- Introduction:
I am Shruti Dumbre, master’s in Biotechnology from the University of Mumbai, and currently working as an Associate Project Manager with Iqvia, prior to this I was associated with Cactus Communications, Aragen Lifesciences and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals. During my professional career of 14 years in the Pharma Industry, my initial career path was as a scientist at Glenmark Pharmaceuticals for 10 years. I changed my career path while at Glenmark and started working as a Project Manager.
- PMP Journey:
I transitioned from Scientist to Project Manager in 2018, but my journey to PMP did not start till late 2020 when a colleague completed PMP certification. Inspired by him, I started looking for more details to become a certified PMP. I began to realize the immense potential of the certification. Being a Global certification provides a plethora of benefits including the best practices in Project Management, learning from experts all around the globe and networking opportunities. Around the same time, I happened to attend a learning session led by Mr. Saurabh from ProThoughts, that was when I decided to start my PMP journey with ProThoughts.
- Completing 35 PDUs Training:
Since I had finalized ProThoughts as my training institute, I reached out to the team and they quickly helped me with the admission formalities and I could join the next available batch at the end of December 2020. Since it was during COVID-19 times, we had Online sessions held by Mr. Arvind Nahata. Arvind is an expert in the field, he explained the concepts very well. Although I had no prior knowledge of PMI processes, the training session made it quite easy to understand. All our queries were solved during the training sessions and through the Whatsapp group post-training. Arvind was always available to discuss and help.
- PMP Application:
The next step in the journey was to prepare for the exam and complete the application on the PMI website. I studied regularly for at least 2 hours on weekdays and 4-5 hours on weekends. I started with Rita Mulcahy, read it twice and then read PMBOK 6 and the Agile Practice guide twice. After studying for 2 months, I was ready to fill out the application form. ProThoughts helped me to review the application before submission to reduce the chances of rejection. My application was approved within 5 days.
- Preparation Phase:
Once my application was approved, I started taking the mock tests in February 2021. I completed the mock tests provided by ProThoughts. Since PMI had changed the exam pattern from January 2021 to feel more confident, I also took mock tests that were available for free on the internet and went through a few YouTube videos. As I was scoring ~ 75-80% in all my mock tests, I scheduled my exam for 15th March 2021 but unfortunately due to COVID-19, it was canceled. I tried two more times in April 2021 but with no luck. I finally scheduled my exam, after a 2 months break, on 30th June 2021. I selected a center-based exam instead of a proctored exam.
- A Day Before the Exam:
The day before the exam is to sit back and relax. Take a break from your studies, and feel confident about your preparations. Have a good night’s sleep and be ready for the exam early in the morning. Early morning is the ideal time as there are relatively fewer people at the exam center and fewer distractions. My PMP exam was scheduled for 8 am.
- Personal Tips:
- Read Rita Mulcahy first and then read the PMBOK thoroughly.
- Focus more on Agile and Hybrid parts.
- Solve as many questions as you can.
- Take timed Mock tests and try to finish within 2-2.5 hours, if you finish mocks in less time, you will be able to complete the exam in a given time
- If you are scoring >70% consistently in mock tests there is a great chance to clear the exam.
- Enjoy the journey and try to give back to society by volunteering at the local PMI chapter.
To get more information about PMP credential you can schedule a free call with ProThoughts consultant or drop a mail on info@prothoughts.co.in.
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