Months of studying, hours upon hours of sample questions and practice exams, and countless YouTube tips and tricks videos and it is time to take the PMP exam. It is an exam that brings shivers down the spine of any project manager. After four grueling hours the exam is over, and the pass certificate pops up on my screen, and all seems well: Congratulations on earning yourself a world-renowned title and distinguishing yourself from hundreds of project managers within the field. Sit back, relax, and kick off your shoes. Your hard work is complete. Or is it?
In the past seven years, I have been lucky enough to work in multiple sectors (Biotech and High-tech) and have had the opportunity to work on many projects big and small ranging from a team of three people all the way up to 20. I feel comfortable under a wide variety of scenarios when it comes to projects, but that doesn’t mean I felt fully prepared for the PMP exam, which is administered by the leading authority of project managers ― the Project Management Institute.
The PMP exam tests your understanding of project management concepts, frameworks, and best practices. You study things like risk management, stakeholder engagement, and agile methodologies. But having your PMP credential doesn’t guarantee you’ll know how to handle a meeting that could have been an email, what to do when nobody is responding to you in the group chat, or how to survive a last-minute change request on a Friday at 4:00 PM.
Studying for the exam teaches you how to think like a project manager, but it can’t prepare you for the chaos of all the challenges real-life projects can throw your way. Every project has its own unique challenges and with those, new solutions that need to be created. And let’s be honest—sometimes, your biggest challenge is just getting everyone to answer your emails.
After my certification was earned, it was time to put this hard work into action and show my mastery of this field… well maybe not. I could not wait to tell everyone I know that I passed. My close circle of friends and family have known for years that I love working on projects and I have dreamed of taking my PMP and becoming a full-fledged, recognized project manager. Over the last few months, the fact that I was scheduled to take my exam was merely whispered among my family and friends, nobody wanting to put me under any added pressure. I immediately put my PMP news on my LinkedIn profile, which felt incredible and was being congratulated left and right for officially having the title of a project manager. But I still feel like there are challenges on the horizon that won’t be solved from having passed the PMP exam. I know all the terms and formulas and calculations, and the internal expectation of perfection that comes with having your PMP is high. But in reality, hundreds of real-world scenarios still pose questions and concerns that will only be answered with time and varied experience.
In the weeks following my exam, I had tremendous confidence and felt like no project or problem could stand in my way. With my newly renowned scrum and agile practice abilities, I thought that I would be able to walk right through any hurdles my projects could throw at me. Within the first 15 minutes of a project check-in, I encountered a couple of challenges that took the wind right out of my sails. It was only after that meeting that I took some time to reflect on my project management skills and PMP certification. What I came to realize about the PMP is that yes, it’s incredibly important; it proves you have spent a ton of time and effort to learn about the formal project management process and have years of experience leading projects, but it doesn’t mean that challenges won’t arise for which you may not always have the immediate answers. The best project managers continue to grow by seeking out new knowledge, experiences, and possibly someone to vent to after their first major project disaster. I am ecstatic that the exam challenge is behind me, but I am eager to continue to refine and adjust to whatever lessons my future projects throw my way.
I feel grateful that DFCI is so supportive of project managers and that our SPP PMO has fantastic resources available to all that provide great insight and training to prepare for the exam and training for project management in general with the use of education through DFCI Project University, mentoring, a PM community site, and the PMO symposium.