Ganesh shares his path to PMP certification, including doubts he faced and how a PMP hackathon refocused his efforts. He reflects on learning Agile in the oil and gas industry and overcoming external pressure during his preparation.
I started to show interest in PMP in 2020 and immediately joined Info Career through my friend referral. And I took the online classroom coaching. It took four days and I was like. I couldn't understand many concepts because I was not able to. I didn't put any effort towards going there because it was all introduction to me. When I. When the class was starting, I got so motivated. I write, I wrote the exam dates and everything. And I was so determined to achieve that. After I started preparation, I slowly lost motivation because if you let people know that you are doing something, they will give their own input. And actually they. They say it out of their own experience and their own concern. I'm not saying they try to demotivate you, but it. It will demotivate you because they will put your their own thoughts in your mind. And that's how it worked for me. They said, why you are doing PMP now? It is not for you because it is only for the manager who wants promotion. All these stories they will tell. I had very few opinions like PMP is for knowledge and you have to follow, focus on it and you have to gain it. So I lost interest in between. And then suddenly, okay, I seen some mail, I think regarding hackathon. Suddenly in 2022 that the PMP hackathon is going on. I just came to know this year, that's all. And I immediately joined because I don't want to leave it because I started like something I have invested and it's just put it aside. This is not good for my career or persuasion. So I thought let it be. We will take Hackathon whether we will drive the benefit or not. That is that time will decide. But still I want to complete this PMP which was long pending for me. So I started Hackathon again. This time actually your motivation hit me like I have to focus. I know first when I joined Info Career, I know that if I follow your instruction, it will be sufficient for me to clear the exam. And you made it sure that in first class itself you made that point very clear. So at that time I didn't take it seriously. But when I joined Hackathon it was. I was so determined and I made a plan to stick to your plan. I didn't do anything extra. I didn't Refer initially in 2020 I was about to. I planned to buy Rita Mulgia and book and everything. But I didn't buy it. But this time I just stick on to your plan and executed it. Nothing else. No, no fairy tale, nothing. Just stick to the plan and do what what you guys say, that is that helped me a lot. So I started. I dedicated as you said, two hours, three hours in training and daily I was taking the basic basic level exam and slowly progressing to intermediate and advanced. All the. I mean schedule was very intact and it was very suitable for me. So in weekdays, weekends I focus more and I took the advanced level and other exams and before going for test but I didn't, I didn't follow. I took only two mock tests but I didn't take three mock tests which was actually reflecting in my. When I was doing exam I struggled a bit because of that. If I would have taken that third mock list also I would have been so confident in exam that glitch would have not been there. So that's what I want to share. Nothing, I mean my effort is only 20% but the commitment which you made me to take no, that is 80% and generally in any project they call schedule is the bible. No, I just followed that your schedule is my bible. If I miss in the schedule it will show one day ahead, one day delayed like that I used to get so anxious and next day I will put more effort to complete the. I was sticking on to it. That is the key actually if we fix the 35 days duration, 34 days duration we have to stick on to it. That's the only thing you are expecting from us. I did it, that's why I could achieve and regarding Agile, because what we are doing I am working in oil and gas. So oil and gas, understanding Agile and trying to put agile concept to oil and gas will not work at all Because I don't know, I feel it is totally designed for software. And when I called my friends who is working in software industry they supported me regarding their experience in Ajay. So that was very helpful for me. Since I am not from software, I use that approach to get help from them. Except that every topics and processes were clearly explained in our material. I think as you said it is sufficient to go through only our material which was given in pmp. I feel that and I get benefit out of it also. So I am confidently saying people asking people to follow that and I have referred one more, one of my friends. So I will be ready to mentor him if needed and I will guide him if any guidance is required I will say only one thing to him. Follow the schedule and follow the video. Very good. No overthinking or nothing to do which will deviate the schedule or something like that. Actually PMP it brings you it gives you better knowledge and terminology and these things which we use now, if you do it, if you continue to use it regularly, that will be. That will reflect. You don't want to put PMP behind your name. The terminologies which you use and the language which you speak to your customer or the person working in your office, your colleagues that will reflect you that you are pmp. So it's. You don't need to be focusing on benefit because benefit again immediate benefit, you can see it is this change in your attitude towards project management and commercially. Till now I didn't get any benefit out of it because one or two days only when I started preparing itself I understand, I understood the benefit of using those terminologies people were appreciating for using those terminology because it defines the subject very clearly. So I feel that is the important benefit which you are getting out of pmp. But when you implement this agile concept and all that will be more beneficial because it's the next level. I seen a video where HR expert were mentioning why there were a lot of turnouts in the project because some few years before there were people clicking on to job based on to satisfy the basic needs like food and shelter and everything. Then next generation those satisfaction were met and then they went for next need to just educate themselves or something like that. Nowadays they expect respect and clean environment like your quality of life has to be improved. They expect many things from company to all. This concept is driving the future of the project management into agile only. So I feel this is learning. This will be helpful where in future everything almost will be agile. It's a methodology only, right? So you can alter it and maybe many frameworks may evolve and it will be our all. The core industry will also adapt to it. You can see it in future I think. Sure, sure. He's on my patcher.
