Lets say someone is still in university, so they still require 7500 hours of project management experience to applying for PMP. Would it be worth their while to do the CAPM or to simply wait until they get sufficient experience for PMP?
Also, if they wish to do internships in the field of Project Management would it give them an edge over someone (a student) who has a bit more experience in project management, but no certifications?
UPDATE <7 years later>
: So I did end up getting the CAPM in 2012 and landed an internship at Microsoft as a Program Manager. Haven't looked back since. I don't know if CAPM was the only thing that led to the internship but I'd say it probably played a role in getting me the interview. To the Answers below saying a piece of paper can't compare to experience: yes but a piece of paper + no experience
is still better than no piece of paper and no experience
IMO. For other students looking to get into Project / Product / Program management, I would highly recommend trying to get an internship no matter how less it pays as long as it provides good experience. If you're unable to find a relevant internship, I'd supplement it with getting a CAPM.