The one in the picture is me when I received the certificate that I value the most until today, one that opened many doors for me, and more than a certificate: it is a title. Every time we talk about the project management profession the subject of certifications comes up, almost as if it were an obligation for the professional who works in this area. Maybe what I'm about to say can even impact my training revenue, but are certifications really the first step in this journey?
I have been self-taught since I started my university studies, I prefer a good book to a class, William Glasser's pyramid for passive learning is almost inverted for me. In college I would bring the textbooks, sit in the back of the room and read. With a few rare exceptions, the professors were there for me to ask questions. Nothing positive or negative, it's just how it works for me. In fact, I even envy those who learn just by observing.
I have always understood being self-taught not only as learning a theory, but learning a practice. I like to read and apply. My university days were a good example of this: when I learned about moment of inertia I designed a pallet table for my kitchen (the problem is that I did not learn carpentry along with physics, and the screws made it wobbly). Anyway, although it was ugly, it showed the practical application of what I was learning.
Thus, I didn't care about classes, grades, exams, they served only to validate that acquired knowledge. I believe that the same is true for certifications.
I have some certifications, but I only feel comfortable in applying for a certification after a lot of practice and testing, to get to a level where I feel comfortable to take that certification. I have known the PMBOK since the fourth edition, but I only applied for the exam on the seventh (which dealt with agile). The same goes for Scrum, Kanban and many others.
The problem is that nowadays this is a requirement of the market, which looks too much at what certifications the person has taken, and too little at the experience they have had with the practices. The result is a driver who passes the driving school circuit, but can't drive on the street, as Ricardo Vargas exemplified in this podcast.
Certifications help you in a new position, but it's the practice that keeps you there. And for those who are in transition, looking to gain experience while training to change areas or apply for new opportunities, a great recommendation are the volunteer jobs.
This is because they allow professionals to think big, start small. I notice during my trainings that the students who get the most out of the course are the ones who already practice, who already know the basics, because they bring real doubts, day-to-day dilemmas. Those who have never heard of it and are just looking for a transition run the risk of following a path they don't even know.
Certifications are important for sure, but they only make sense if you practice what you learn, and to start practicing you just need to be interested in the practice of projects. Whatever it is, starting small, getting better with time. And in time the certificate is an addition to your expertise as a professional.