Start your project management career today

Author: Richard Peirce

Project managers require a lot of experience and certification to reach the absolute the pinnacle of their career. CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) and PMP (Project Management Professional) are two of the most highly sought after certification courses for professionals working as project managers. Whether its the CAPM certification or the PMP course both have their own advantages when it comes to long term relativity of certifications and have significant effect on your career progression.

While CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) is for the newer blood, professionals with less experience, PMP (Project Management Professional) is for project managers who have been in the industry for a few years now and have considerable experience under their belt.

Keep this in mind before applying for CAPM

CAPM or Certified Associate in Project Management is an entry level certification for project managers with not as much experience as well established project managers. Getting CAPM certification can provide an edge to your resume and help you land projects which can further boost your career.

  • You should have a high school diploma (Secondary Education)
  • You should have 1500 hours of work experience as a project manager
  • There’s no minimum years restrictions as is the case with PMP
  • You should have completed the 23 hour study program

Keep this in mind before applying for PMP

Applying for PMP is not an issue provided you meet some basic eligibility requirements for the course. PMP assesses your ability to handle work pressure, knowledge, team management and experience when it comes to project management, successful completion of which provides you with the PMP course.

  • You should either have a high school diploma or a bachelor’s degree
  • For diploma holders, you should have at least 5 years of experience and 7500 hours of experience as a project manager
  • For bachelor’s degree holders, you should have at least 3 years of experience and 4500 hours of experience as a project manager
  • You should have completed the 35 hour study program of PMBoK (Project Management Body of Knowledge)

CAPM requires as much less work experience as compared to PMP as it is supposed to be an entry level certification course for project managers who have just started their professional career. Although CAPM alone is not enough to take your career to the next level, it gives your career that initial momentum which can get you and your skills recognized.

Your resume generates much more appeal because of this one certification which makes you stand out from the crowd of hundreds of aspiring project managers and can also become a bargaining chip to land yourself a high salary package.

While CAPM is good for the initial phase of your career, PMP takes the cherry as of the most if not the most valuable certification available in the world for project managers. PMP is recognised by almost all corporations and companies making it a certification with international appeal. Once you are certified by the PMI (Project Management Institute), you have a worldwide appeal as a certified project manager with the ability to lead projects globally while leading and directing the entire team with cohesion towards the goal. The global exposure ensures that your career has no downward spiral and only grows from thereon.