A PMP certification is valuable, but not a requirement. Anyone that is a project manager should have a formal education in management. A PMP certification provides the education, but it is no “silver bullet” that you will be a great or even a good project manager.
If someone has a PMP certification and limited project experience, they can actually impede a project by putting process over results. Someone with limited project experience, regardless of their formal training, needs coaching and mentoring.
I would encourage any employer looking for a project manager to identified PMP certification as a desired requirement. If the project manager will be working unsupervised, an employer needs to hire a job candidate with a successful project management track record. I would encourage any project manager or aspiring project manager to get their PMP certification if they lack formal management experience.
