You’ve read a PM book. You’ve taken an introductory course. Your PMP is firmly in hand. What’s next? The challenge for project managers at this point is that there isn’t a really good answer. In fact, there isn’t really any one answer. The most honest and truthful answer is probably, “It depends.” But what, exactly, does it depend on?

The typical project manager found themselves in their role by accident. Developing ourselves in this role also, unfortunately, is often accidental. Stepping back and looking at the development challenge, a model from the past offers excellent insight into how we think about developing our skills as project managers, and what mastery in project management might actually look like.

You’ve climbed the project management ranks. You’ve got experience. You have training. You are certified. What next? This article takes a close look at life after certification.

For many project managers, the PMP is the apex of their development as project managers: the holy grail. But what does it mean to be certified? And once you’ve attained your certification, where to from here? A hard look at future development for project managers.

Certification is becoming increasingly popular as a way to differentiate and discriminate for skills and knowledge. With more certifications emerging in the project management field, what do they mean and what value do the offer? And how helpful are they in evaluating a project manager’s effectiveness?

We have now seen the launch of the Program Management Professional certification. What is it? Where does it fit? What is its value, and is it something that we should be including in our development plans?

The recent announcement of the Program Management Professional designation begs the question: do we need another certification? What is it designed to do? Where does it fit? And is it something that we need to think about? 

The debate over whether project management is a profession has engendered significant amounts of dialogue. Whether this is even desirable, however, needs to be explored from the perspectives of how such a shift would impact various stakeholders.

What if we really were a profession? What would it mean for project managers, for the companies that employ them and for the associations that promote and certify them? In the final part of a three part series, we look at what it would mean for companies that hire and engage project managers.

What if we really were a profession? What would it mean for project managers, for the companies that employ them and for the associations that promote and certify them? In the second part of a three part series, we look at what it would mean for project management associations.