Last updated on March-2024 by Nilotpal Ray, PMP
Best Project Management Certifications for Beginner Project Managers:
- Are you a newbie in the project management discipline?
- Have you just started your career in project management and wondering which certification will help you to get your promotion?
- Are you deciding upon which certification to go for to increase your salary as an entry-level project manager?
- Is there a certification that would help you acquire a job in project management at an entry-level position if you have no prior experience in the field?
If you are an entry-level project manager or if you are planning to start your career in the domain of Project Management, I bet your mind would have come across these questions at some point.
Since, ‘gold-standard’ certifications such as the PMP Certification or the PRINCE2 Practitioner require at least an experience of 3 to 5 years in the role of a project manager, young project managers just starting off their career always look out for certifications that would help them provide an early boost in their careers.
This article will aid you in choosing the best certification for you if you’re a beginner project manager or a seasoned professional looking to enter the field of project management as a career change option.
I have covered the five best and most impactful project management certifications that you should consider as a beginner project manager. Also, I have discussed in detail how you can choose which is the best for you. So keep reading.
P.S. If you are already a mid-senior level project manager, please check out this article on the advanced project management certifications.
CAPM Certification – Best Project Management Certifications for Beginners #1
The first certification that should be kept in mind as an entry-level Project Manager or as a working professional who is hoping to get into project management for the first time is the CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) Certification.
This certification is offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI), United States of America which is the world’s leading institute for the Project Management body of knowledge (PMBOK).
All the relevant information about the certification can be found in the infographic given below, however, I would like to highlight a couple of points as below related to this certification.
Key points to be noted for CAPM Certification:
- CAPM is the most popular and most effective Project Management certification for entry-level Project Managers across the world and would serve as a major advantage in your career, if you are starting off your career in project management or if you want to move from one industry to another (Healthcare to Consulting).
- If you want to pursue the advanced PM certification like the PMP exam or PRINCE 2 Practitioner and you do not have the required project management experience, then clearing the CAPM certification is the best way to get into the jobs that will provide you with project management experience.
If you plan to prepare for the CAPM Certification, you can check my recommended CAPM Certification training courses on Udemy here and visit the official CAPM Certification Homepage of PMI here.
PRINCE2 Foundation – Best Project Management Certifications for Beginners #2
The second most effective certification which will help you get an entry-level PM job is the PRINCE2 Foundation certification.
It’s a primarily UK-based certification offered by the organization called Axelos UK. PRINCE2 stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environment and this methodology is used a lot in the UK and Europe to lead major IT and infrastructure development projects.
You will find all the key details about the PRINCE2 Foundation certification in the infographic given below, however, I would like to highlight a couple of points related to this certification.
Key points to be noted for PRINCE2 Foundation Certification:
- Firstly, PRINCE2 certification has immense value in the UK, Europe and Australia. So, if you are based out of any of these geographies consider doing a PRINCE2 rather than a CAPM.
- Secondly, the foundation module of PRINCE2 is beneficial, if later in your career you wish to pursue the PRINCE2 Practitioner certification which is highly valued for public sector jobs in the UK.
If you are preparing for the PRINCE2 Foundation certification, you might want to check out my recommended online courses on PRINCE2 Foundation. Also, study the official webpage of Axelos for PRINCE2.
Certified Scrum Master – Best Project Management Certifications for Beginners #3
The next certification that one should consider as an entry-level Project Manager is the CSM or the Certified Scrum Master certification.
This certification is particularly quite quick to achieve because the process involves yourself attending a two-day training course and writing the exam that takes place on the third day.
This means you’ll be done with the entire process effectively in 3 days. The following infographic consists of all the key information you need to know about the CSM Certification.
Key points to be noted for CSM Certification:
Some important points regarding the CSM certification that should be kept in mind are:
- Firstly, if you see the category of entry-level jobs mentioned in the image, you will notice that the CSM is extremely valued in the information technology domain. So, if you are in the manufacturing, retail banking or logistics sector, then this certification would not be very relevant for you, but, if you’re planning to get into IT project management then you should go for the CSM certification.
- Secondly, if you want to grow in IT project management in the long run, you should consider getting other IT-based core certifications such as AWS, ITIL, and Microsoft Azure, SQL or Cisco certifications on top of the CSM certification.
If you are preparing for the CSM certification, you might want to check out my recommended online courses on Udemy for CSM Foundation. Also, study the official webpage of CSM Certification here.
Another version of the CSM certification is the Professional Scrum Master of the PSM level 1 certification. Most of the features of PSM are similar to CSM, so you can choose whichever works better for you.
The only difference is that, the CSM certification is provided by Scrum Alliance and the PSM certification is provided by SCRUM.ORG. Both of them are equally valued and helpful.
It is suggested that you do a bit of benchmarking within your LinkedIn Network and see which one between CSM and PSM is more relevant and choose that accordingly. The following infographic provides you with the key information for PSM Certification.
CompTIA A+: Best Project Management Certifications for Beginners #4
The CompTIA A+ is a certification that is very specific to the United States job market. The CompTIA organization has many certifications under their organization just like PMI. The A+ module is the most basic and entry-level if you want to build a career in the IT sector or network architecture domain. You will find all the key details related to the CompTIA A+ in the infographic given below.
Key points to be noted for CompTIA A+ Certification
Some of the relevant points that are to be kept in mind, regarding this certification are:
- Firstly, it’s a certification that’s most valued in the United States. If you’re planning to build a career in IT/Cyber Security/Network Architecture domain in the US, then this certification becomes important for you.
- Secondly, The CompTIA certifications are much correlated to IT-related domains such as cyber security and network architecture. So if you are from a different industry such as healthcare or non-profit industry you shouldn’t consider this certification. Instead, you should do a more general certification like the CAPM certification or the PRINCE2 Foundation.
If you are preparing for the CompTIA A+ certification, you might want to check out my recommended online courses on Udemy for CompTIA A+ Certification. Also, please study the official webpage of CompTIA Certifications and its various modules here.
APM-PFQ – Best Project Management Certifications for Beginners #5
Another highly valued certification for professionals willing to get into project management, especially in the UK is the Project’s Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ) provided by APM UK.
This certification is very specific to the UK job market, so if you are planning to move to the UK for a project management job this certification is crucial for you.
The best part is all the entry-level jobs in the UK government sector or public sector like the NHS/TfL value APM qualifications to a great extent. The infographic below shows all the important points related to APM certification.
However, for a long-term career in the UK as a project manager, on top of having an APM Certification, you should also consider taking up advanced level projects management qualifications such as the PRINCE2 Practitioner or the NEC3.
If you are preparing for the APM-PFQ certification, you might want to check out my recommended online courses on Udemy for APM-PFQ Certification. Also, please study the official webpage of APM UK here.
6. Fit of Beginner PM Certifications with Industry Domains:
In the infographic below, you can see all the relevant beginner-level PM certifications and in which industries they are valued in. You can use this table to make an informed decision on which certification you should proceed with, to advance your career as a budding project manager.
7. Fit of Beginner PM Certifications with Geographical Locations:
The infographic below shows you the beginner-level PM certifications that are relevant in a particular geographical area. This would be extremely useful for you when you are deciding on which entry-level PM certification to pursue.
8. Conclusion – Beginner Level PM Certifications – Myth vs. Reality
As a beginner-level project manager, you should be aware of the most common myth which is: “if I do a certification, I will get a job”.
This is grossly incorrect.
You should remember that a ‘certification’ only does two things:
- Certifications provide you with the required knowledge that helps you to apply the best practices in real-life projects to deliver them successfully for your organization
- Certifications provide your CV with maximum chances to be shortlisted for an interview. So, if you have a CAPM or a PRINCE2 or a PMP certification, the chances of your CV getting shortlisted for an interview increase dramatically
This is a lot compared to your peers who do not hold a certification, right? People spend days & months floating CVs across different job portals to get a shortlist or an interview call. Having an industry-relevant certification makes that job easier for you.
However, you should remember that only having certifications doesn’t help you ‘get’ a job. You still have to earn it by proving your mettle in the interview and providing the interviews with confidence that you are the right candidate. And communicating that ‘confidence’ will only come from real-life work experience and applying what you have learned through the certification process in actual projects. Remember, the interviewers are smarter than you and they would know when you piggyback on a project and when you actually do a project.
Hence, keep this in mind whenever you are pursuing any certification so that you understand the correct intent of having a certification as a professional in your CV.
Hope you enjoyed reading the article. If you are preparing for your PMP Exam, don’t forget to check out my Udemy Courses and Live PMP Masterclass Sessions as below:
The last one is the best if you are struggling to learn EVM during your PMP and CAPM preparation.
Cheers and I will talk to you soon!
Ray
