“When it came to choosing the right certification, PMP Certification by PMI was the best one for me to move into project management path”, says Mayank Shukla in this prep advice article.
Mayank is based out of Sydney, has 6+ years of experience in QSR industry with POS systems and Back office applications. He has good experience of Project Management, Deployment management, Incident and Problem Management and Risk Management.
In this post Mayank shares how he decided on PMP to be the vehicle to grow more into project management stream, and reveals his exact approach, strategies, and resources used for PMP exam preparation. Further in the end he shares some of the key insights he has gained in this journey – something you can use for your own exam preparation.
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With that.. let’s hear Mayank..
How did you decide on PMP certification?
I felt like being complacent in my current role in Service delivery, performing the same role and responsibilities for the past 2 years. There were other certifications that I considered before finalizing PMP, such as AWS Certification, Azure Certification, Salesforce and Scrum master.
However, I decided to move forward and get certified in Project management. Out of all the certifications out there I found PMP to be most versatile and best suited to move into serious project management role. This is something that would help me in moving ahead in my project management career.
I felt that PMP certification by PMI, which is the well-respected leader in project management education, will provide me the knowledge, framework, and best practices required to execute my projects efficiently.
How do you see the certification helping you now?
As I was studying for the exam I jumped in to implement what I have learned at work.
As of now I have been able to implement few practices like Stakeholder analysis and engagement plan. I have also created communication management plan and risk management plan.
With these I already feel better control in managing the project.
What study resources did you use?
One of the requirements for PMP exam was to acquire a 35 hours of Project management education. I enrolled into classroom training from PluralSight to fulfill this requirement.
I consider myself as a visual learner, and so when I came across HeadFirst PMP book (ad), I immediately grabbed it. This book helped me strengthen the essential fundamentals of PMP syllabus.
Then I took up Rita Mulachy’s PMP Exam prep book (ad). I studied the complete book twice.
In parallel I also used PMBOK guide, just for reference. I firmly believe that irrespective of which study resource you use – whether it is a book, course, or even classroom training – PMBOK has to be used as a reference.
Also read: “Simulator was my lifesaver!” says Igechi Worlu, PMP
Over the past few years my role was becoming more strategic and front-line. I was getting more involved in strategic decisions and most importantly I was taking a major lead in client acquisition and project delivery.
The desire to gain PMP certification was ignited by my previous Line Manager at Amazon, who took the effort to motivate and encourage me to pursue this course.
Getting a PMP certification has been a professional goal of mine. Taking this exam has been a fulfilling and confidence-boosting experience for me.
I aspired to become PMP certified since long.. almost 7 to 8 years ago. Due to the crazy working hours and long official tours I was not able to pursue. But I kept the strong inclination towards achieving the PMP credential alive.
