The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the world's leading not-for-profit professional membership association for the project management profession. Becoming a member of PMI will not only enhance your career as a project management professional, it will give you access to a plethora of resources.
What Is PMI?
PMI is an organization that is recognized worldwide for its advocacy for project management professionals. Through this organization, standards have been set to ensure global consistency for this profession.
They offer development opportunities for everybody in the industry, whether they use project management for their volunteer work or for their career. PMI also fosters community relations by having localized chapters of their membership, creating a strong network within the project management industry. They also create research opportunities, allowing for further education in both the academic and professional fields. Furthermore, they offer eight certificate programs, including the widely-recognized gold standard, the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Becoming a Member
Being a member of PMI has many benefits. When you join PMI, you will be joining the largest project management community, one that spans the globe. You will be able to stay up-to-date on the newest project management trends by receiving their publications. Additionally, PMI offers a job board, as well as tracking of your certification status. You will also be able to unlock over a thousand tools and templates to help you in your project management career. These benefits, and more, are available to members of PMI. There are a few different ways you can become a member.
Individual
Most who wish to join PMI will be joining with an Individual membership. This membership costs $129 per year, plus an initial $10 processing fee. An Individual membership will get you all the benefits listed above. It is valid for 365 days, and can be set to auto-renew if you wish. Your renewal period will start 90 days before your expiration date, at which point your membership can be renewed for an additional 365 days from your membership activation date.
Student
If you are a student enrolled in a full-time, degree-granting program at an accredited or globally-recognized university, you can qualify for a Student membership. A Student membership costs $32 per year, and receives the same benefits as an Individual membership. The only difference is that the PMI publications will only be sent digitally to a Student member; no physical copies will be sent.
Retiree
If you have been a member in good standing of PMI for five consecutive years (or more) and have retired from your job, you are eligible for the Retiree membership. When it comes time to renew your Individual membership, you can state that you are now retired, and can receive a renewal rate of only $65/year. This will allow you to keep in touch with the project management community, perhaps mentoring those newer members.
Group
Group rates are available for Individuals as well as Students. A faculty member at an accredited institution can register their students for PMI membership. If you are a teacher who is trying to show a real-world connection for your students' project management education, a PMI membership is a great place to start. The accredited institution will be billed $32 per student registered. They will also receive a free PMI membership for the faculty member, to help facilitate the learning process.
If a local PMI chapter wants to purchase their memberships together, for ease of paperwork, a chapter Group membership can be offered. Gaining membership this way will save your chapter time and money.
Why Choose PMI?
One of the biggest benefits of joining PMI is the discount members receive on certifications. Members can save up to $150 on their exam fees. PMI offers the PMP certification, the leading-standard for project management around the world.
Those with a PMP certification can be found leading projects in every industry and in every location. It uses a methodology that is relevant to virtually any project you need to work on. The PMP certification is also proven to aid in a salary increase. Those employees with a PMP certification, on average, show a 20% increase in earning potential.
Passing the PMP test isn't easy, however. It is recommended for those who are already industry professionals, who have at least 4,500 hours of work experience leading projects. The test itself can also be challenging. It is a 200-question multiple choice exam that you have four hours to complete. To be the most prepared going into the PMP exam, you should consider enrolling in a PMP bootcamp. Not only does this bootcamp have a 99% exam pass rate, it also satisfies a requirement from PMI to be eligible to take the test: the 35 hours of project management education.
If you are considering getting started in, or expanding your career in project management, a membership in PMI should be on your radar. It will help you further develop your skills and education necessary to be a competitive professional in the project management industry.
Christine AugustusChristine is an assistant for EdWel Programs, a leading provider for PMP Exam Prep and risk management training since 2002.
