If one wants to be a certified Project Management Professional or a PMP, one needs to qualify to the benchmarks or examinations conducted by the Project Management Institute. It is the best premier institute the certificate of which is recognized in more than 210 countries throughout the globe. With cut-throat competition for the post of project managers, it is this certificate that keeps one ahead of the race from others and turns the dream to reality and helps to climb up the ladder in an organization. With the world developing fast, particularly the countries that were laggards, a PMP certification from PMI can deliver the best value of product and services, projects to the people and the community as a whole. The certified project managers efficiently deliver the need of the hour with their ethical yet systematic and scientific project management skills.
The numbers
As already said, there are 210 member countries, including countries like the United States of America and developing country like India, and almost 286 charter chapters exist globally, and the numbers are increasing day by day. The institute that was set up in the year 1969 as a non-profit professional body to hone up the skills of the future project managers with their global reach, advocacy, guidance, and education, research, and collaboration. (Source: https://www.pmi.org.in/content.aspx?id=About-PMI ). It has grown strength to strength, helping professionals who have the vision for programs, project implementations, and portfolio management. It has become one of the best institutes for nearly 2.9 million professionals working hard to build a developed world. The examinations held by PMI chapters throughout the globe helps the young professionals to step forward to take up the responsibility and challenge bestowed on them by a company or an organization.
Although the exact figure of PMP certified professionals is not available for the public still as per industry and web sources, there is nearly 9 Lakh of certified professionals throughout the globe. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Management_Professional ). Most of them come from countries like The United States of America, China, India, and many others. There are more than 5 lakh global members. Having a PMI membership means that one is serious about career growth in project management and being an expert professional aiming to hone up the managerial skills and staying up to date with the latest researches and projects.
The numbers of the aspirant for getting the PMP certification is increasing day by day reflects the fact that there is a rapidly growing demand by the developing and the developed countries worldwide of these professionals. Actually, without them, any successful project implementation, be it industrial, commercial, or societal is not possible. They are becoming the visionaries to chalk out the road map to for successful implementation, monitoring, execution, and closing of a project. Without their compelling vision and tracking, it has become difficult to successfully implement a plan and complete it without being delayed else, the fruits of the efforts get eaten away over time.
There are more than 5 lakh active members globally who are working day in and out with projects and researches, delivering lectures and working on the drawing boards to give various projects the light of the day. With a network of nearly one million project peers ( https://www.pmi.org/ ) spread globally, the exchange of views and the publishing of the research works are moving things in a positive direction. The growing number indicates that more and more projects are being thought off and the industry is looking for experts with requite certification to carry out the projects successfully in a time frame so that the project when completed becomes best. With technology and methodology changing daily and funds for research pouring in, the need for project management professionals is increasing. One can visit the PMI online registry that is the parent organization and can key in specific inputs like name, surname, and country and get the list of activities as well as inactive PMP professionals with necessary credentials. It has become one of the country-specific sources of searching for PMP professionals by the industry honchos before thinking to implement any project.
The certified Project management Professionals not only rises the ladder of hierarchy in an organization but also draw a fat salary as they have cleared the most stringent certificate examination to prove their ability. If one views the country wise salary of the project management professionals that are published in the 10th edition of the survey by PMI, it is found that the highest salary is given by Switzerland, followed by the United States, Australia, and Germany. And it hints that these nations are growing at a faster rate and is need of the certified. Again going through the 10th report, it can also be said that as the experience grows the salary increases. One can hold any top position after successfully cracking the PMP certificate test conducted by the PMI and all its chartered institutions spread across the globe and one can rise to the level of Director, PM or PMO and can start the career as a project management specialist. One can be an independent Project management consultant and earn handsomely.
May aspiring project managers are moving forward to get the PMP certification after cracking the exams that is computer based and has 200 questions out of which 25 are not evaluated and are only for test the ability and trial. The balance 175 questions that have multiple choice answers are evaluated, and the results are almost immediately generated. For that, one has to follow specific steps sequentially like reading the PMP handbook, fulfilling the criteria to get the PMI certification, becoming a member of the nearest PMI chapter, study the PMBOK guide to gather knowledge. Joining any institute for honing up the exam-cracking skills and getting study materials (it is not always necessary for all), attend the workshop that is oriented for PMP certification and listen to the speakers and join the interactive sessions, answer the sample questions and then take the exam (Source: https://www.knowledgehut.com/blog/project-management/steps-to-become-pmp-certified-professional )
It may be mentioned here; a few years ago, many cracked the PMP exam but did not maintain the PMP certification with 60 PDU by fulfilling the CCR or the Continuing Certifications Requirements. Without the 60 PDU's the certificate gets invalid after 3 years. But the scenario has changed now and the increasing number of PMP CCR list shows that there is a high demand of the certified professionals and some of the best brains are extending their hands and learning the latest methodologies and becoming the best-accredited Project management Professional. .
Overview
With the rising number of certified Project Management Professionals, it can be said that there is a demand for the PMI certification in various industrial and commercial as well as governmental activities. The certificate has been one of the benchmarks for selecting the right candidate to carry out a project by any organization and for the professionals to rise to the hierarchy and chair the correct designation. One needs to be honing up the skills and stay in touch with the latest innovations and techniques and the certified PMP's needs to do the same to remain in the bandwagon. The numbers speak for the demand and the scope.
