Top Project Management Certifications to Improve Your CV

A project management certification is an excellent way to boost your career opportunities in a new year. Apart from enhancing your skills and validating your experience and knowledge, it also gives you a special edge among your contemporaries. No doubt, the field of project management is growing by bounds, and the professionals with validated credentials have great opportunities to explore in order to advance their career. Whatever level you have in project management, the certificate can make a great difference in your career pursuit. Are you a beginner in the industry who is looking for knowledge and skills to be able to deliver in your new role? Are you a professional project manager who would like to upgrade your skills and boost your chances of promotion in your current role? Anyway, earning the certification is surely the way to go. The year 2019 holds a lot of exciting opportunities for those specialists who will upgrade their skills and validate their knowledge and experience. If you are gaining to explore new career territories in the field of project management in the coming year, the certificates we have enumerated in this article are what should be in your top consideration. They range from entry-level project management credentials to senior-level certifications. There are also some vendor specific certificates and those for specific techniques. In addition to this, there are also some that are aimed at the professionals with more advanced skills in the PM realm, those who are going to manage multiple projects per time. Thus, there is definitely a certification path that will fit your career goal and advancement. Let us explore some of the best PM credentials you should consider in 2019.

CompTIA Project+

Administered by CompTIA, this credential is an excellent choice for an entry-level project manager and those who currently manage small scale projects. The certification focuses on multiple frameworks and processes to offer the candidates the fundamental project management skills and knowledge they need to perform optimally in their job roles. The individuals pursuing the CompTIA Project+ certificate should be equipped with the knowledge and skills of resource management, documentation protocols, coordinating stakeholders, project lifecycle and project restraints, and communication practices.

Certified Project Manager – CPM

CPM is a certification offered by the IAPM (International Association of Project Managers). This credential is aimed at the entry-level project managers who have little or no experience of managing projects. The Certified Project Manager certificate also stands as a requirement for some more advanced credentials like the Certified International Project Manager certification. CPM is an internationally respected and recognized credential. It offers the individuals the knowledge of the fundamental framework for planning, implementing, and organizing a project. Since it is an entry-level project management certification, there are no official prerequisites for attempting the exam.

Certified Associate in Project Management – CAPM

The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) credential is also an entry-level certification. It is offered and administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI), and it is aimed at those individuals who are just starting out in the field of project management and would want to validate their knowledge in order to distinguish themselves in the job market. The CAPM credential is a requirement for the project managers who would like to upgrade and validate their skills and knowledge for the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential in the future. The professionals taking this certificate are required to have an associate degree or its equivalent and also some project management experience and education before registering for the certification exam.

Associate in Project Management – APM

This is one more entry-level PM certification. The Associate in Project Management credential is offered by the Global Association for Quality Management, and it is designed for the individuals who are new to the field of project management. There is no official prerequisite for writing the certification exam. Core areas you should focus on when studying for the test include resource management, communication, and quality assurance because they are the core competencies that will be measured in the APM certification exam.

Project Management Professional – PMP

PMP is one of the most popular project management certifications in the world. It is globally recognized and respected by industries. After the CAPM credential, the Project Management Professional certification is the next one offered by the PMI (Project Management Institute). It is designed for the professionals who have prior project management skills and experience. To earn this certification, the candidates are expected to have between 4,500 and 7,500 hours of experience in PM. They should also have at least 35 hours of project management education in order to qualify for the certification exam. The test is not restricted to the professionals in the workplace alone. The individuals from institutions can also attempt it. The Project Management Institute works with organizations and universities to maintain the relevance and prestige of the PMP credential, which makes it the standard in the industry.

Master Project Manager – MPM

The MPM (Master Project Manager) certification is regulated by American Academy of Project Management. The credential is a board certificate that is intended for experienced project managers. To earn this credential, the candidates are expected to have at least three years of experience in project management. They must also have an approved degree or some other training in order to meet the prerequisites for the Master Project Manager (MPM) certification.

Professional in Project Management – PPM

The PPM certification is also an important PM credential. It is administered by the Global Association for Quality Management, and it is intended for middle management level professionals. The candidates taking the certification exam must have the comprehensive knowledge of the core fundamentals and techniques of project management. In addition to this, they should also have an understanding of more advanced concepts such as crisis management. The Professional in Project Management (PPM) certification exam does not have any prerequisites. However, the individuals are required to study the Global Association for Quality Management (GAQM) materials and go through an e-course in order to prepare for the test.

Program Management Professional – PgMP

The PgMP certification is designed for the senior-level professionals who coordinate and manage multifarious projects in their organizations. The Program Management Professional highlights the synergy in management, which allows multiple projects to benefit from a well coordinated supervision instead of having the projects managed separately. To earn the PgMP certificate, one is required to have a minimum of 6,000 hours of work experience in project management. He/she should also have between 6,000 and 10,500 hours of particular program management experience in order to qualify for the credential. It is important to mention that the PgMP certification is offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Agile Certified Practitioner – PMI-ACP

The Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification is one more special credential offered by the PMI (Project Management Institute). The certificate highlights the use of Agile practices and approaches in project management. The strategies of Agile, such as Kanban, Lean, and Scrum are featured skills that the project managers are expected to cultivate in order to have highest sensitivity to various market volatilities. To qualify for this certification, the candidates are expected to have prior work experience on Agile teams and project experience.

Certified Scrum Master – CSM

The CSM (Certified Scrum Master) certification is specifically designed for those professionals who want to learn the Scrum management practices and technique. The credential is offered by the Scrum Alliance, a not-for-profit organization that is established with the aim of promoting the use of agile framework in project management. There are no official requirements for earning this certificate. This makes it an excellent choice for the entry-level managers and professionals joining a team that uses Scrum project management approaches and techniques.

Project in Controlled Environments – PRINCE2

The Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) certification is provided by the ILX Group. The credential focuses on scalable management techniques for handling projects of various sizes. There are basically two different levels that the professionals can attain with the PRINCE2 certificate. Thay are Foundation and Practitioner. Projects in Controlled Environments Foundation is an entry-level certification while PRINCE2 Practitioner is an advanced-level credential. The PRINCE2 Foundation is the prerequisite for earning the PRINCE2 Practitioner certification.

Conclusion

Therefore, you have the best project management certifications to consider in 2019. Your career growth and advancement depends largely on the validation of your skills and knowledge. The credentials described above are some great options to consider for validating your skills in project management in this year.