For the PMP Certified Project Manager, there is no greater fear than having to retake the PMP Exam. Studying for weeks, taking multitudes of practice exams, scheduling the appointment, and spending a day answering notoriously ambiguous questions is not on anyone’s bucket list (let’s face it, the situational questions should have the answer: “I’d call the person who assigned me this project to get more information!).

Of course, the key to avoiding this nightmare lies in the accumulation of sufficient CEUs that proves to PMI that you have continued to pursue excellence as a project manager. Unfortunately, these CEUs often come at a price and/or take time away from our busy schedules. Not to mention the fact that we often wait weeks before the certification is about to expire before we even start working on them.

We would also like to get multiple benefits when acquiring the CEUs. It’s not much fun sitting in front of your screen watching a PowerPoint slideshow that you paid a couple of Benjamins for. Rather, we would prefer something that provides other benefits above and beyond the CEUs. With this as a goal, costs can be reduced or eliminated, and we can get many benefits that help our careers above and beyond the education.

Here are a couple of ideas:

  • Teach College Classes

Teaching provides two benefits above the CEUs. The first benefit is that the information you teach has an element of your own experience, which refreshes your knowledge at a baseline level. Obviously, you will need to know more than the students in order to answer any questions that they will ask during and outside of class. The second benefit is teaching allows you to get paid for acquiring CEUs, and while it’s not a king’s ransom, it is money in your pocket.

Another item to consider is that the class may not need to be absolutely project management related. Any topic, such as quality control, business analysis, management or anything having to do with the Knowledge Areas, can count toward CEUs. In addition, these classes can be provided to prepare future PMs for the exam, and may be provided through universities or community colleges. Check with your PMI chapter to see how many credits can be received for specific classes.

  • Lead a Seminar

With the lesson prepared for the classes above, you have everything you need to lead a seminar. Any single class can be used as material for a seminar. These materials can be woven into specific examples of your work and experience providing relevance to the seminar attendees.

In addition to the preparation, you will create a magnificent networking opportunity. You will be the subject matter expert on what you are presenting. In being the subject expert, transition to the discussion mediator as questions and comments are provided by the attendees.

  • Read Books

In selecting your material, you should probably stick to technology (or the field in which you are acting as a project manager) and stay away from fiction. This means that Lord of the Rings and A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe won’t fly. But you need not throw yourself into a library of monotonous textbooks either.

A recommendation of mine is Walter Isaacson. He authored Steve Jobs and The Innovators. Steve Jobs is the standard against which all other Jobs biopics are measured. The Innovators illustrates the development of computers from Ada Lovelace through to the age of the Internet and social media. And while these are both long reads, the quality of the writing will make you forget time as you go through the stories. You can accumulate up to 30 CEUs for each book, with hours split evenly among Technical, Leadership and Strategic & Business to meet the minima for all three categories (note that these are classified as self-study, which has a cap of 30 hours for re-certification purposes).

Along with a great way to earn a significant number of CEUs, these books can be paired with a fine beverage to create a nice way to ease into a very enjoyable evenings.

  • Build a Web Site

A web site may be the best form of self-promotion. Not only do you do the design, development and content creation, you get to sell yourself in a form other than a stereotypical resume for all to see. The site can present all the white papers and articles that you have written, such as how you approach new or troubled projects, and other important passions that are part of your life outside of work.

  • Write Articles and White Papers

Need any explanation?

You’re at my web site through a LinkedIn or Twitter link. Writing articles and white papers not only generates CEUs, but also drives traffic to your web site, where you can cross sell your services. I strongly recommend an editor to review your work before publication. In the case of this and my other articles, I work with JoAnn St. Onge. She can be reached at joproofs@gmail.com.

 

The ability to receive benefits beyond just the CEUs is a critical skill that will make your PMP renewal more efficient and beneficial to your career. Enhancing project management skills while networking, marketing yourself, deferring expenses, and relaxing after a long day are all possible using these and other techniques.