Before I have been certified as PMP (Project Management Professional), I was not so confident with my own knowledge; I was not sure whether the knowledge I have is sufficient enough for me to take on a bigger challenge.
For that self-pounding question, I enrolled myself for a proper project management course, plus a self-study period of 6 months at my own-pace, I eventually got my effort pay-off by getting certified as a PMI certified Project Management Professional.
A normal training is not sufficient. Only a training that exposes yourself to those realistic project environment questions and discussions is good enough to make you mentally-prepared for what challenges lie ahead. The trainers of the courses that I have attended became my mentors. They are also kind enough to introduce me to the activities organized by PMIMY (Project Management Institute Malaysia Chapter). The exposure is really beneficial for me to gain access to more senior people in the industry.
After the training, I realized that there are a lot more out there for me to learn in order to be better equipped with the critical skills in being excellent in my future undertakings. I put in countless hours on self studies and consistently seek answers to relevant questions from my mentors and friends in the industry. By going through the thought time in finding the answers, now I have become a better certified project manager than I was.
Being certified, it opens me to more opportunities to take up bigger challenges. Now, I am certified and people will look at me differently. The questions and challenges I got will be different from what I faced before. But, these kinds of challenges are good. They push me to want to be better and find out more. Eventually, all these challenges and achievements will make you a more valuable sought after resource in project management profession.
The certification is not a one time effort. It is a continuous learning cycle. That is why the Professional Development program is there for individual PMP to fulfill the requirements to continue the PMP recognition on every-three-year duration.
