Upfront, the $1,000 question is: do I want to simply learn about project management or do I want a signal that I'm a professional in project management.  If the later describes you, then read onwards.  If the former, then you'll need to wait until my next posting where I'll cover a number of web sites I tap into for project management information.

If you do want to bring a professional project manager mindset to your engineering work, then the next question is:  what certification is right for me?  I've been fielding this question quite a bit in the past year, so here's an easy breakdown of project management certifications from an engineer, for engineers.

Project Management Certifying Bodies

There are three primary project management certifying bodies with their own project management methodologies and principles:

Project Management Institute

International Project Management Association

PRINCE2

Of the three, PMI's certifications are most widely recognized around the world.  IPMA's four levels of certification and PRINCE2, while known globally, are primarily founded in Europe. However, if you work in Europe, PMI is active and widely known.  I happen to be based out of Germany and actively involved with the Munich Chapter that has a large presence of certified and practicing project managers.

If you're not interested in global mobility and not based out of Europe, then PMI is the organization to work through for  certification.  Rationale:  it's known in the U.S. and if you're looking to advance your professional credibility in project management, use the certifying body that's known widely.

Project Management Certification Types

Determining which certification type to go after will be based on:

• your engineering career goals
• the industry in which you work
• your location (Europe versus elsewhere)
• your organization's preferred project management methodology

Project Management Institute (PMI).  PMI is a non-profit association for project, program, and portfolio managers.  It is the governing body for the Project Management Book of Knowledge, the tome that contains the project management principles on which all of its offered certifications are based.  

Of the different certifications conferred by PMI, the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is the most widely issued and most widely held of PMI's project management certifications.  There are currently over 618,000 active PMP certified individuals with 272 chartered chapters across 104 countries worldwide.  

PMI also offers several other certifications:

CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management),
PgMP (Program Management Professional),
PfMP (Portfolio Management Professional),
PMI-SP (PMI Scheduling Professional),
PMI-RMP (PMI Risk Management Professional),
PMI-ACP (PMI Agile Certified Practitioner),
PMI-PBA (PMI Professional in Business Analysis), and
OPM3 Professional Certification

My experience in the other certifications is minimal beyond the Agile Certified Practitioner (very applicable if you are involved in IT) and the Program Management Professional.  In fact, I'm working on completing my PgMP certification in 2015.

If you're wondering about the difference between the PMP and the CAPM, the main difference is found in the length of time as a practicing project manager.  The PMP requires 4,500 hours of documentable PM work, while the CAPM requires 1,500.  Check out this PMI guide on certification types to learn more.

International Project Management Association (IPMA).  IPMA is actually a confederation of 55 separate member associations that have collaborated to define project management principles for the 150,000 members spread across 50 countries.  

IPMA uses a four-level certification program, used as an ongoing competence development process. Each tier of the four-level program documents adequate development in self-knowledge and verified competence.  Go here for more information on IPMA's certification levels.

PRINCE2.  PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a process-based method for effective project management and used extensively by the UK Government, however, is also widely recognized and used in the private sector, both in the UK and internationally. The PRINCE2 method is in the public domain, and offers non-proprietorial best practice guidance on project management.

There are three levels associated with PRINCE2:  Foundation, Practitioner, and Professional.  The Foundation level prepares an individual for work in a project team with the terminology and essential principles of the project management methodology.  The Practitioner level is for practicing or aspiring project managers and applies and adapts the principles to common situations.  The Professional level requires the individual to be able to apply PRINCE2 principles in non-complex projects across the lifecycle of the project.  You can learn more about PRINCE2 certifications here.

What are the earned benefits from earning one of these certifications?  If you are considering entering a project management role, getting certified as a project manager will make you a better candidate, give you the advantage to discuss salary increases, and provide you with confidence that you have project management skill based on recognized principles.

Ultimately, it comes down to whether your engineering career goals will be more easily realized if you hold a project management certification.  If the answer is "yes", then you next need to identify which one you'll pursue.

Action:  If you are a project manager, share your views on how the certification has helped you or not helped you in your engineering career.  

Christian Knutson, P.E., PMP is an international infrastructure development program manager, engineer, and author. He has extensive experience in leadership, management, and engineering earned from a career as a civil engineering officer in the U.S. Air Force.  He now coaches engineers enabling them to create an engineering career and life of fulfillment at The Engineering Career Coach.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net