Professor Vijay Kanabar on Enhancing Career Opportunities and Knowledge with Project Management Industry Credentials
This past April, Professor Vijay Kanabar, who is director of MET’s Project Management programs, led an overview session to provide background on the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® and Project Management Professional (PMP)® exams. Dr. Kanabar provides these overview sessions twice a year, on a voluntary basis, to students interested in obtaining the industry certifications—an excellent complement to IT project management courses offered by the Computer Science department. This overview consists of six sessions, which facilitate self-study preparation for the Project Management Institute’s certification exams. Each student learns about which exam may be appropriate for them, completes a review of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) as well as the available resources at BU’s Mugar Memorial Library.
Along with holding the PMP credential, Professor Kanabar is a Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM). He asserts that professional credential serves to enhance a student’s project management skills as well as their résumé. We asked him a few questions regarding the value of certifications.
Professor Kanabar, you recently became a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM). Can you explain what this credential is and why you pursued it?
I recently started teaching Agile Software Development (MET CS 634), and I wanted to guide students towards CSM® or Professional Scrum Master™ (PSM) certifications. This required that I improve my qualifications to lead such courses. Preparing for the CSM exam enhanced my knowledge of frameworks such as Scrum and made me a better instructor. I strongly recommend all students to consider either CSM or PSM™ credentials. Students who take Agile Software Development will be prepared to sit for the exam required to get the PSM credentials. Contact me for details at kanbar@bu.edu.
You are passionate about offering PMP overview sessions. Can you describe what the PMP credential is and why it is an important credential for students to consider?
I am one of the earliest practitioners and faculty members in the country to earn the PMP. Three decades ago, when the Project Management Institute introduced the exam, I had to study eight knowledge areas and all the material you could find in the domains of project scope, cost, schedule, quality, risk, communications, and human resources. It was an all-day exam, which started at 8 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. There were no prep courses or books to help you pass the exam, and no professors to mentor me! Today, exam preparation for the assorted project management credentials is a billion-dollar industry. The exam has become streamlined to 200 multiple-choice questions and takes less than 4 hours.
Now, why did I want the certification? Once again, my primary motivation is to be a better, more knowledgeable professor. Thanks to the PMP preparation, I learned some concepts related to cost, quality, and procurement at a deeper level. Students should consider credentials. I believe most employers are asking for additional credentials these days, and the PMP continues to be the gold standard. I am passionate about certifications because I want my students to succeed. I have spent a lot of my personal time and effort to give them an extra edge in a very competitive marketplace. If students have earned the PMP or CAPM, I know their job interviews will go much better, and downstream I know their confidence as professionals in the workplace will be higher.
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