PMcrunch

There are many ways to earn the 60 PDUs required to maintain PMP certification. Many PMPs consider this to be a challenge. However, with proper planning (remember, we are PMPs!), earning those PDUs can become a part of your regular professional life and can be a breeze. Here’s how.

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Many project managers wonder if there is a better job for them out there. We are always trying to better ourselves and our situations, but never quite seem to get exactly where we want to be. Much is written about which industries are best, which skills transfer, the benefits of certification, and much more. I would argue that introspection, or a look on the inside, is at least as important as a look to the outside, as this is a personal decision driven more by personal factors than by external considerations.

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What is program management? How does program management differ from project management? How does program management relate to project portfolio management (PPM)? As program management is becoming more formalized in its own right, especially with the PMP’s PgMP certification, I thought I would see what is out there on the web to help answer these questions.

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It can be very helpful for PMP candidates to have a PMP Mentor, or someone who is PMP certified and can assist on a moment’s notice when the student is stuck. A PMP mentor can provide a high level of comfort and assurance that a candidate is on the right path to passing the PMP certification exam.

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There are many great places for project managers to network, keep up with developments in the profession, tune in to new opportunities, and find opportunities for career growth. On a more immediate basis, networking today is also full of helpful opportunities to solve current problems with the assistance of colleagues in the profession. So, in this era of social networking, I thought I would put together a post of where some of the best project management networks can be found.

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PMP exam prep training is available from many sources, but a large number of candidates are seeking online, web-based PMP prep training for its cost and convenience benefits. However, online training can mean a number of different things to people, including web-based classroom training, reviewing visual material online, collaborating with other students, interacting with training, downloading material, and much more.

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Program Management within an organization involves managing longer term initiatives that involve multiple projects. The Project Management Institute (PMI) offers a Program Management Certification - the Program Management Professional (PgMP) - for experienced professionals who are interested in advancing their knowledge of program management and credentials for a continuing career in program management.

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Here is a quick compilation of non-affiliated (I hope) advice on preparing for the PMP. Advice on PMP prep abounds on the web, and I have tried to separate out the commercial pieces to provide information as unbiased as possible.

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Project organizations really are not unlike other organizations. Like a small, medium, or large sized corporation, projects have specific objectives that need to be supported by its own project culture. Projects inlcude collections of people and stakeholders, surrounding a concept or idea and particular action, take on a persona. Discovering, and even more important creating, and maintaining the character of that persona, is an important job of the project manager and supporting organization.

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PRINCE2 - PRojects IN Controlled Environments - is a major worldwide project management framework, or methodology. It takes a different approach than the PMI’s PMBOK, but the goal of both is to improve project performance. While PMBOK is generally well-accepted worldwide, it is by far the leading approach in North America. PRINCE2 on the other hand is strongest in the United Kingdom, with a strong presence in Europe, Australia, and other typically English-speaking countries outside North America. But both are expanding there reach on a constant basis as the world gradually “projectizes.”

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