Project Management Professional (PMP) designation

[Super_Geo]

Hey guys, just wondering what kind of doors a PMP will open in the Alberta job market. By the looks of this: http://www.pmi.org/info/PDC_PMP.asp, you can get your PMP before your P.Eng?

I haven't really heard much of this designation before I started working, wondering what your guys' feedback on it is.. thanks!

[Shaolin]

I got a couple good friends of mine with PMP designations.. it seems like it's a pretty good thing to get.. I didn't hear about it until last January.. One is a Project Specialist at Petro Canada and the other one is an IT Consultant..

I'll eventually do it after I finish what I have to do now..

You need something like 1500 hours of Project experience before you qualify to write the test or something like that..

I also believe you need to do your CAPM first before you do your PMP.. but I'm not certain.

[Super_Geo]

On the website it says 7500 hours/60 months of project management expreience w/o a bachelor's degree. That drops to 36 months with a degree.

What's the CAPM?

[Super_Geo]

No PMPs here on beyond

[digi355]

I am only 6 months in. It takes a long time to complete the necessary hours . You don't necessarily add your total hours worked until you get to 7500. A degree and a professional designation help, but are not the be all and end all. If you’re an E.I.T right now, I would guess that they wouldn't even consider your hours until you got your P. In the long run it is worth it. The average salary for an O&G PMP is 142 000, (not me, so save the flames) plus bonuses. If everything stays on track you're looking at 180's pretty easy. On the other hand, with Alberta in the boom phase, you're lucky if the trades even show up. It is really stressful and I haven't seen anyone meet their targets this year. That doesn't mean they won't get a bonus, but they won't be seeing the 180's. It's a fun job, but it's still a job. If your a new engineer I would really look at getting some real world experience before I jumped into the PMP world.

Hope this helped.

[Super_Geo]

Hey, really apprechiate the info.

I'm a Project Engineer (EIT) and was told that my hours would start counting towards the PMP 3-4 months in once I start managing my own projects. So by the looks of it... I might qualify for the PMP right around the time I get the P,Eng.. or maybe even a few months sooner

Also, it says with a degree it's only 36 months and 4500 hours. $140k sounds pretty solid... though I wonder how that compares to the average for a straight up P.Eng. I'm pretty sure that once you get the P.Eng the salary clears $100k.

I was talking to a friend currently at Colt and he said the higher up project manager/engineer is making $150/hr... which is like $300k/year. Definately not a bad goal to have for a decade down the horizon

[digi355]

I didn't realize you were a Project Engineer. You are probably right in thinking that your hours will be directly transferable. At least, the vast majority will be. I can't really comment on what a P. would make, but I would guess that 70-90 is a fair range with 4-6 years experience.

I don't have a degree so I am doing it the long way. It will take me some time but I will still get it well before the old guys I work with. Keep us posted on how things go. There aren't many of us around.

[Super_Geo]

Hey Digi what kind of project management are you doing? We should round up a few more PMPs or people working towards the PMP and have a networking lunch downtown.

I have only met a few PMPs in industry... but they've seemed to think that it was definately worth getting. It'd be nice to pick their brains and help chart out the ol' career path

[samo147]

i just did a coop term doing a little bit of project managment work
mostly organizing projects for powerlines and such
didnt find it too interesting or challenging

once u got the process down it was pretty much the same thing over and over again...

is that how it is with your jobs?

[digi355]

Originally posted by samo147
i just did a coop term doing a little bit of project managment work
mostly organizing projects for powerlines and such
didnt find it too interesting or challenging

once u got the process down it was pretty much the same thing over and over again...

is that how it is with your jobs?

You're lucky, I wish my job was like that. I am the PM for the Telecommunications portion of a big energy project. How hard can it be right? Decide what you need, what it will cost, when it will be done, trench some fiber, install some equipment, pick up the phone, make a call, everything works so sign it off.

I could spend the better part of my afternoon telling you about what has gone wrong in the last three months, but some of the highlights are, loosing the fiber, installing the wrong radios, not powering a key piece of equipment and having half of the tradesmen quit and not being able to replace them for less than 110 an hour. It can be an easy job if everything goes smoothly. I have only been doing it for a few months, the first couple were gravy, the last 4 have been sheer hell.

I am up for lunch, we'll need a couple more people to join us, but it would be a really good networking opportunity.

[adam c]

so ive gone through that site, how do u sign up?