Mohammad Salim, a mechanical engineer with 15 years of experience, currently heads the Operations department at Safe Automations India Private Limited in Bangalore, an MNC providing turnkey automation solutions across the Middle East. Recognizing that formal project management practices were missing from his daily work, he sought a PMP certification to professionalize project execution. A colleague who had previously cleared the PMP through InfoCareer referred him, leading to his enrollment in InfoCareer’s PMP program. Salim faced significant challenges balancing the intensive weekend study schedule with family responsibilities and frequent travel, treating his family as key stakeholders and communicating his unavailability for several months. Persistent motivation from InfoCareer’s WhatsApp group, regular mentor messages, and especially the Reimagine 2 program reignited his commitment, allowing him to focus his study for about 30‑40 days before taking the exam. He passed the PMP on his first attempt. Salim praises the training’s depth, detailed concept explanations, and the practice exams with thorough answer rationales, as well as the continuous mentor support. Post‑certification, he has applied PMP principles to improve project monitoring, risk management, scheduling, and stakeholder communication at his company, resulting in smoother project delivery, higher quality, and greater customer satisfaction. He also applies these practices in his personal life, managing family dynamics and decision‑making. Salim rates the program 9‑9.5 out of 10, recommends it to colleagues, suggests continued individualized follow‑ups for each participant, and expresses interest in future operations‑focused courses such as project monitoring and RPA.
Chapters
Yeah, well, my name is Mohammad Salim and I am actually from mechanical background. I did my engineering from Bangalore in mechanical engineering and then I pursued my career and I have almost like 15 years of experience. I worked in 2-3 companies, MNC companies, before we joined the present company. I worked there as a design engineer and I was leading the design team there. Complete mechanical design team. And since last 7 years, I am part of a company called Safe Automations India Private Limited. So this company is located in Bangalore, and this is an MNC company, and head office is in Middle East, like Saudi Arabia, Dubai, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman. These are the 5 countries we have these branches. And I am presently located in Bangalore, where we have a complete manufacturing and engineering facility. And I've associated with this company since last 7 years, and now presently I am heading the operation department. So Safe Automation Company, we produce, you know, complete end-of-the-line solutions, okay, especially for all automation solutions in industries. Food— we, we send machines to food, pharma, and FMCGs related products. We do complete turnkey solutions. All the manual work we automatized and we'll do complete automation solutions. So we have around 100 people and I am here in Bangalore. With me around 50 people, I am heading the department and we have a team from production. We do complete in-house manufacturing by ourselves. All the machines are manufactured in-house. We have design department, we have electrical automation department, we have quality department, and complete, you know, operation team we have. So I am responsible for all the operations, day-to-day operations. So where all project monitoring, all projects will be executed smoothly. That is my experience, and presently we are working on. No, actually, like, uh I, I was aware that PMP and PMI is really required and which I can utilize for my day-to-day operations activities. Yeah, because all the projects what we execute, okay, so we wanted to do in professional way and we did not, uh, I did not, to be frank, I did not, you know, practice any, you know, material or anything. Preparation is not done. So it's one of my colleague who has joined in InfoCareer. So he's my managing director. He sits in Saudi Arabia. So he cleared his exams 2 years back and he referred me that I was looking for some course which will help me to, you know, properly execute my projects, yeah, without any— in a professional manner. So I was searching for some courses, then I approached him and he suggested to go with InfoCareer. And that's how I started discussing with InfoCareer and finally got admitted with the course. First of all, they are very happy that I have to spend a lot of, especially weekends time, 4 hours I have to dedicate myself and to be totally away from all the family work and family time. It was really hard for my family, especially my children and wife. And sometimes they were feeling like every Saturday, Sunday, they get only 2 days to go somewhere outside. And it was very difficult time for them. But it was a communication was really done because it's a part of PMP course that communication has to be established properly with all stakeholders. So I consider my family also one of the stakeholders. Yeah, so I make them educate that this is the— before I joined exam itself, the first day itself, I communicated properly to my wife and my children that I am going to be unavailable for next 4 or 5 months for weekends, and you have to, you have to manage. That's how I, I communicated, and they also okay with that. And finally, when I cleared my exam, they were also happy that whatever the hard work I I spent on the course, finally it got paid off and everything is happy. And also my colleagues who referred me also happy. And I also announced this certification in my LinkedIn profile, in my social media profile, and lot of, you know, congratulations messages comes online. It's a really great experience. Yeah, to be frank, Selvan, you know, like, it really took a long time for me to clear the exam. Yeah, it's almost like 1.5 years. Yeah, almost 16 months, you know, it took for me since I joined the, you know, training. And at some point of time, you know, because I'm a person who will not be, you know, busy with many, you know, work schedules are very busy sometimes, you know, it's very difficult to get some time to practice exams and to practice the, you know, all the practice exams given in the, you know, portfolio. So I also used to travel many places, okay, many countries I used to travel. So at some point of time, I, to be frank, I have left the idea to take the exam because it was a long gap, okay. 4 months I admit, I mean, I got the training, okay, then I practiced for 1 or 2 months, but suddenly, you know, I used to travel here and there and lot of workload So I thought of, you know, just leaving it. We'll see later what will happen. And I was, to be frank, I left the plan to take an exam. But it's hats off to your team, InfoCareer team, okay? They really motivated me. And every 15 days, once every week, the messages used to come, okay? Motivation messages and especially success stories, yeah, in your, in the group, WhatsApp group. And your person, like InfoCareer team, also used to communicate, you know, regularly to me, and they were not leaving me to let down this program. Yeah, so in some point of time, I also, because I was continuously seeing messages, really continuously your team is behind me. Instead of I am going for an exam, to be frankly tell that it is InfoCareer who was really pushing me to take preparation for the next time. And there is one program from your side which is called Reimagine 2, I guess. Yeah, so from there onwards I really concentrate again and took it seriously. And then I decided that whatever it happens, okay, I have to take an exam. Okay, so Reimagine 2 was the turning point, and from there onwards I really scheduled my work and all my personal and office work And I also planned my visits accordingly, and I have decided after Reimagined 2, I have to take an exam, whatever the case it is. So finally, I practiced for one, one, I think 30-40 days I practiced after Reimagined 2. Then finally, it was, you know, I appeared for exam and I cleared in the first attempt. So hats off, hats off to you and your team, and especially InfoCareer team, for pushing me. And making this to a success to clear off my exam. The training quality was really good, yeah. And the 4 hours in the training what we used to spend, so it was really good and it was very in detail, okay. Each and every concept, each and every, you know, concept is detailedly explained. And especially the tool and the, you know, the IC Leaf practice exams, yeah. Whatever is designed, it's really fantastic. Okay, really fantastic. And to be frank, like, training was really good, and also the practice exams was really helping to understand the concept. Okay, and really fine, it was— the quality was also fine. And some mentors also continuously mentoring me, and any doubts in the weekend session, for example. So some practice exams in your weekend session, some practice was happening. So it's only practice exam used to do it, and that was also really helpful to clarify all our doubts. If any questions are there, we need to arise and we will clarify those questions. It was really helpful to understand the concept of the PMP overall. Feature is the explanation, the explain, the whatever the questions we answered. Yeah, so sometimes it will be confused for me because my thinking is different and the answer was saying something different. So finally, after the answer, when we review the, you know, answers, there is explanation given why this is not correct and why this is correct. That feature is really helped to understand, you know, to better understand the concept and correct myself. So my intention when I selected this program, okay, it was very much clear that I am not doing only for certification because this company where I am working now, I am a director also and part of a director, and one of the partners in this company. And I was only looking not for any certification. I was looking to, you know, make my work more professional way, and especially managing the peoples and making a proper, you know, workflow. And initially, before this program, I was also doing some concepts of PMP, but not in a professional way and not in a proper way. And I was lagging somewhere, which was very difficult for me. From some situations, especially for, you know, different types of risk, how to analyze, yeah, how to manage people's, okay, different people's different attitudes, how to motivate them, okay, how to make a proper schedule. Those things I was not, you know, we were not doing professionally. So once I cleared, once I started the training, it's not only after the exam So as soon as I started the training and I understood the concept one by one in the PMP, and I started implementing in my company, and which was giving fantastic results in terms of my results. And many concepts and many things which I learned in the PMP exam, and as of now, day to day, I'm also using it, and which is giving well results in my present projects and also good satisfaction level to the customers. And because we were able to, you know, execute projects smoothly without any issues and we're delivering it on time with a good quality. It's really improved as a professionally to my company and also in my personal life. Okay, personal life, I also implementing, as I said, this communication is one part in my earlier discussion. So many other things also I learned, okay? How to manage different peoples in my families, how to make them, you know, all stakeholders in my decisions, whatever personal decisions I take, okay? How to involve all the stakeholders in the beginning. If it was not happening, then what is the results coming? And all those things I'm a little bit aware now. So whatever the things personally also I am doing, day to day I am implementing these concepts of PMP in both professionally as my personal life. It was really great help for me. I already started recommending many of my colleagues and we also have some project team working under me. So I also proposed them to go with this program, to go for this. And I, in scale of 1 to 10, if you ask me, I will definitely give 9, 9.5 to it for career. One thing I suggest to continue doing is that the continue follow-ups, you know, which your team is doing, which making all many, many people to turn back to their decision. And like how it happens in my life, in my career, the same thing. I would suggest to focus in each and every person because everybody wanted to do it, but in some cases, you know, because of some difficulties and professional pressure and office pressure, they will leave the thing. But I suggest you focus on each and every individual who is joined in the program and make him to take this exam and succeed. Yes, definitely, I would like to do some courses. Maybe after 1 month I am planning some courses, uh, and also some of my colleagues also are planning to do some courses. So what is that you're looking for? Uh, I am looking some, uh, some detail about in operations. Okay, now what, what PMP is given at a broad perspective of all the different, you know, methodologies. Yeah, but I want to take some specific courses on operations, especially. Yeah, for example, say project monitoring, RPA, or, you know, some, some courses which will help in a specific part of the program. That time I will definitely— I can discuss with your team. And what are the courses available, I can opt from that courses. Definitely yes, but presently my schedule is quite busy. Definitely if I get some chance, I will try to do it, because I also believe practice makes man perfect. Yeah, exactly, exactly. The more you practice, more you start teaching, more you start training other people, so our concept will become much clear. Yeah, we'll improve ourselves. That's what I also believe in. So definitely, why not? If you get a chance, uh, definitely, if you make— if you get some time, definitely I will be ready to do it. Thank you. Thank you for your suggestions. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for your time. It was nice talking to you, and thank you so much to find out time in your busy schedule and, uh, give a nice, probably fantastic feedbacks about us. It's a fact, it's a fact. Okay, nothing, uh, I'm not polishing anything. Whatever the fact was there, I have communicated. And I must thankful to your complete team once again, complete InfoCareer team, right from the coordinators, the mentors, and the trainers. Everybody was really good. And thank you for everything and making me to clear my PMP exam. Thank you, Lakshmi Sekhar Grandhi. Once again.
