How Sriram Bhaskaran's Passed the PMP Exam? | PMP Success Story #pmp #chennai

Let me introduce about myself. So as you know sir, my name is Sriram, native of Madurai. So I started my career with a company called Greenman Software Solutions as just a kind of startup firm where I was handling L1 tickets. I'm an MBA graduate, I was not an engineering graduate. So like handling technical things was like okay what what am I doing? So is this the one that I really studied or like is it the one that I'm actually correlating? All those kind of things started coming into my mind. So I was working with them for almost like three years and then moved into various organizations. And like all the organizations that they worked except for the last two companies which is Tata Consultancy Services and hcl. I was not doing the work that I was supposed to do. So a management guy doing non management stuffs. So all of a sudden it stuck me when I was working as a hr. So there was a company called this IV Support Technologies and I was a head hr. Okay like the boss asked like why can't you do management course? Like says I'm already mba. Now there's something which is called project management. You can handle a lot of projects by yourself itself. At that time I didn't give that much of, I mean like interest towards it. But I thought my career was so important so that I should only grow to the next level. And I joined Tata Consultancy Services. So there also there was one madam who said like Srinam you are good in terms of managing things but like I want you to like take something which is called project management. Second time someone says project management already the previous company that I was working IV support they said like boss said like why can't you do project management? Okay, I started slowly digging about project management but like I was not able to like do it up from Bangalore. But it all happened once I came back to my native and joined HCL Madurai. So there I the journey began in such a way from 2019 where I was handling only one or two teams here and there. But when the client for whom I work sir, it's called Bengton Dickinson. So Benton Dickinson is one of the largest pharmaceuticals in the entire world and they were acquiring small, I mean like medical industries as well companies they were acquiring. So that was the kind of a project and like I was like wondering how this is going to like impact me or like how this is going to like come towards my opportunity. What am I going to do here and what is a project? How am I going to like move to the next scale as well? Then the person to whom I report says like Sriram, it will be better if you could complete project management. And that too again third person was telling and then I decided okay, why can't I do so that is how I was googling around and I grew info career. The rating was pretty high. And especially with madam Jasmine who was like Sriram sir you should only do pmp. You should only do pmp. We are the best. She didn't even tell that sir, these are the opportunities that we give it to you. You can come to us, you can meet me, you can discuss with me the first meeting. Normally we said the first impression is the best impression. The way of explanation like this is how it is going to be. You have mentors, you have trainings. You will be along with each and every one. And at the same time you will not just be going through the subject alone. So you will be given all sorts of trainings and relevant, I mean like kind of not the experience but the kind of examples. Number one, number two, theoretical examples, practical examples on those kind of stuff. Okay, should I log into the system or should my bring in my system? Sir, you need not do anything. You first go through the process. In case you have a doubt you come and let me know is what she said. I prepared myself. I then I mentally said okay this is the time for me where I have to like go join info carrier. She didn't even like bother to ask me what is the amount that you're going to pay? Sir, you should pay this much immediately. I've heard, I mean consultancies or I've heard about other institutions where they said sir first you have to like pay. But the positivity, the vibe that I had with info career is you can pay the amount sir, don't worry, we are here to like support you first attend the class is what Madam Jasmine said. The follow up was so crucial. The follow up was pretty, pretty unimaginable. And then the first day after lunch she calls me and said like it will be okay if you could proceed. Then we started. People were telling there was one person whose name is Madame Claret who was in my team as well. I met Lakshmi Shekhar sir. Seriously you met him? Then Babu Mani Velu coming and telling oh I met him. What is this here? Like each and everyone telling about Shagar sir. Like didn't I not get an opportunity to meet him? Then finally Jasmine madam says no, you'll be coming and meeting him at the end of the class. Okay then fine. The fifth day is what I Had an opportunity to like meet with you. One thing that I would like to say is that though Natarajan sir is not here but like the way of explanation how a project should be and even when you have explained how it should be carried, even if you are going to give me thousand or like 2000 crores asking me to like do a project, I shouldn't just like do assets. So you gave me a kind of example. What is how are we going to like execute? The first and foremost thing is like risk. Risk. What is the risk involved? So, so if I. If you are going to give me thousand crores, it doesn't mean that I should start the project immediately for you to. I should first understand what is the risk involved. Whether we'll be able to like start on time, whether we'll be able to like end on time. What is going to be the hurdles that we're going to face. Do we have the required key players? Do we have the required participants? Who's going to be the vendor, who's going to be the supplier, who's going to be the sponsor? All those kind of stuff. Okay fine. But where is stakeholder coming here? I. I didn't even like understand. Oh okay then Stakeholder comes into picture. Procurement comes into picture. Management comes into picture. Risk comes into picture. Communication comes into picture. Then at the same time team we also need not the project though project manager is there, he needs other people as well. How other people are going to like work. So all those kind of things, the way of explanation from you as well as Natarajan sir gave a lot of energy to me and preparation as well. So you said like okay, once you complete this go do not read the PMP immediately go write the test first. Even you get less mark. It doesn't bother. We are there to like support you. But I, I mean like thought okay, it. I didn't immediately start writing the exam. After I completed the course, I took a solid couple of months period and then okay, now I have some free timing daily on a basis I started writing the exams. Scope Management, Procurement Management, Inventory Management, Communications Management, Risk Management, Project charter, all those kind of things. Okay, so once I got the information from you stating that I am on the right path, the self confidence grew up in such a way that. Okay, go write the exam, get it. Because if I am going to delay it, I will definitely forget each and everything. It was like a kind of. I was running like a horse but where I didn't even look on the left. I didn't look on the Right. My vision was straight focused on the track so that I kept myself on the right track, ensured. Okay, I would definitely be able to do it because I. I will do it. I will do it, I will do it. So that mantra which you said was deep inside my brain and my ear. And finally I completed. So this is what the success stories are.

Thank you. Thank you for saying, very nice and so happy to share this journey. Tell us little about. See the content, whatever we delivered, the process, whatever we built.

Yes.

Is it.

Yes.

Sufficient to take care of?

Oh, definitely, sir. Because. Yes, yes.

Any, any suggestion or any improvement which you definitely help us.

Definitely, sir. So right from the first day when Natarajan sir was there, he didn't ask us to like immediately write down the topics. He said, this is the content you need to go from the start, don't go in between. But the only thing that when you came into picture, the main part was Ajit, which you took because till that the focus was so into Project Manager. We were thought like whatever we say was important. But like when you came into pitch and say Agile, the team is important rather than the project management. The communication was so effective, so there's nothing to improvise. The communication was so improving, it was in such a way that it was direct to direct, number one handouts. So it was really helping us. The 49 procedures that was given, we did not even go to the Google and say, okay, what are the 49 principles? What are the 49 policies we have? We already had it in the handout. We were able to correlate each and everything. And at the same time, another thing that I wanted to also say is that the flexibility that you gave the kind of, I mean, people did not ask us to like rush. So even you, you did not say that, okay, you've completed, you should immediately go take some time, write down the mock exams, write down the first level in case there's a problem, reach out to us. Right on the second level, in case that's a problem, reach out to us. This is what was happening. And I didn't even feel that there was no communication at all. Communication was precise, communication was direct to direct. And at the same time the infrastructure was pretty absolutely. I mean, like it was over and beyond the expectation that I was having. I thought, okay, so this is the center. Okay, we have to like roam her own for lunch. But they. The quality of the food that you gave us was really awesome. At the same time, infrastructure was so cool and we were able to like, I mean, like watch Your. I mean videos. When you said like this is the place where we have to like log in and then watch the videos. This is a place where you have to like log into the system and then write the exam. Amazing to the core means amazing to the core. To be honest, I'm also a certified info security consultant. Compared to that, this was so awesome. Where I didn't find even one single place to say there's a negativity. All positivity is what I could see. I could see at the same time. Babu Mani Velu, who's another colleague of mine he was also like informing you only follow what Shrek sir is telling. Every time when I used to connect with them, he was also like helping me to understand certain principles. And whatever the videos that you have placed on the Info carrier website, that was absolutely icy. Leaf was to the core means to the core. I didn't find even one single point that I am deviating. It was all very absolute to the courser.

Thank you. Thank you, sir.

Yes, sir.

So what did you learn in this journey? Okay, so how this have a reflection in your work or in your life?

Yes, definitely, sir. What I've learned is how a project should be delivered. Number one, if a project has to be delivered, what is most important is communication. Because we start working on a project, we concentrate. But where it is, I mean like deviating or where I feel that the it is not in the right direction is only on the communication. The communication has to be in sufficient manner. The communication has to be given to this sponsor. The communication has to be given to the vendor. Even if the client is asking us, the communication should not be stagnant. So that is what I've learned. First. Second thing, people will tell n number of things. But it is we who has to like decide what is right, what is wrong. Number one. Number two, expert judgment. Taking the I mean like advice from the experts. Understanding whether this will definitely work or not. Okay, I am here. I know what is best to my team. But just like that I shouldn't say that. Okay, see, you are good in delivering lecture. You can only deliver lecture. No, you would also be able to deliver certain things apart from lecture. Okay, I'll be able to like have an expert who is sitting next to me, who's my boss, who can let me know? Hey Sriram, there's one person in your team who is very good in terms of observing candidates. You put him in that particular interview. Hey Sriram, you have this particular boy in your team who is very good in. I mean like typing, put it in typewriting. So those kind of things, analytical things, practical things, theoretical things is what I have learned. Number one. Number two, budget. Because there are situations where we will be over the limit in terms of budgeting in the project. How are we going to like work on that? For example, if a project is going above the budget what should be done immediately? Are we going to stop the project or how are we going to like inform the sponsor? How are we going to like proceed? I've learned we immediately should be able to like identify potential risks, threatening risk, all those kind of things. Then at the same time one of the main importance is decision making. Just like that, going into the project, decision making, we cannot do that. We have to like have the patience with us. We have to have the thinking capacity with us. We need to have a lot of people who will, I mean like inform us. This is the decision which I made is right. So these are the things that I have, I mean got a lot of practical things. When I had the session with you and Natra sir.

Thank you sir. Thank you. Happy to note that. And yes sir, also we contributed in.

Yep.

And then please continue and then share to more. Yes, that's what my.

Definitely. Definitely sir. Yes.

And the last one is last question to you. What do you want to say to like some of your managers. Earlier they said that you should go for a project management. Okay.

Yeah.

What you want to say to project management aspirants.

Yes, project. What I would like to say is that here one thing that I informed my colleague is that me and my colleague Mr. Ishan we joined together and when we were at Chennai there's also one more colleague who is doing project management from your esteemed institute. And he, his name is Tyagarajan Ramanathan. He started informing each and everyone the pmp. I mean if you want to go do PMP talk to Sriram. He will guide you where you need to go. Info carrier. Now to all the three people who wanted me to like do pmp I have at least informed two people who are still in touch base with me. But the first one, I'm not in a position like find their contact but like I yesterday itself I gave the information that I played PMP with wonderful things. I would like to inform them stating that if you want to. Because those two people are not pmp. To be honest with you, my boss who is working with me in. In my hcl. It's not a pmp. He wanted to do pmp. I said like sir, go join PMP this organization which is at Mandali are the best in the world. The trainers are best and you can do wonders with them. Do the best where they will give you lot of info and at the same time they will let you know what is right, what is wrong. This is what I spoke to them.

True. True. Thank you. Thank you. Anything you want to share with people?

Not at the moment but like I definitely want to come and meet you in person. Because I would be coming down to Chennai again.

Sure.

I would request your. I mean like available time for 15, 20 minutes. I'm.

Yeah. Yeah.

I'll definitely come and meet you.

Definitely.

Happy to.

Happy to meet. Please let me know when you are planning and then definitely we. We can.

With pleasure sir. Yes sir. Yes sir. With pleasure.

Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for joining this call. And once again thank you sir. All the trainers.

Yes.

Thank you. My support team. We congratulate you once again. And please, please convey our regards to your family members. Without them this possible. Okay. So please.

Definitely. Absolutely. Absolutely sir. Thank you so much. Thank you so much sir. Have a great day ahead sir. Thank you sir.

Thank you sir. Thank you.