Project Management Professional Series Part 3: A Conversation with 2 Certified PMPs®

This four-part series gives insight into the project management professional certification exam. The first article covered helpful study tips. Last week, I shared what I did the last 24-hours before my exam. This week, you get to meet two additional certified project management professionals.

Meet Martha Saccocio

Martha was my study buddy (mentioned in part one). She works in local government at the DC Public Library in the Office of Communication as the assistant director of communications and community engagement. Martha works on many complicated, cross-functional projects including capital construction and early literacy initiatives. She took the PMP^® exam in March 2018. Martha believes that the advantage of having a PMP^® is it exposes you to a standardized way of thinking about projects.

Martha’s advice:

1. How have or will you apply your PMP^® certification in your job?
   • My PMP^® knowledge is already being applied to my work. First, conversations with colleagues in IT and construction is easier. Second, my project management knowledge helps me apply big picture, structural thinking to projects.

2. What advice would you offer someone studying for the certification?
   • I strongly recommend reading the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^®) before taking the 35-hour class. Moreover, select a class that is spread out over at least a week, or maybe two. Then, watch some of the excellent videos available on YouTube to supplement your preparation. Additionally, know all the formulas and vocabulary cold. Lastly, take lots of practice exams. Be sure you pass each practice test before you sit for the actual exam.

3. How long did you study before taking the exam?
   • I studied for about 40-hours in addition to the 35-hour class.

4. Now that you have been through the experience, is there a myth about the project management professional certification process that you would like to debunk?
   • I don’t think you have to write all of the processes from memory. I knew them, but I didn’t bother to write them at the start of the exam. It is more important to understand the order and flow of the processes. You should also know how each process interacts with the other.

5. Is there anything additional that you would like to share?
   • The PMBOK^® is a philosophical approach to work. To be effective, an organization needs a significant number of employees trained and certified so everyone is speaking the same language.

Meet Jacques Clervil

Jacques contemplated what he wanted to do with his career. A supervisor and mentor recommended that he consider the path of a project manager. Jacques’ supervisor guided him through the process of preparing for both the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM^®) and PMP^® exam. Jacques received his CAPM^® certification in 2008. In 2009, he received his PMP^® certification. Currently, Jacques is a consultant for the Defense Department. He works for Vista Defense Technologies as a portfolio leader.

Jacques’ advice:

1. How have you applied your PMP^® certification in your job?
   • Throughout my 11 plus years of employment, I’ve implemented and used various aspects of my training. To illustrate, I’ve educated colleagues and supervisors, trained staff and executed various projects.

2. What advice would you offer someone studying for the certification?
   • First, learn the PMBOK^® way. Second, forget everything you know in the “real world” and reset your mind to understand the PMBOK^®. The Project Management Body of Knowledge was developed from proven techniques compiled from the experience of many project management professionals. In other words, the PMBOK^® is a best practices manual. The techniques work for all project managers in various disciplines and careers.

3. How long did you study before taking the exam?
   • I accumulated about nine months of studying.

4. Now that you have been through the experience, is there a myth about the project management professional certification process that you would like to debunk?
   • While PMBOK^® is a great guide, it is not the project management bible. Likewise, it does not contain all of the answers. Furthermore, it cannot be used in its entirety when executing projects. Only use the segments that are needed for the environment and execution of your projects.
   • Another myth is that all PMP^® recipients are created equal. Just because someone has obtained the PMP^® certification, it doesn’t necessarily mean this person has fully practiced the application of PMBOK^® methodologies.  

5. Is there anything additional that you would like to share?
   • For some, the PMP^® exam can be discouraging. If at first you don’t succeed, explore different avenues to support your training, such as: coaches, tutors, classes (not necessarily a boot camp), etc.

Final Thoughts

There are many way to approach this exam. To be successful, you have to find the right approach that works for you. This may include a mix of best practices identified by other certified professionals or adapting your own method. The project management professional series ends next week with an article about free tools you can use to study.

Kandace Foreman is part of the GovLoop Featured Contributor program, where we feature articles by government voices from all across the country (and world!). To see more Featured Contributor posts, click here.