Submitted by Amanda White, PMP®
Maybe you’ve heard that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. If you haven’t, read my story.
I have been a project manager for a government-contracted, non-profit for more than seven years. At the end of 2015, our program manager accepted another position and left the company. By default, I became the only person in the department. As a complete stranger to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)®, I was given the opportunity to become a certified project manager by my employer. I had the opportunity to grow professionally, personally and financially. “Sweet! I mean, how hard can this be?” From that point, and for the next 13 months, I thought project management would be the death of me!
My application process went smoothly. I had taken a course offered by PMI® to gain the education hours needed, but it wasn’t an exam boot camp. However, it did make me realize I had a lot of learning and unlearning to do. So, I crammed. A couple of months later, I took the exam. I failed. There are no words to describe the devastation I felt. For all those who passed the first time, be thankful! The thought of taking that four-hour exam again was enough for me to grab a shovel and start digging a six-foot hole!
Now what? I thought I had done all I needed to do and since I hadn’t, what steps do I take next? I had researched Solarity’s PMP®/CAPM® Exam Preparation Boot Camp and knew that would be the perfect path forward. However, at the time, I couldn’t fit it into my schedule, so I enrolled in an online prep course. I waited another couple of months, crammed some more and failed yet again. I now had the hole dug, with one foot in!
I can’t begin to express my gratitude to all the folks at Solarity! Not only did they present the material in a fun, practical way, everyone there was so encouraging. It was exactly what I needed. It is evident the entire company cares about each and every person who partakes in their courses and truly values the profession. It was a blessing to be a part of Solarity for the week and witness such compassion and enthusiasm.
Solarity’s PMP®/CAPM® Exam Preparation Boot Camp helped me climb out of the hole and get stronger. Sue Knies and everyone at Solarity was wonderful. I left the final day of camp and I had faith I would pass. In fact, only three days after the camp, I sat for the exam the third and final time. I couldn’t wait to end the test. I knew the whole time my story would have a happy ending. By the time the test was complete, I couldn’t even make out “Congratulations…..” through the tears! In case you missed it, I PASSED!
My story of becoming a PMP® is one of tragedy, tears and heartache. It ends in triumph, joy and thankfulness. It’s a story that made me stronger in every way possible. Your story will do the same for you!
About Solarity >
Solarity is a Kentucky-based company, founded in 2003, focusing on business consulting and training to help people, organizations, and communities THRIVE! We provide certified, experienced change and project managers and business consultants to assist organizations with specific efforts to enable them to focus their resources on what they do best. Additionally, Solarity is a Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) for the Project Management Institute (PMI).
Our commitment is to provide our clients with the ability to move toward quality lives and outcomes. We work to help our clients envision a better future through strategic engagement, strategic planning facilitation, and selective training. We then can help our clients advance their strategic goals by defining the right work, planning that work, and working the plan, adjusting as necessary until we achieve success.