At Towson University Continuing & Professional Studies, our students’ success is our success. That’s why we work closely with them from registration through course completion to understand their career and continuing education needs and goals. Read on for Maria Glockner’s success story and and get inspired to create your own student success story.
Tell us a little about your background.
In July 2018, I found myself in a very unfamiliar situation. For the first time in my career, I was unemployed due to company restructuring. I had over 15 years of project management experience and nearly eight years of program management experience. Throughout my career, I landed new roles easily as a result of networking. This was the first time I had to go through a “traditional” job search process.
Why did you decide to take the PMP certification prep course?
I decided to connect with my local Workforce Center and through workshops I attended, I learned of the opportunity to get funding for training through the Workforce Center. I wanted to give my job search a jolt and knew obtaining my PMP certification would be the answer. So, I worked with Workforce Center staff to secure funding to take the Project Management Professional course with Towson University Continuing & Professional Studies.
Although Towson University was an hour commute each way, I still opted to take the course there. I made the sacrifice because I believed it would pay off in the long run.
Did you take your certification exam yet? Did you pass?
I completed the eight week course in spring 2019 and took a few months off to study and prepare for the PMP certification exam in September 2019. I’m happy that I passed the exam on my first try and that I’m now officially PMP certified. My exam results showed that of the five process groups that the exam ranks you on, I ranked above target for four out five of those groups and the remaining group, I ranked on target.
Without the course, there is absolutely no way I would have passed the PMP exam. And, the instructor, Tushar Rathod, made all the difference. He had a way of simplifying information that can seem overly complex at times. He also made himself easily available and really provided clear guidance on the very tedious application process. The students in the class also had a good mixture of diverse experiences and backgrounds, which made the learning environment come to life.
If you could say anything to someone who is on the fence about taking a continuing education course, what would you say?
I have always been a huge promoter of continuing education, and I don’t mean just in the classroom. It is important to strengthen your personal and professional portfolio through continued learning experiences. If you are serious about making project management your niche, then you need this course. It is practically impossible to pass the PMP certification exam without taking a PMP preparation like the one I completed at Towson University. Be prepared to work hard because the course is very rigorous, but the sense of accomplishment you get at the end when you succeed. You can’t beat!
So, what’s next for your career?
I recently accepted a full-time position as a program manager in a Fortune 500 financial company. My new PMP credential has helped to maximize my earning potential in my new job. Now, I’m considering furthering my PMP skill set by obtaining a Scrum Master certification.
