Project Managers are responsible for competing tasks at any given time and are required to make decisions that affect the outcome of a project. Typical tasks include planning, executing and closing out projects, along with taking care of budgets and any issues that may arise. Questions that I often receive from candidates who are looking to get into Project Management are “what certification should I obtain?”. There are a number of courses available in the market and here is a list of the most common certifications that Project Managers have under their belt: 

PRINCE2 Practitioner

PRINCE2 stands for Projects In Controlled Environments and was first introduced in the Government offices of the United Kingdom. It was then introduced into the corporate sector and now many organisations around the world use this methodology. The PRINCE2 certification is divided into three levels, PRINCE2 Foundation, PRINCE2 Practitioner and PRINCE2 Professional.

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Project Management Professional is a well known and widely accepted certification for Project Managers and has a great reputation globally. PMP certification is offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). To obtain the PMP certification, you will need to pass the training examination and have a strong understanding of different methods of planning, scheduling, monitoring and controlling a project from beginning to end.

Certified Project Manager (CPM)

This certification is offered through International Association of Project and Program Management (IAPPM). This methodology looks at how resources such as time, money and people can be carefully utilised throughout the duration of the project. Communications, Marketing, HR, Risk Management, IT and Quality Management are other areas of focus in this certification.

CompTIA Project+

CompTIA Project+ certification is aimed more at entry level professionals and follows a general project management model. Project+ originated in the 1990s and delivers a number of certifications globally. Unlike some of the other certifications, this one does not require any prerequisites. If you have worked on small to medium scale projects before, it will be easy to understand the concepts. Once this certification is completed, you can apply for roles such as Project Analysts, Project Coordinators and Junior Project Managers.  

Agile Certified Practitioner

Offered by PMI, this is one of the most highly rated Agile certifications. It is for those who are already in leadership or want to get a leadership role in their current project management team. It is also for those who have been applying Agile principles and methodologies in their day to day project tasks. To obtain this certification you need to have at least a minimum of 1,500 hours of work experience on Agile projects and 2,000 hours of overall project management work experience.

I specialise in project services recruitment within the education industry. If you would like to know more about different certifications or the current market, please get in touch.

Wendy Young
Consultant
Project Resource Partners
Level 7, 360 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia
T +61 3 9949 8100 D +61 3 9949 8169
E wyoung@projectresourcepartners.com.au