Table of Contents
Introduction
Project management skill is becoming increasingly needed for IT experts, especially in this Covid time. We have discussed in this article some of the reasons why project management is a highly sought after skill now in IT experts.
We have also discussed the necessity of having a project management certification in this article, so now, what project management certifications are best generally, and particularly for IT experts?
Certified Project Management Practitioner (CPMP)
This certification is offered by the EC-Council, a council which was formed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to address issues of cyber terrorism and the information security of nations at large.
The EC-Council established the Certified Project Management Practitioner course for project managers who have no prior knowledge and want to standardize their skills through practical experience.
The course offers various management techniques and tools necessary to successfully manage complex projects efficiently. The objective of the CPMP course is to add value to management professionals by developing managerial, leadership and technical skills required to make any project, small or complex, a success.
Project Management In IT Security (PMITS)
Another project management certification offered by the EC-C council. Unlike CPMP certification though, PMITS is specifically designed for IT security project managers and hence its objectives are tailored towards the needs of IT security experts.
PMITS though is not an entry-level certification, rather it was designed for those who already have knowledge and experience in managing projects but want to specifically learn about the requirements and implementation of project management skills in IT security projects.
The certification requires at least 2 years experience as an IT security expert and also an educational background that shows a focus on security.
Project Management Proffesional (PMP)
PMP is offered by the Project Management Institute and regarded as the ultimate standard in project management when it comes to dealing with the three constraints: time, cost and scope.
The disadvantage of going for the PMP is that it costs about $600, which is a little bit costly when compared with other certifications, and also, it is not organized by a company that focuses on IT experts.
Certified Project Manager (CMP)
This certification is offered by the international Association of Project Managers (IAPM), a body focused on project management.
IAPM offer four levels of certifications split into two disciplines: traditional project management and agile project management.
The certifications are: Certified junior Project Manager, Certified Junior Agile Manager, Certified Project Manager and Certified Agile Project Manager.
The last two are meant for people with basic knowledge of project management, and that includes familiarity with organization, implementation and planning.
Certified ScrumMaster
Offered by Scrum Alliance, a non-profit organization that encourages the adoption of Scrum and agile practices, the certification is specifically tailored to the needs of agile project management and not traditional project management.
This certification though, could cost as much as $1,500.
CompTIA Project+
This certification is offered by CompTIA, a leading IT certification company that offers certifications in various IT fields including cyber security and networking.
CompTIA’s Project+ has no stringent requirements and is based on feedback gotten from the computing industry, government representatives, research institutions l, academia and independent experts.
This certification is recognized and recommended by leading companies like HP, Dell, Accenture and Canon and costs less than $300.
Conclusion
As an IT expert, what you are looking for is a project management certification that is offered by an IT company, so there would be much focus on management in the IT world. This rules out the PMP, CMP and ScrumMaster certifications, as great and nice as they are.
Also, project management is often not restrictive, you have to go out of your comfort zone sometimes to manage projects that are not totally related to your discipline; this, coupled with the high cost and prerequisite knowledge of PMITS and CPMP rules them out as the best option, as both focus more on IT security and not the IT world generally.
The best option seems to be CompTIA’s Project+ since it is offered by a leading IT company which certifies people in a variety of IT disciplines, and also has no stringent requirements.
Another thing to consider is that CompTIA has a community of IT experts where one can learn a lot from if used reasonably as explained in this article. and this is one very big advantage over other certifications.
