new organization you are new to them. So it is very difficult for you to get promotion for you. May be in next post I could talk about the problems laterals face in an organization.

Most of the people who are in top position would be the one who had grown with organization. May be your growth could be faster if your joining the startup company or moving to some newly started verticals. This is the best choice anyone would have.

So any decision think well and decide.

Tips: Have something in hold during the last moment of appraisal. This helps a lot to get better rating and promotion.

P.S. I wrote this post based on the IT field. May be it could differ for other industry

Fire your boss

Recently I read a book by names "Fire your Boss" by Stephen Pollan and Mark Levine. This book gives lot of insights about your job and how do you need to be at your work place.

I personally when through problems when it comes to appraisal. Inspite of working so hard forthe whole year and when you feel that you deserve promotion and you do not get you feel down. Whact could be the reason?

If you really see, it is not the work alone which matters here. It all depends on what kind of relationship do you have with your manager. Means there would not be any misunderstanding with your boss but you are not close with him.

How do you go close to him? By taking up his job and making him feel comfortable. When you start taking his job you are not only making yourself available for the next position but you relationship improves with him. Do not hesitate in offering him help in his job.

This book explains all this and also on how do you prepare yourself in an organization in worst scenarios, when do you need to look out for job, etc.,

It more emphasize on maintaining the relationship with your colleagues even after quiting the job. As the author says noone hires stranger when they need people for critical position.

Its a nice book to read and I would recommend everyone to read this book