Generally, there are many thoughts or questions that pop up in our mind when we are thinking of career advancement. For instance…How can we accelerate our career growth? How can we shoot up our pay scale? How can we get an edge over the other professionals in the market? And the most important of all….What should we do that will give us all of the above?

Well, the answer to all your questions is one i.e. a project management professional certification will speed up your career, will boost up your pay & will also give you a competitive edge over the other professionals. Apart from these, the certification will widen your horizon of knowledge to such an extent that you would be able to speak & understand the same lingo as other project managers do globally. But then the question arises is there are so many certifications under the umbrella of Project Management, so which one should I choose? So let me help you by giving you an insight about the best Project Management certification that you can consider in 2020.

Project Management Certifications:

• Project Management Professional Certification – (PMP)
• Certified Associate in Project Management – (CAPM)
• Certified ScrumMaster – Agile Project Management Certification – (CSM)
• CompTIA Project + Certification
• Agile Certified Practitioner Certification – (ACP)
• PRINCE2 – Projects in Controlled Environment
• Certified Project Director – (CPD)
• Certified Project Manager – (CPM)–(IAPM)
• Professional in Project Management (PPM)
• Master Project Manager (MPM)
• Associate in Project Management(APM)
• Certified Project Management Practitioner(CPMP)
• Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB)
• Certified Six Sigma Green Belt Certification (CSSGB)
• Project Management Certificate(PMC)
• BVOP Certified Project Manager

Here, let’s get into the details:

1. Project Management Professional Certification – (PMP):

As organizations battle rough economic conditions, having proven project scheduling, budgeting, and management skills will only grow in importance over a period of time. The PMP’s PMP credential is a perfect conduit for demonstrating that expertise on a resume. Its Primary goal is to enable the project manager to execute his project management expertise by validating skills and knowledge required to plan, execute, budget, and lead a project. Eligible candidates must have to fulfill the eligibility criteria of project management experience and 35 hours of related training.

2. Certified Associate in Project Management – (CAPM):

• It is a basic level IT Project Management Certification. It is best suited for the beginners as it will provide them with plenty of learning and growth opportunity. Since it is an entry level certification, hence the candidates with high school diploma degree can apply. If one doesn’t have high school diploma degree, then the one who brings in an experience in project management i.e. 1500 hours are also eligible to apply.

3. Certified ScrumMaster – Agile Project Management Certification – (CSM): 

• This certification enables one to overlook a team who are accountable for working on the behest of the assigned product owner. Scrum Series certification are associated with the Scrum Alliance. Srum Alliance is globally recognized institute. It was founded with an aim to launch agile in the software industry. To apply for this certification one should be familiar with the basic level ofScrum and should possess agile mindset.

4. CompTIA Project + Certification:

• The certified professional will be able to guide the organization towards the right path by recommending them the experts who would be able to successful complete the project at hand. These certified professionals are responsible for collecting feedbacks from respondents, government representatives & research institute.

5. Agile Certified Practitioner Certification – (ACP):

• The best part of this certification is that, it is globally recognized.  This certification enables one to identify the core issues. It also makes them capable of achieving more in less volume. Eligibility to appear for this certification are mentioned below :

• High School Diploma & Associate Degree or Equivalent Experience.
• 2000 Work Hours of Experience 
• Hands on experience in Agile.

6. PRINCE2 – Projects in Controlled Environment: 

• These certified professionals possess good amount of knowledge in areas like validation of employees, core project management skills, IT project management lifecycle & business development tools. The basic eligibility for PRINCE 2 is that one should at least possess anyone of the below mentioned certifications. 

• IPMA level A to B certification
• Certified Project Management Associate Certification
• PRINCE 2 Foundation Course
• PMP (Project Management Professional Certification)

7. Certified Project Director – (CPD):

• It is a directorial level certification. It is one of the most prestigious certified project management course. The benefit it provides to the qualified personnel is equal employment and salary-related opportunities. To qualify this certification, one must bring in hands on experience & knowledge in the field of project management as a director and must have potent knowledge about the principles & methodologies of PM.

8. Certified Project Manager – (CPM)–(IAPM):

• This certification was introduced back in 2001, when US faced a terrorist attack. In the attack not only the buildings and other physical things were destroyed but also the IT infrastructure was completely shaken. Therefore, to handle such unforeseen pressures in future certified project managers were required. Hence, this certification is globally popular & post the 3 days of training course one can appear for this certification.

9. Professional in Project Management (PPM):

• It is a mid- level project management certification.  Through this certification individuals are taught various skills. As a PPM certified, they are expected to bring in knowledge on these areas like resource allocation, quality deliverance, maintenance at minimum risk, effective communication & ability to bring changes in the organization. The one who brings in some experience in the field of PM can apply for this certification.

10. Master Project Manager (MPM):

• It is recommended for those who wants to achieve higher productivity at the workplace. It focuses on the professionals who are in technical and business management roles. Eligibility to apply is 3 yrs. of training & project management experience or Master Degree.

11. Associate in Project Management(APM): 

• It is an entry level certification. It validates that the candidate possess basic knowledge in the project management field. Any formal education or experience is not required to apply for this certification.

12. Certified Project Management Practitioner(CPMP):

• This certification validates ones knowledge and skill for managing post disaster recovery operations.

13. Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB):

• As the name suggests, CSSBB is a tough one to crack but once you crack it you would become globally employable and will enjoy decent pay scale. To appear for the exam one needs to produce past project affidavits (at least 2 projects) + 3yrs of experience in the field. The validity of this certification is only 3 yrs.

14. Certified Six Sigma Green Belt Certification (CSSGB):

• This certification will enable one to do process analysis, measure performance and capabilities of team members, data collection which is vital to the existing six sigma setup. To appear for the exam one needs to produce past project affidavits i.e. 3yrs of experience in the field of Six Sigma.

15. Project Management Certificate(PMC):

• This certification will give you knowledge about the project lifecycle. It will also develop the leadership skills. To get the PMC certificate, one needs to get at least 16 credits for certificates at a graduate level which should be completed within 3 yrs.

16. BVOP Certified Project Manager: 

• It is based on agile framework. This certification place the emphasis on the best practices & activities of project management which are required for the success of any business. The qualified will be able to build the processes which are efficient, transparent & agile. To apply for this certification, one must have basic understanding of PM principles, terminologies & best practices.

Conclusion:

Organizations at global level are looking forward for hiring more and more project managers who are highly efficient. Because they are the one who are accountable for meeting the clients’ requirements which is very vital for the business growth. Hence, looking at the current demand Project Management certification will be a very profitable investment that will help one to climb up the career ladder. All the best!! Enroll today!!!