I still vividly recall taking the PMP exam in 2005. I was working in Infosys at the time and was setting up the Enterprise Solutions department for Infosys Hyderabad. It was a brand new campus. We were all lateral employees, trying to complete our first projects for Enterprise Solutions Group in Infosys. It quickly became the fastest-growing group in Infosys, and is now one of the most profitable revenue-generating groups in Infosys.
Infosys had organized a PMP workshop in Hyderabad for the first time. 15 senior project managers and practice managers were selected to participate in the training. I was fortunate to be part of this group. This was my first attempt at PMP Certification training. Infosys had also taken photos of the batch and gave everyone the photo frame for the 1st training at the Hyderabad campus.

It was an amazing 4 days of training that introduced me to a whole new way of project management. I was able to think of many things I could do differently and add value to my customers and clients. Project Management was one of my favorite topics and I decided that I would continue to study this area of project management.
Infosys gave us challenging assignments in a fast-growing group. We were also given large accounts and projects to manage, which is a greater responsibility than we can handle. This kind of challenging assignments is what I love. Otherwise, I get bored quickly.
After the training, I learned a lot more about the project scenario and was able to understand why risks are important. This helped me start doing projects in a more structured manner at Infosys. Infosys’ project managers were not just project managers at the time (I don’t think so now), but they were expected to have technical knowledge and domain knowledge in an area such as CRM.
My next stop was Microsoft India, where I was recruited to incubate Microsoft Dynamics (CRM+ AX) for Microsoft Consulting division in Microsoft India. This role required that you have more depth than breadth. This is not Infosys. If you are assigned to a Program Manager or Project Manager, you will be expected to be a “Pro” in that role. You are discouraged from taking on other roles.
I was forced to learn more about project management, and I used my PMP skills quite well. I remember that we were awarded one of the largest government projects in AX (ERP), and I was the project manager. I was able to create a 1500-line project plan, which was quite novel for many people at the time, due to delays in contract negotiations. One thing I learned was that the more details you provide, the less people will go through it. This was evident in my conservations with customers. Once the customer starts trusting you, you can have your own skip managers and managers. This increased my confidence in managing the project and, one thing led to the next, I was offered new opportunities in the project management space, even with the corporate headquarters in Seattle, USA.
If I had to pick one thing from my experience, which I share with all participants in ProThoughts workshops: PMP Certification increased the confidence I have to manage projects. This opened up the world of project management for my and also gave me great opportunities and exposure. ProThoughts is where I love what my job entails. We are creating a new category of Project Management. This gives a new dimension to Project Management and adds value to the table. It is amazing to see the positive impact of ProThoughts on project managers. I have had the opportunity to interact with many in one month. This journey would not be possible without PMP Certification.

If you don’t apply the learning, it becomes awareness. However, if you imply it, it becomes an enriching experience.
I believe that you must receive formal training in Project Management if you want to grow your career in this field. You will need to be able to demonstrate how project management can transform your projects with its own strategies, tools, and techniques.
ProThoughts believes that certification is a side effect of applying project management best practices in real life. That is ProThoughts’ mission. To change the way we do project management and help you succeed in your projects.
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