I completed Program Management Professional (PgMP) certification from Project Management Institute (PMI) a month ago. Previously I had done PMP and CSM certifications and let me tell you that this is much tougher than PMP and it takes significant time of few months to apply, prepare and pass the exam.
Currently, there are less than 100 PgMPs in India and globally the count would be approx. 2000 and hence, this puts the individual in an elite group. The eligibility criteria to appear in the PgMP exam is at least 4 years of project management and 4 years of program management for someone who have bachelor’s degree. Considering that it easily takes at least 6 years to get project management role unless some one has directly moved into the role by doing management from premier business schools, it requires around 15 years of overall IT experience to appear in the PgMP exam. So, only highly experienced professionals are eligible to appear in the exam and hence, the number may not grow exponentially like PMP and PMI seems to have purposely made it that tougher. What it means that there is potential for this credential to remain significant for several years without much dilution.
Currently, there may not be a lot of jobs advertised which mandates PgMP but this is a clear differentiator in shortlisting probable candidates for the job. Also, very high level jobs are majorly filled through networking and not advertised in public. PgMP network which is very strong can help. “PgMP Credentialed Only” LinkedIn group only allows members who are PgMP certified and there are many other groups which consist of both credential holders and aspiring candidate. You can network with like minded professionals to apply for better and challenging jobs aligned with your capability.
Doing PgMP can be a defensive approach as well if you have already rose significantly in your career. It will definite help you if your career tumbles due to any uncertainty or situations beyond your control.
I would personally recommend you to do PgMP if you have requisite experience right now. PMI has yet to start marketing this in full swing. Hence, this is best time to plan for this certification.