Are PMP/Six Sigma/Project Management Certifications worth it? Which Certs are Credible/Recommended?

Mark Mitchell

Well, hello there ?!

We see a lot of buzz out there around different kinds of Project Management or Operational certifications...

Out of curiosity, I decided to do a little research and found that the costs and curriculum for these certifications/degrees varied greatly. Needless to say, It was difficult to see what courses were relevant, credible, and worth it.

So I'd love some guidance and opinions, and felt this would be the absolute best place to get it!

what do you think?

What courses/certs or even degrees do you recommend to SaaS PMs/CSMs/Ops?

What course providers are most credible?

In general, is it worth it?

Thank you in advance!

Kevin Mitchell Leonor

As someone with a Project Management certification, I could say it is helpful when it comes to managing my customers and it is also helpful when looking at internal processes to see where we can gain some efficiencies. It gives me more tools to also position changes in the company that are normally leader-level decisions.

From an ROI standpoint, it is helpful for displaying skills that can be useful in a leader level job. However, it is not inherently a requirement for promotion. In addition, a project management certificate is not a money making certificate in our field as it is in project management.

I don't have a PMP because I don't meet the minimum hours to qualify and have not tested for the PMP yet.

Tejas Satyan

As far as Project Management certifications go, PMP is probably the best one around. Having held project management roles, I found the materials from the Project Management Institute are quite comprehensive. None of the roles have applied for have required PMP certification, but look at it as more of a nice to have. Even when we hired for Senior project management roles PMP was never a pre-requisite. 

Chris Jones (CJ)

Hi Mark, I would start by saying as a PMP for years who has worked in many industries including Telcoms, Software and Finance, you can't really go wrong with getting PM knowledge, I have found that Project management certification/knowledge is a great asset and can bring value to almost every job industry and market.

With that said here is my feedback to your questions;

• What courses/certs or even degrees do you recommend to SaaS PMs/CSMs/Ops? - If you already have a Degree (Masters, MBA, etc) I would not recommend doing one again in just PM. now in terms of Certitications, the most internally known and recognized ones are PMI's PMP and IASSC Six Sigma. If you are looking for CSM certifications the landscape on this is still developing, however there are a few "front runners" right now including Gainsight Pulse+ and SuccessCOACHING CSM Certification.
• What course providers are most credible? for PM - PMI, IASSC, CompTIA, PRINCE2 (mainly UK) and for CSM - Gainsight, SuccessCOACHING, Cisco, Practical CSM
• In general, is it worth it? Based on my over 15 years of experience YES it is.

I hope this helps.

Alex Turkovic

I tend to agree with the broad sentiment here that most roles you see out there do not specifically require a PMP (for example) - but a lot of them will call these types of certifications out as being 'a plus/nice to have'. 

In other words, from a career growth perspective, I think the ROI is definitely there when it comes to getting a cert, and PMP is probably the most widely recognized out there. So - while not technically required - in a job market like we are seeing today (i.e. crowded with applicants), having credentials would definitely put you ahead of a lot of the competition.

Job search and career growth aside, I agree with @Tejas Satyan that the materials and tools you obtain in the process of getting these certs will greatly affect your efficacy on the job.