You  have  successfully  completed  your  PMP®  Certification.  Congratulations.  That  is  quite  a  feat.  All  your  hard  work  and  determination  have  paid  off.  After  a  bit  of  time  to  catch  your  breath,  you  may  feel  the  need  to  continue  your  studies  and  yearn  for  continuous  learning.  Many  do.  Some  high  achievers  will  still  crave  the  intense  focus  and  miss  the  purpose  and  direction  the  Certification  process  provided.  You  may  also  feel  the  complete  opposite,  in  that  you  are  burnt  out  of  studying  and  looking  forward  to  taking  a  break  and  getting  back  to  just  focusing  on  your  job  and  personal  life.  That  is  okay  too.    For  those  of  you  looking  for  the  next  challenge,  below  are  3  possible  options  for  you  to  consider  as  your  next  steps.  The  beauty  of   these  optional  areas  of   focus   is   that   they  not  only  provide  you  with  additional   credentials  on   top   the  PMP  certification,  but  you  also  earn  PDUs  for  your  PMP  renewal.  A  definite  win-­‐win  situation!  So,  when  you  are  ready  to  get  back  on   the  educational   track,   carefully   consider   the  options  discussed  below  and   find  what   really   interests  you,  and  from  there  determine  the  direction  you  want  to  head  in  your  career:  

OPTION  #1  -­‐  ADDITIONAL  PM  TRAINING  If   you   enjoyed   the   PMP   certification   and  want   to   continue   to   focus   solely   on   project  management,   the   Program  Management  Professional  (PgMP)  certification  or  an  “Advanced  Project  Management”  course  might  be  a  good  fit  for  you.  These  programs  build  on  the  PMP  certification  program  and  follow  a  similar  approach  to  the  PMBOK  Guide  framework  and  format.  A  number  of  these  courses  focus  on  developing  stakeholder  relationships,  lifecycle  and  project  estimating  techniques,  managing  accelerated  projects  and  portfolio  management.  Effective  project  managers  must  be  mindful  of  how  different  industries  can  impact  program  life  cycles  and  the  benefits  they  can  bring  to  the  organization.  

OPTION  #2  -­‐  SIDE  SKILLS  TRAINING  There   are   a  wide   variety   of   programs   that   specialize   in   overall   organizational   efficiency,   as  well   as  management   best   practices.  Obtaining  additional  business  knowledge  and  expertise   in  this  area  can  be  a  real  asset   in  today’s  economy.  These  courses  would  include   Process   Improvement   and   Six   Sigma.   Indeed,   today   a   lot   of   emphasis   is   on   service.   Insurance   agencies,   consultants,  investment  brokers,  and  accountants  sell  services  rather  than  products.  All  companies  are  forced  to  focus  on  how  customer-­‐driven  process   improvement  will   improve   the  bottom   line.   If   you  enjoy   the   finance  and  accounting  aspects  of  your  projects,  additional  courses   such   as   Managerial   Accounting,   Corporate   Finance,   and   International   Finance   would   be   excellent   areas   to   focus   your  attention.  There  are  many  programs  available  to  choose  from.  

OPTION  #3  -­‐  IT  TRAINING  The  field  of  IT  (Information  Technology)  involves  a  lot  of  project  management.  Many  PMPs  have  an  IT  background  and  hold  IT  positions.  If  you  do,  the  Information  Technology  Infrastructure  Library  (ITIL)  certification  may  be  of  interest.  This  program  offers  an  exceptional  level  of  expertise,  specifically  designed  for  IT,  and  focuses  heavily  on  strategies  and  techniques  for  dealing  with  the  fast  pace  of  the  evolution  of  technology  and  managing  for  the  future.    If  you  constantly  find  yourself  spending  time  fine  tuning  the  design  of  your  IT  project  to  accommodate  changing  requirements,  you  may  want  to  consider  a  PMI-­‐ACP  Agile  certification,  including  the  core  values  and  principles  outlined  by  the  Agile  manifesto.  Agile  projects  are  characterized  by  the  use  of  short  work  iterations  and  incremental  development  of  products,  made  possible  by  focusing  on  business  priorities  and  customer  value.    Another  option  would  be  an  “IT  Project  Management”  course,  where  you  will  gain  valuable  insight  into  project  management  with  a  special  focus  on  managing  IT  projects.  You  will  also  acquire  an  understanding  of  how  creating  strategies  and  designing  plans  to  deliver  IT  projects  can  provide  consistent  value  and  increased  profits  for  the  organization.  

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PMP®  IS  A  TRADEMARK  OF  THE  PROJECT  MANAGEMENT  INSTITUTE,  INC.