​ What is the Buzz all about? If you are looking for a job or perhaps looking for a new career path there is a lot of Buzz about…. … project management skills and certifications. As you look through the thousands of jobs on the various job boards, company websites, and professional networking sites, there is a common theme in an increasing percentage of job postings. Companies are looking for applicants with project management skills and preferably candidates that have a PMP certification. You may ask, ‘what is a PMP certification and why is it so important?’ PMP is the abbreviation for Project Management Professional (PMP) which is a rigorous certification governed by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and is one of the most recognized and credited certifications globally. Project management is considered one of the top demanded skill sets expected by organizations worldwide. The skill set has become an expectation for mid – level jobs all the way to executive level jobs and many organizations have made PMP certification mandatory for certain positions. Many companies are demanding certified project managers because they understand the importance of strong project management discipline in delivering successful projects which increases their bottom line and profitability. Many believe there is a qualitative difference overall between a pool of certified and non-certified candidates for a position. The PMI’s 2008 Pulse of the Profession research found “that having project managers without PMP certification results in a lower percent of projects coming in on time and on budget—especially when less than 10 percent of the project managers in the company are PMPs. Organizations with less than 10 percent of project managers who are PMPs are also much less likely to indicate an increase in projects successfully meeting the goals and business intent.” In a 2006 survey, PWC found that “higher-performing projects are significantly more likely to be staffed with certified project managers and 80 percent of projects classified as high-performing use, a certified project manager.” Now that you know what the Buzz is all about, follow my next article titled: “ So You Want to Become a PMP?? ”.