How to fill PMP application?

Step-by-step guide(examples, tips, steps)

Apr 27, 2024

Read time: 6 minutes

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🌟 How to fill PMP Application? - How to translate your experience?

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How to fill PMP Application?

Step-by-step guide(examples, tips, steps) - How to translate your experience?

Every PMP aspirant has to fill an application form. The process can be “scary” and time consuming at same time.

Why “scary”?

Because the question is, how can I translate my experience to PMP application form, to make sure

I avoid audit
and To make sure application is accepted

Today, I will give you a comprehensive explanation.

Let’s get started!

Table of contents:

PMP application process
Application requirements
How to translate your experience?
Conclusion

PMP application process

References: PMP Handbook, PMP application roadmap, How to apply for PMP

Application requirements

You have to have 35 hours of PDU aka Project Management training
You have 36 months(if you have 4 years degree) “leading” project management experience -> you not necessarily need to be “labelled” as project manager

How to translate your experience?

There is a secret sauce towards PMP application.

Which is you have to keep it on the “high-level”.

What? I'm confused.

Here is my secret sauce:

PMI is not “police” -> you have to be truthful/honest
You cannot share company proprietary data
There is a character limit for the experience you enter in
You cannot write 10 pages

Conclusion: Even Though it sounds “odd”, you have to keep it on a high level.

But, how?

Once you complete the academic & professional education, the next step is to complete the experience section.

Project Title: it should be concise and unique.
Organization: Where the project was carried out.
Job Title: Your job title at the organization.
Functional Reporting Area: Pick a functional area that most resembles your team.
Organization Primary Focus: Industry that best fits your organization.
Approach/Methodology: Choose from Traditional (Waterfall), Agile, or Hybrid
Project Team Size: Pick the range of team members involved in the project.
Project Budget (in USD): Give your best estimate of the budget.
Project Dates: Provide the start and end date of the project. You can also select “In Progress” if the project is ongoing.
Project Description: Provide a high-level description that summarizes your experience and includes the project objective, role, responsibilities, and outcome. A typical response is 200 to 500 words.

But still, how?

Translate experience on PMI way

Use the keywords you learned so far(project initiation, deliverables, baselines, etc…)
Write your project management experience in greater detail(example below)
Broke down your experience into the project phases

PRO tip:

You cannot add overlapping projects. Example: if you led 2 x projects in 2023 which runed parallel you can only add 1 x project to avoid “double counting”.
If you only have been involved in planning, don’t worry, that’s also count. Or in case you just executed a project just add the execution phase.

Use this template to create you own draft.

Pmp Application Template Word

85KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Application examples

Conclusion

Make sure what you write is a project, not an operation. Follow the definition: PMI defines a project as “a temporary endeavor to create a product, service, or result.”

Pick projects that you manage and lead the project. You should select projects in that you took a leadership role and managed the project, not just a participant or coordinator role.

Contact and inform the people you added for each experience before you submit the application. Give your contact a heads up that you are working on PMP certification, and you may need him or her to validate your project(s). This way you will avoid unnecessary clarification rounds.

Person to follow

“ I help and guide aspiring project managers to break into the field with 0 experience or transitioning from various careers paths. I write tips and tricks on how to accelerate your career, build a professional brand and land your dream role. Think of me as your best friend in project management, as I have been exactly where you are now. With no knowledge on project management but with a huge desire to change my life. I can help you too. “

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/violetapm/