Certifiable

Lately, I’ve been thinking about a lot about my future. Or, really, I’ve been thinking about my past. Where my career started and where it is now are miles away from each other. I’ve been working for a large design firm for the better part of a decade now, and though my employer has stayed the same, my job sure hasn’t. I started at the bottom, right out of college with no training but tons of ambition. Over the years I’ve managed to climb my way up the proverbial career ladder into a management position. I’m not the bottom-feeder anymore. However, I’m not exactly a big fish either. I feel like my career is stagnant. I don’t want to leave my company, especially in this economy. I need to move up, not out.

But how do I do this? Some friends of mine who work in IT suggested I follow their lead. When they need to advance (or need to stay relevant in their careers), they go for training to get more certifications. They suggested I look into training to get a certification in project management. It didn’t sound like a horrible idea (although these aren’t the friends of mine who are known for their horrible ideas, thankfully), so I’ve been looking into it a bit. To my relief, it looks like going back to school won’t be necessary. With the certifications for project management you can get training for on your own time, and take the exam when you’re ready. So maybe getting a certification wouldn’t be a bad idea. Now the problem is figuring out which path to choose.

The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is one option. Microsoft also offers a project management certification called, appropriately, Microsoft Project. And then there’s another certification called Project+. Which is best for me? Which is best for my career? This is where I stand. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.