Overflow of the PMP??

So there are a lot of certs that are really hot right now, CEH, CISSP, CCNA and I can go on a little longer (but I'll spare you). Arguably the hottest right now is the PMP by PMI. The PMP is a tremendous cert IMO. It's definitely a difficult test, it demands a great deal of experience, requires you to memorize many terms and some basic equations as well. In fact, there is even an experience "pre-requisite" - I'll address my reasoning for the quotes in just a moment. So all the items that go in to making a certification valuable seem to be in place.

The job market has certainly responded well to the PMP cert. In fact, PMP's make more money than almost any other certification out right now and the demand for people to have the PMP is everywhere. Government agencies, private sector companies and almost all Government contractors are requiring the PMP for Project Managers, Project Team leads and Program Managers.

So, there is a really huge overflow of people getting this certification right now. More people are achieving the PMP in 08 then the pace in 07, and the exodus was huge in 07. So the demand is out there, people have caught on to it and the word has spread. So the flood gates are open and too many people are getting it.

Now, back to my "quotes about the pre-requisite" from earlier. I believe that a major part of the problem is PMI's lack (intentional or unintentional) of auditing the applications to determine validity of the pre-requisite. I have had many conversations with Project Management industry insiders and have even seen with my own eyes the fact that many people who do not technically meet the pre-requisite are getting by the application process by stretching the truth on their app and then not getting audited by the PMI. I think it's a possibility that the PMI may be doing this (turning a blind eye) on purpose because any time there is a major rush for a cert, there naturally is going to be a lot of money to be made, on many fronts, but definitely in the test taking department - $550+ a pop!!

So what does this mass exodus do for the cert? I've seen it happen on other certs in the past and the results are never positive. The cert diminishes in value and loses credibility within the industry eventually.

It happened majorly with the MCSE back with versions NT4.0 and even on the Server 2000. The problem there was that there was a huge demand which caused money to be made on the Internet through selling test answers. The result there was paper MCSE's flooded the IT industry and people began to realize that possessing an MCSE didn't mean diddly.

Now Microsoft is wayyyyy too smart, savvy and strong to let this happen for too long and they changed the test (big time - way more application based now) and they also went after the main test answer provider, testking, and are now suing them. They definitely restored the value of the MCSE, the 2003 is tougher than ever, there are much fewer 2003's out there at this point in the cert's life versus where the 2000 was at the similar life span time frame (does that make sense - sounds funny??).

So the PMI is going to have to do something with the PMP, maybe push their focus of true value to another cert (PgMP??). The PMP will definitely take a dive in value soon though because of this huge rush. I'm waiting with baited breath to see what comes of it too. Well, no I'm not, but being that I'm the Training Guru, yeah, I stay interested in this stuff, so I'll have the channel on while I do my other cert stuff.

My Official Prediction: The PMP exam requirements become revamped in about 6 months to 1 year from now. The PMI will tighten up their application auditing and target more than 75% of applications (right now it supposedly is about 1 in 5 apps get audited).

The Microsoft Office Applications

I'd hate to focus this entire blog on things that come and go in mainstream computer training and fail to mention one of the applications that put both computers and computer training on the map. The Microsoft Office Suite.

OK, so many of us in the younger generations take for granted this app. suite because we were basically raised on it. We have been using Word since Kindergarten and we continue to use it everyday. However, I am bringing this up because although we have been using a large number of the Microsoft Office suite functions for several years, that doesn't mean that we shouldnt take some time to brush up on the applications. Yeah, sometimes we overlook the fact that Microsoft adds new, cool features and shortcuts each time it releases a new version.

PowerPoint was basically my best friend (well, next to Word I guess, but I liked PowerPoint wayyyyyy better) in college and I realized when I went to create a presentation a few weeks ago that there were a few more functions than the standard ones I would use over and over again back then. Basically I realized that I had fallen into my old ways and didn't know well enough to try and utilize the new features that could have saved me time or spruced up my presentation.

...And dont get me started on Excel and Word. I am definitely guilty of still using again and again all the basic features of the 2000 Office Suite and only a handful of the 2003 tricks that I should be using. I haven't even started to learn the Office 2007 shortcuts.

I spend a lot of time with a Microsoft Office Specialist Master Certified Instructor who really knows her stuff and thats how I know that I am missing some key time saving techniques. Many training companies out there offer a very reasonably priced Microsoft Office training class. Check one out every couple of years because with all the new added features (especially now with 2007) you can shave off a lot of time spent working with the applications.

Microsoft Vista

The Microsoft Vista exam has been out for some time now and many people have decided to take the plunge (or exam I guess). The exam, for the most part, has proven to be manageable. In many cases too education is starting to make the change to this operating system, and IMO this is probably the right move. However the funny trend here (in our IT Industry) is that education is far ahead of the real world. Thats backwards from what happens in almost any other higher learning institution (colleges and universities mainly).

IT Training Schools are making the jump to Microsoft Vista and then in probably another 7-12 months from now the switch in the Microsoft Training classrooms will be made the Server 2008 product. However, lets examine the real world. Gosh, the truth here is that there is still a fairly large portion of government agencies and businesses that are running on Microsoft Server 2000. Obviously, the majority of organizations and agencies in today's world are using 2003 and they darn well should. Overall it's a great product and relatively inexpensive and painless to deploy. However, that is NOT (at this time) the case for 2008. 2008 will require 64 bit network hardware which is expensive and definitely not complete commonplace yet. Also, much buzz has it that the transition to 2008, is from many accounts a nightmare.

So of course in time 90% of the working world will run Server 2008 as their enterprise (we have no choice - and I'm fine with that) but that time is still a fairly long ways away. I guess those that are still running 2000 will (logically) jump to 2008, but much of the comfortable 2003 crew will stick with what they have for quite some time, and that means that the 2003 certification for MCSE is still going to be the main one in the workforce. I would have to say that for the next two years MCSE 03 is really what most will need in their support staff. The schools will be ahead of this, by 1.5 to 2 years. Funny how this works.

A college's business school (as an example) learns of new trends in adveritising. Keeps their eye on the trend, has it's professors study and research the trends and then 2-3 years later includes the trend in their business course offerings. Look at web marketing, only a handful of schools have it in their offerings and the ones that do dont likely to this day have classes that offer the depth of knowledge needed to be completely cutting edge in that field. Is Harvard offering a class on growing websites by building organic traffic, or search engine algorithim change analysis and is Wharton showing people the most effective ways to build valid inbound links?? Heck no.

So why is the IT training industry so far ahead of the IT Workforce demand? Well, my guess is that since the IT industry has a history (and some could argue that this is no longer the case) of changing more frequently and much more quickly than other industries, that in order to be deemed as technologically up-to-date (and one MUST be seen as up-to-date in IT) that you must actually have the certification and training before the product has really taken hold in the industry.

And back to that point about the evolution of the industry, it probably has slowed a good bit. Computers change, but our enterprises and networking concepts and hardware definitely arent moving they way they were back in the old days.

A Computer and IT Training Expert Comes to Blog

So, here I am. Ready to freely spout the ideas and opinions that I think need to be shared about the Computer Training and IT Training industry and the IT industry as a whole, while we are at it.

The majority of my blogging will be cenetered around Networking, Systems Administration, Information Security (I love this one) and Project Management (because it's so darn important where I am from). I am going to talk about IT certification and training a lot. I know that the IT industry relies a bunch on training and certification. I think that the industry is, in many ways, defined by what certifications people want and what other people are carrying. I think it's a good thing that this is the case. I think that there are distinctions in quality of training and even in certifications. I'll expose decent computer and certification training classes and schools, good training as well as some really garbage training too.

I'll hold no punches and I will name names. If I make a claim about a bad training vendor or program, I'll provide some resources and show you why I feel that way and what I have seen or heard.

So lets get started with it.

Good talk, I'll see you out there.