The answer really depends on your career goals and what industry you are working in. As a professional, achieving recognised qualifications can often verify and certify your knowledge. Below is a comparison of undertaking a project management qualification.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
| Better salary opportunities | Time consuming |
| Increased employment openings | Costs money |
| Networking opportunities | |
| Employer Value | |
| Applicable to the real world | |
| Expansion of knowledge | |
| Access to tested resource |
See below a table of the top 5 features of Project Management Certification in the UK.
First let’s explore the drawbacks. See the below image which show the features of the top 5 certifications in the UK. As seen, the cost aspect is relatively low, and in some cases you may be eligible for sponsorship by your company if you put forward a substantial business case. In regards to the time consumption, the end result will pay off. If part of your career goal is to improve your network and expanding your knowledge then the ongoing commitment value will far outweigh the time consumption aspect.
The area we should always focus on is the positives to courses. The two most popular courses are the PMP and Prince2. The key difference is being varying frameworks and your choice depends on which industry you are in. The table below shows which region/ country each course is more preferred.
As a leader and professional money is not always the main motivator. The benefits listed above open up numerous opportunities to expand your knowledge, skillset and reputation within your industry. However, an improved salary is also attractive. The next two images show expected salaries based on salary surveys carried out in 2017 for the Prince2 and PMP.
So what course is right for me?
It is worth noting that professional course do not compete with each other so it really depends on your industry. For example, in the UK car industry the Prince2 would be preferable but in the US IT industry the PMP would be preferable. My advice would be to research for jobs similar to your role and understand what their requirements would be. Then speak to your employee regarding sponsorship to undertake the course, what value this would provide and what opportunities it would open up.
How to reference this article
- Toor, J. (2019). Should I do a Project Management course? Available: https://pmgrowth.co/should-i-do-a-project-management-course?
References
- PMI. (2017). Salary Survey. Available: https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/salary-survey-10th-edition.pdf?la=en.
- Simplilearn. (2018). Features of the top 5 project management certifications in the UK. Available: https://www.simplilearn.com/
- Global Knowledge. (2017). Global Knowledge 2017 IT skills and Salary Survey