PMP Success Story - Sidhukumar with Infocareer | #2024 #pmpsuccessstory #pmp

I said thank you for joining this call. And see, the idea is all about how did your journey started for PMP program and then what are the challenges you face now you overcome it and how do you able to achieve it? So just for information, if 100 people getting trained, you know, only 10 to 15 people go to the exam and out of which 10 to 15% only clear this examination. That's a journey in the throughout the globe.

Okay.

So it's not an easy, easy milestone, whatever you achieved it. And people normally take six months to two years to write this examinations. Okay, so that's what the journey which you taken it. And please tell us how your journey started and how did this entire thing happen so that it will add value for few people who see this videos.

Okay, yeah, yeah.

First of all I want to thank you Shekhar for conducting this session because it's a good platform to exchange learning. Basically one of the concepts in PMP is collaborating and sharing and learning together. I think this is a good approach. So basically I started registering for with Info Carrier, I think one year back. Last year. Exactly. Last year I had this training course for the 35 PD which is important or mandatory to start with this. So I, I am in the manager role I think for now considering my past experience and current experience around five to six years, more than five to six years in a manager role. And I thought this is the right time because I have learned something on how to manage people, how the business happens, how the process are happening. But I was not knowing the standards which are there in the industry or something like that. I wanted to check how it is there and that's where I thought PMP certification is a right platform. So the journey started very well because it started with Info Career. There are a lot of good trainers starting from you, mainly the leader within that Info career who is very good, followed by Natarajan and there were few other people, I don't remember the name, who gave Agile training and procurement and other trainings. It was a very good training session. There was a very good foundation how we have to prepare ourselves. What is the commitment which is needed. And you also told. I remember if you are not committed, don't spend this time and waste the money or this one. If you are really committed, go for it. That is a message which I got in the beginning and I actually how I did it, I had to take the commitment from my family friends because they're. They're going along with me in this journey because I remember yesterday when I called my wife after the exam I told that I am passed. She was the one who was relieved because the last one year. Last one year is was very tough because after the trainings what happened is I wanted to take the exam but I had to go to India for vacations. I dropped it. I came back in August or September last year back to Netherlands. And then I decided I should start filling the application. Then I started filling the application and as per your suggestion, I sent you for review. You reviewed the application and it was approved without any issues, right? Why I want to tell about this application process? Because one of my other friend was doing on his own, he wrote application and it was selected for random inspection or something. And still now he is not able to come out of that phase. So I think that was one of the first step where you helped me to review the application. It was approved and the next thing was setting up the date. So I started setting up the date as April. I start by the time the course was completed. But then I didn't had some study materials because it was expired. Then I reached to your team, Leela and Jasmine and they gave me a good offer of renewing the program. And then again I took a program for few more months. Then I continued my study. And along with that I used to study several other things because I wanted to see what other things are also there. How is it different? So I started learning. First of all, I downloaded the PM Box 6 PDF copy which is available for members. I downloaded the copy of PM Box 7 also which is available. And there is also Agile Practices available. All of them are available free for members. So I read all the books one time full completely around 400 pages is PMBOK6. PMBOK7 is around 350 pages. I completely read that one. I completely read the Agile practices and I also wanted not to leave anything unturned. I just also took a RITA book also along with you. So I was doing all these things together. All these things together, starting from your training courses and all the questionnaires in your website. And then all these things were going together. So I had to spend roughly around two hours every day. Every day, two hours. I was reading the materials, reading people who have passed the exam. Then when I was coming close to the exams, like around two weeks before, I started working more on the question is in your website. I started attempting the questions. I know every time I was not having the right answers. But what I used to do is I used to read the explanation under each answer. Why the answer is like that And I started understanding the situation. And based on that I started attempting the other questions slowly. I started as 50% in scores and then my target was every time at least 75% is my minimum score. That's when I know I'm going to at least come closer to passing the examination. So then I started cracking the exams, mock exams, simulations. And then finally on yesterday I took the exam with there was a lot of tension because it's a four hours exam, you have to sit for the main what I also practiced, I think this is very important. People have to start practicing to sit at least three hours continuously in front of the monitor doing the mock tests. Because then your body will get trained for sitting three to four hours continuously. Even with this training yesterday I had a lot of difficulty to sit for four hours. And I completed the exam in three and a half hours, three hours 30 minutes. I finished the exams. But one of the things what I noticed in the exam there was no calculation. I didn't get any question where I had to use a calculator, no questions. But there was only one question where they told the budget after completion. They told what is the EV earned value? What is the actual cost? But they didn't give the pv, right? So you need to know formulas. But unfortunately I didn't knew the formula to find out PV because I didn't go through these in mock exams. But it's memory also. But then there is a technique by reading the numbers what is the earned value? What is the actual cost? What is the values? If you see based on that you can answer some questions. So I choose one which is close to my intuition and then I think it is going good. I think I was not expecting that I will be getting 80 above target in all the three sections. But I think yeah, I was having a good day yesterday. And also I think my wife and my family told that it's only because the efforts which I put it for last one year that is the only reason for getting 80, I think. But until you clear the exams, it's very difficult because the questions are so confusing and you have to read each question was around three to four lines, sentences. So you need to first digest the question. And then there were multiple choice questions like two, you have to choose two answers. There were several of them yesterday. But the journey was made successful because of the good training which I had. That is the foundation thing, which is very important. And then with my current job where I'm working in a hybrid environment, I think that all helped together. And one more Thing I want to tell is the. The questions out of 180, I think most of them, I think 70 to 80% was hybrid.

Yeah.

So that is how it happened. Your voice is not audible.

Yeah, yeah, I. I didn't. I was on mute.

Okay.

Yeah.

Okay.

So it was hybrid. I would say it was completely hybrid. But yesterday I felt very relaxed, happy and I could see that my body was very stressed for last one year because of this preparation. My body was going through that stress. I could now feel today. My body is very lightweight. I am very relaxed. And then it's giving me now another motivation. What can I do next? But my wife told don't do anything for next six months at least or one year. Please don't do anything. Because she thinks that I already had a lot of stress because my job also demands that I need to be working for the team. So. And also I'm kind of more on work. I always get involved in the work and if I take something I want to do it in a. Not just do it for the sake of doing. But overall I think I should really thank you and the entire team because every time when I reach the info career I think Leela was there, Jasmine was there, Levin was there and you are always responding to me quickly. I think that is all very important. Those things we don't notice it because we are getting it instantly right. So sometimes we don't realize the value. Like what how it is important when somebody responds to you quickly. I think that's what is very good about info career because I came to info career based on the recommendation from my colleague Sankaran Shanmugam. He is one of your student and he told me Sidhu, good, good thing you can do is you can start with info career. He told. He has already gone through that. My another colleague Thiru Morgan, he's there. He's also. He completed the. But he didn't take the exam. I met him last week. He told he will start doing it. So I think I was surrounded with people who were giving me positive messages and giving me encouragement motivation. I think that is very important. So that's the reason as soon as I passed the exam I think the first thing I called my family. I think second thing is I messaged your group and then I told Shankaran because he's one of so basically reached out only those people who really stood with me for the last one year.

Thank you. Thank you for sharing and then making also part of this journey.

Okay.

And thanks for trusting us and then following whatever we Also said to you, that's very important instead of beating bush around. So it will be, this is what you should do. And then that's what you also done.

Okay.

Any more what you told me, what you told me in the training, right. You will not leave us following up until we take the exam. And I didn't believe that time. But every quarter, I think quarter or two months, I was getting a message, when is the exam? When is the exam? So it was also a kind of trigger for me reminder that you have to do it. So that is also a good part.

Sure.

Thank you. Thank you. And how many mock exams you are taken before you went for the exam?

So I don't remember number of mock exams, but I can tell how many questions I solved. I think around 400 and 400 questions. Maybe 400 or 500 questions. And in every test, like I followed the same approach. 60 questions take 10 minutes break, 60 questions take 10 minute break. And then every 60 questions I used to evaluate what is the percentage. Because in each section you have to be reaching the target. Right. So I was just following that approach. So I think 400 to 500 questions, I would say, sure, I did it.

And is the materials, whatever we are given during the training and whatever IC leaves are there, is it sufficient to take this exam or anything else we supposed to add a value?

No, I think you have structured it in a. Like beginner, intermediate, advanced. Intermediate and advanced. I think that is a very good thing sometimes. What I believe is because you have so much of questions you. Right. I think more than 2,000. I don't know if people will really follow that. I would say it's my opinion, just, just, just give them, say for example, 500, 600 questions. I think that should be sufficient. But you have some thought process. I don't want to challenge that. Because you don't want people to get demotivated on the day one by taking advanced questions. And they should not take it demotivated. That is your intention. Yeah, but yeah, people like me, if we want, if we have that questions, we want to solve everything. Take beginner, take intermediate. We just follow everything. Right. So sometimes it's too much for me. But then I decided, okay, at least 600, let me keep a target as 600 questions. And within that 600 slowly. I saw that every time the questions are repeating in a different way, they are phrased differently. But the, but the concept, you have to understand what they're discussing about. I think that is important.

Sure, sure.

And actually we are already working on it like whatever suggestion you are given. So probably in another one month we will be reducing almost 50% and people who require so for them we want to give extra questions.

So probably at least one more request. I have Shekhar, if you can do the sample questions what you are doing just to replicate like an exam. Like for example 180 questions with a timer. If you can do it as a. As a option.

Yeah, it is there Sidhu. But what happened? So normally what we tell people it is complete all the program and then ping us. Then we activate the mock exam.

Oh okay.

So I just saw your WhatsApp messages that not happened.

Okay so but what I did. But what I did is I used your sample question. Sample questions because by performing the sample questions it is because it's more than 2,000 questions. And if. If you do those questions I think you are already halfway through.

Actually we have around. Normally we conduct four exams. 180. 180. 190. And it will be more tougher than PMP exam.

Okay.

Oh okay.

So that's what people say it in worst scenario we will conduct more exams so somebody is not up to the mark. So we will guide them where they are lagging and what they should do. So this normally happens before scheduling the exam and after scheduling exam last four days. We will conduct every day one exam.

Maybe I would say if you can at least maybe what I would request you is if you can interview. Introduce this mock test. At least one mock test after the 35 videos like just to. Just to see how the exam.

Sure, sure. Yeah.

I think that is the one suggestion I think.

Sure. Definitely.

Anything else you want to share with us People who want to go for this exam?

Whenever I think somebody comes to me that how can I gain the 35 PDUs or how can. How can I prepare for the exams. I think I don't have any other names than info career in my mind at least. So I will. I will refer your organization as a starting point because learning face to face is having a lot of difference. Going through just a video which is just telling something and we are not concentrating because the real time experience because you. You bring people who are from the industry and who have done this PMP courses who are certified who are coming and giving those trainings in every often. I think that is important because the real experience, what they share is very important for situational based exams. I think it's. I don't see any improvement required there. You are doing absolutely good. I think you should keep doing it.

Thank you and so thank you for all your acknowledgment. I'll definitely pass on to all my supporting staff and faculty people. Without them not be possible. But on the behalf of all of them, I again once again congratulate you and thanks for joining this call. And please convey our regards to your family members. Without like you said, without them this not possible. And I used to tell in my stakeholder management, your first stakeholder is your family members.

Okay so.

So that's the which you are done. So please convey our regards also to them also.

Okay.

And thank you.

Please be in communication and we will be moving to a new set of people. Please stay there. So we will tell you what are all programs are happening and whichever works for you, you can also explore.

Okay.

And any opportunities are there in your organization, you can post there. So there are people who can also we can support them.

Okay.

And they will also do that. So that's a separate community. So we'll be moving you to that community.

Okay.

And thanks for joining this call. Once again, thank you for your time.

Thank you very much. Have a nice evening.

Sure. Thank you.

Bye bye.