Jay Shanley | Washington DC IT Program Manager What prompted you to pursue certification? It’s not something I needed for my current job, but for opportunities that I foresee in my future. Having added it now is going to position me better for future opportunities, and I have already begun applying for jobs that require the PMP.What was the Boot Camp like?I had a really good instructor; Mark McGreevy was so knowledgeable. It’s a complex and complicated discipline and he helped tie all the different processes together to help understand how they all work together. He was a master at it. The databank of questions through EdWel was also crucial. The class gave me the big picture and databank really gave me the confidence that I needed to sit and take the test. The class helped me understand that knowing the information was just one piece of being successful on the test. It’s also about prioritizing your focus, understanding their methodology and knowing how they ask questions—and that you have to read every word of the question. The EdWel databank was an invaluable tool for me to pass the test. I would not have passed the exam without access to that databank of questions for the time I needed it.What kinds of doubts or fears did you need to overcome?The test itself has a really tough reputation of being very, very tricky and being hard and comprehensive. The EdWel class and databank of test questions really helped me prepare for the test. The databank was so hard, and I must have answered close to 2,000 questions in it, so that when I took the actual PMP exam, it was easy by comparison.What has it meant for your career?Now that I have this certification under my belt, I want to pursue the Program Management career path. I have been thinking about this for about three years now and getting my PMP was a pre-requisite for this path.What advice would you have for others considering a job or career shift? Listen to (EdWel founder) Mike Welles—what he said, I did, and it paid off. Take the class, study hard for a week to 10 days, and then take the test. You will be ready. Now I feel very confident that I am able to lead a project or a program successfully in the future.