PMP Certification: An Insiders Story

Mr. Muralidhar Gaddam in conversation with Shiksha Online shared his views and insights on PMP and his journey after being one.

Mr. Gaddam has over 23 years of IT industry experience across systems software development and support and IT infrastructure management. He has worked as Systems Programmer, Senior Program Manager/Director in global corporations like Philips, DEC (later Compaq), IBM, UBS & Cognizant. PMP and a certified Trainer & Coach, he completed his B.E in Computer Science from BIT Mesra.

Q&A Session with Mr. Gaddam:

How did PMP certification happen to you?

I was mandated to be PMP certified for the first time in 1998 when I worked for IBM at Bangalore when my experience was about 7 year and after that in 2016. Being a PMP trainer, I decided to write the PMP exam this year again to face the revised exam curriculum, and thereby got certified again. Certification must be actively maintained by participating in PMIs Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Program for renewal every 3 years

How did this certification assist you in your personal growth?

The certification boosted my career to a formal project manager role. It gave me confidence to handle projects. Earlier most of my work was systems programming, technically leading small support teams and a bit of technical sales support. But PMP added a new dimension to my work and I began enjoying my work a lot which resulted in good performance thus moving on to becoming a Program Manager.

What is the average salary package for a PMP certified professional and how much hike can they expect?

As per PMI, PMPs globally have 15-20% more earning potential than their counterparts. PMI has published reports like 2015 Global Job Report and Salary Report 9th Edition which provides detailed information on the salary trend and structure of PMP professionals. There are a lot of other factors as well which play a great role in determining the salary such as education, industry, etc. but it does guarantee a good hike and better pay than others who are not certified.

What are the other advantages of PMP?

PMP will give you confidence to take on projects which will lead to more opportunities. The certification is valid across industries, so you will be able to work in a global environment or venture into new domains by taking up smaller/simpler projects in a new domain. As per PMI, the demand of PMs is high, whereas supply of qualified PMs is low. Among just 10 project intensive countries (which includes India) the demand between 2010-2020 will increase by 13.4 million, hitting a total demand of 41.5 million. Project rich sectors in India are IT, healthcare, construction/infrastructure, oil & gas.

Also Read>> Benefits to Earn a Certification in PMP

What advice would you like to give to the future Project Managers?

It is important to take the exam preparation seriously.  Project management experience also matters. The 2 main documents for this exam are PMP certification exam outline – the curriculum for the exam and PMP handbook – Details of eligibility and the process of sitting for the exam.

Read this blog – what is PMP to learn more about Project Management.