I would love some feedback on my work experience in the context of the PMP experience requirement. I have an M.S. degree, so I need 4500 hours. I have a background in audit, IT audit, and then database programming during software implementations.
Experience:
- Performing government audits as the team lead or solo auditor - 1200 hours
- IT audit - either audit project lead or responsible for initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & controlling, and closing IT portion of larger audit - 1800 hours
Total from audit: 3000 hours
I now work as a consultant performing database programming/reporting in the context of software implementations. It's a mix of converting reports from legacy systems, configuring default reports to work for that client's setup, and building new reports as needed.
For about 1/3 of my tasks, there is a PM who is involved but basically only records development, testing, and sign-off dates based on dates I give him or her at a 2x/month meeting. The PM basically knows none of the details of what I do other than the name of the task and whether they have dates for a few milestones. For the other 2/3 of my tasks, I am the sole overseer. A client sends specs, which are frequently sparse. I work with them to nail down more detailed specs:
- Research.
- Plan.
- Build.
- Validate.
- Test.
However, these tasks - a task usually just means building a report but might mean multiple reports - can take as few as 2 hours but sometimes take up to 100 hours. Not conventional 1000-hour projects to be sure.
I usually mentor 2-4 other programmers but am not responsible for closely monitoring or reviewing all their tasks.
Do you have any feedback regarding whether my current job as a database programmer/report writer contains acceptable PM experience? My boss gave me a training plan for next year that includes a project management class that is basically a PMP review course. I would love to take the exam as well. It would mean a small but worthwhile annual pay bump.