Matt Wennersten | Washington DC Software Delivery Manager What prompted you to pursue certification? My brother approached me and said he needed to get PMP certification; I work mostly with federal agencies and was a good candidate for the certification too. I received the go-ahead from my supervisor.What did you think of the training?The course and instructor were exceptionally well prepared. There is a large amount of material to power through, and as a former teacher I had tremendous respect for the instructional strategies that my instructor used. There were a couple of core principles that he kept going back to, again and again, and that was very helpful. PMP is a memorization exercise, to a good degree, but the instructor interspersed volume with how to approach the exam from a study strategy standpoint. The practice tests were really handy, and my brother and I followed the study plan as close as we could. I think that’s the key to the success that we had.What was your goal going into the training?I wanted to strengthen my project management skills, to help me become a more versatile consultant for acquisition actions run by government agencies like the Department of Defense. . It was not just about getting a piece of paper saying that I was certified, but helping to make our customers more confident that I can not only talk the talk but walk the walk and their projects will be appropriately de-risked.Was there any part of the training that you found particularly helpful?I really appreciated the `toolkit of principles’ that were provided. I have a clear framework to guide my activities on the job. I was pleasantly surprised at the way the instruction helped link the pretty dry example of a PMP to real practical examples. Since taking the course, as situations come up in my work, I can hear my instructor’s voice and the mantras he communicated: `a manager communicates, a manager is proactive, a manager plans.’What advice would you have for others who are considering whether to pursue PMP certification? Dedicate the time necessary to learning the material, which is extensive. This isn’t a small investment. Between the boot camp tuition and the test itself, it’s about $2,000 overall. That’s a down payment on a car. Going in you have to understand that this going to be hard, and others in your life need to know that you won’t be able to join them for a night out, or other activities for a while.