Those that are the most successful in Internet Marketing are generally those that embrace the fundamentals of project management. On the other hand, most professional project managers, such as those that attain their PMP (Project Management Professional certification), often aren't aware of or fully implement Internet Marketing practices for themselves or their businesses.
Hence the reason I was asked to speak and provide a tutorial on Internet Marketing Yourself at the Project Management Institute annual conference in San Diego On May 15th, 2010.
Avid readers of Website Magazine would be aware of those Internet Marketing fundamentals that I would present on such as making sure proper keywords were embedded in their online profiles such as LinkedIn. Also instructing on proper coding and link strategy for their own personal sites so they can attract potential employers or if they have a business site to attract work themselves.
What readers of Website Magazine may not be aware of is the benefit of having a PMP certification or even what it is.
A PMP is a Project Management Professional certificate provided by the Project Management Institute (PMI) that is both intensive and costly. It demonstrates that one has both the advanced knowledge and actual experience in proper project management. Businesses often look for project managers with a PMP being that it's an internationally accepted certification and standard.
Acquiring your PMP is similar to a CPA for accountants as it adds to your credibility, along the alphabet soup it adds to the end of your name, and generally increases your salary approximately $10,000 over those without.
I will explain first hand how one actually attains the PMP certification from my direct experience below:
1) First you need 3 years of project management experience with 4,500 hours leading project tasks if you have a college degree, else its 5 years with 7,500 hours leading project tasks.
2) You then have to document this work and submit to the Project Management Institute
3) If they accept your documentation then you can take the 35 hours of project management education
4) The project management education is provided by PMI REPs (Registered Education Providers) with about 700 in the US and can be done in-class or online
5) I did mine at SDSU College of Extended Studies which was the Project Management Certificate that was $1600 to do online (in-class was approximately twice that)
6) Once you complete this, which you have up to a year to do, then PMI again has to approve both that it was completed successfully and provide you permission to proceed to actually take the PMP exam.
7) The PMP exam costs $555, or $405 if you are a PMI member, which is the best option since that costs only $119 a year.
8) The PMP exam itself is 200 questions that you are provided 4 hours to complete in a testing center
9) The fail rate for the PMP is approximately 40%, while you have 3 tries to pass within a year, at $375/$275 a pop, failing all 3 times you would then have to wait a year to reapply.
10) I would highly recommend Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam along with the PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) to successfully pass the PMP exam as I felt those were critical in passing it my first try.
Acquiring your PMP is not easy which is why there is a premium in attaining it, not only in increased salary, but in assurance of proper project management of your Internet Marketing projects in order to make you successful.
