ITIL Vs PMP – Which is More Important?

In just a decade, the world around us has changed so much. New technologies have emerged to become an integral part of our lives. A rapid wave of digitization has swept over the world, changing not only individual lifestyles but also how organizations and institutions across all industries conduct business. Another crucial change brought about by technology and digitization is in the job market. Since a large number of jobs are becoming automated and data-driven, the recruiting requirements of employees across all sectors have changed a lot. This brings us to the question – what is the need of the hour?

Why do Project Managers Need to Upskill?

In a world being dominated by the wave of automation and changing business priorities, upskilling has become an urgent need for professionals. Both ITIL Foundation

Certification and Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification are excellent

choices. While upskilling is a crucial need for entry-level employees (to rise-up the promotional ladder), it is also highly essential for Project Managers (PM) as well. The primary reasons behind this are to enable Project Managers to shoulder more responsibilities and help their teams to deliver better projects. Apart from this, here are two reasons that make a compelling case for upskilling on the part of Project Managers:

To stay updated with the latest technological trends – Every Project Manager must stay ahead of the learning curve by learning about emerging tech and digital innovations. This will allow PMs to lead their teams and encourage the adoption of disruptive technological solutions to build and deliver projects.

To acquire new skills both for personal growth and of the organization – The entire point of upskilling is to gain new skills to stay ahead in the competition. However, obtaining new skills has dual benefits. While upskilling will allow PMs to grow on a personal level, it will also help them to become a more experienced and talented professional. This helps PMs to become a valuable asset to their organizations. With heightened institutional knowledge, PMs are at a position to take much more radical steps to pursue value-added functions for the company.

Certifications every Project Manager should consider for upskilling

The domain of Project Management is highly dynamic. As a result, organizations always look for Project Managers who are willing to learn the best industry practices to keep pace with the rapidly changing times. One of the best ways to improve one’s Project Management skills and to further the professional journey is to take up a professional certification course.

Although there are a lot of Project Management certification courses in the market today, we are going to focus on the two most popular certification courses – ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) Foundation Course and PMP (Project Management Professional) course.

ITIL Certification

The ITIL or Information Technology Infrastructure Library certification course introduces professionals to the standard principles of enterprise IT Management. Candidates are offered hands-on training with standard IT Service Management frameworks so that they can learn the best norms and industry practices related to IT service management. By the end of this course, professionals become fully equipped to boost efficiency in the execution of IT projects and to help companies deliver enhanced IT and IT-related services to their clients.

PMP Certification

PMP certification is offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). The course is designed to teach Project Managers the core principles and best practices of Project Management as specified in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Just as ITIL serves as a globally recognized standard for IT Management practices, the PMBOK is the universally renowned and accredited guide for Project Management. The meticulously detailed framework focuses on the tools, processes, and methodologies best suited for various industry projects.

The key differences between these two certifications:

• ITIL outlines the standard and best practices for IT Service Management by establishing the process, procedures, tasks, and methodologies to be used by an organization to deliver value-added IT services in compliance with its strategy and business goals. On the contrary, PMP offers a detailed account of the five phases of Project Management: Initiation, Planning, Executing, Monitoring, and Closing. It teaches professionals how to handle projects (of any size and number) more competently.

• The entire idea of ITIL is centered around IT Service Management through a life-cycle approach. PMP, however, takes a more service-oriented approach by focusing more on the techniques of delivering projects within a limited scope, time, and budget.

• ITIL has five different levels of certifications – Foundation, Practitioner, Intermediate, Expert, and the Master. Whereas, PMP is a single and standalone certification with no classification of basic and advanced levels.

• ITIL certified professionals can usually take on job roles like Senior Consultant, Process Coordinator, Problem Manager, Release Manager or Service Desk Manager, among other titles. However, PMP certified professionals are best fit for job roles like Project Manager, Program Manager, Portfolio Manager, Risk Management Manager, and Project Manager-Software Development, to name a few.

To conclude, both these certifications are excellent choices for Project Managers – both are globally renowned and acknowledged certifications. Both of these certifications promote the benefits of a structured approach to managing specific projects and related tasks. However, the choice between the two depends largely on the kind of job roles you are looking for and the industry you wish to work in. While ITIL is primarily focused on managing services in IT and IT-related industries, PMP principles are more generalized – they apply to any and every industry and projects of any scope and size. So, if you are looking to build a future in IT, ITIL is the perfect choice for you. However, if you wish to inculcate Project Management skills in general, PMP is a clear choice.

Certifications not only help you obtain new skills and industry knowledge, but they also look good on your resume. So, if you wish to take your career to the next level, enroll in a certification course today!