Want to start a career in project management and considering the Google Project Management Professional Certificate? If so, be sure you read this article until the end.
In fact, I believe after reading this article, you won’t need to look for another because in this review we’re going to discuss everything you need to know about this program, such as who this certification is best for, what you’ll learn in this course, and whether taking this Google certification is worth it, and more.
Take a look at the below table of contents and jump to the specific section that interests you the most.
So, let’s dive into it…
Career in Project Management Overview:
Before I start my review, let me quickly give you an overview of a career in project management. Since this course is designed for beginners, you must be well-acquainted with this industry.
In simple terms, project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet project requirements and achieve desired outcomes.
Project managers play a crucial role in various industries such as IT, construction, healthcare, and more, ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively. It doesn’t require you to be an expert in any industry, but you must understand the fundamentals of that industry.
To work in this industry, strong organizational, leadership, and problem-solving skills are required, often accompanied by certification, such as the PMP (Project Management Professional) for career advancement. Project managers are in high demand across industries, making it a versatile and rewarding career path.
A career in this industry involves planning, executing, and overseeing projects to achieve specific goals within a set timeframe and budget. You may read this article for a better guide on how to become a project manager as this article is more focused on Google Project Management certification review.
What is Google Project Management Professional Certification?
Now you have a decent knowledge of this industry, let me tell you what this program is all about.
The Google Project Management Certification program is part of Google Career Certificates, created by senior practitioners at Google to provide you with the core concepts of Project Management and prepare you for an entry-level job.
The best part? It does not require any prior experience or a college degree to get started with this program. All you need is your willingness to learn and kickstart a rewarding career as a project manager. You’ll learn everything from scratch.
This program consists of six industry-relevant courses that focus on project management fundamentals, including goals, objectives, and deliverables, risk management, team dynamics, project management methodologies, data-driven decision-making, and more.
While gaining valuable insights into project management, this course will also enhance your soft skills such as communication, leadership, and more.
The complete course is available on Coursera which excels in organizing course content and making it more effective and enjoyable to learn. This I have personally experienced in all Coursera programs I pursued.
Similar to other Coursera courses, this course also includes video lessons, reading materials, quizzes during the video lesson, and graded assignments. Moreover, you have the flexibility to schedule your learning time, set goals, take notes, read video transcriptions, and download any exercises you find most important. You may also read my Coursera review for more information.
Who is this program best for?
If you find the field of Project Management enticing and envision a fulfilling career, you may consider enrolling in this certification program.
However, it’s important to note that this program is specifically designed for beginners in project management who wish to learn from the ground up. The course provides a solid foundation and helps you prepare for an entry-level job without requiring any prior experience or knowledge.
So, regardless of your current profession or existing knowledge, if you aspire to become a project manager, this course is an excellent starting point.
In general, I found this program suitable for:
- Individuals who wish to acquire a highly in-demand skill and start a career in Project Management.
- Students who want to pursue a new career path alongside their academic studies.
- People looking to switch their careers to Project Management due to its high demand.
If you have significant experience or are currently working in this industry and want to enhance your skills, I would advise you to consider an advanced-level project management training program.
How much does this certification cost?
The Google Project Management Certificate costs $49 per month. However, the complete course price depends on how long it takes you to finish the program.
On average, the program takes 4 months to complete (by studying 10-12 hours per week), bringing total costs to $196. If you require more time to complete, it would cost you $294, giving you a six-month access to the program. You may also take a 7-day free trial with this program.
In India, this program costs ₹3,242 for a three-month completion time and ₹4,864 for a six-month completion time, which is comparatively less and affordable. Additionally, you will also have an EMI payment option and a 14-day refund period.
Alternatively, you may also sign up for a Coursera Plus subscription which costs only $59 per month while giving you access to over 6,000 courses, including this program and other professional certificates. For more information, you may read my Coursera Plus.
Now, let’s discuss what you will learn in this course or, to put it differently, how this course can help you start a career in project management.
What do you learn in this course?
If you’re new to any industry or course, the first question you should ask yourself is, What will I learn in this course? If the learning journey sounds interesting, then you’ll enjoy the career and course you choose.
So, what can you expect to learn in this Google Project Management Professional Certification? Allow me to explain in detail.
As I mentioned earlier, the course is designed for completion in 4 months (by studying 10 hours per week) and it includes a total of six series of courses to build the fundamentals and secure an entry-level job in project management.
These six-series courses are:
- Foundations of Project Management
- Project Initiation: Starting a Successful Project
- Project Planning: Putting It All Together
- Project Execution: Running the Project
- Agile Project Management
- Capstone: Applying Project Management in the Real World
Along with learning these subjects, the program also prepares for job training and career placement which we’ll discuss later.
Let’s explore each of these series courses and see what you learn in every course…
1. Foundations of Project Management:
As the name suggests, this specific course is all about teaching you the fundamentals of project management. So, if you don’t have much exposure to the project management industry, this course will cover everything.
Starting with the definition of Project Management, how project managers add value to organizations, and the role and responsibilities of a project manager, this program includes everything.
Furthermore, in this first course, you will also learn about the phases of the project life cycle and why it is important to complete them. You will be also taught about the career and prospects in this industry.
This series includes a total of 4 modules and may take 18 hours to complete. Honestly speaking, I found all the instructors and their lectures highly interactive and engaging.
2. Project Initiation: Starting a Successful Project
After ensuring your fundamental understanding, the next course teaches you how to get started with projects. It comprises a total of 4 modules and may take approximately 21 hours to complete.
This comprehensive course is led and taught by JuAnne, a senior program manager at Google with 8 years of experience.
In this specific course, you will learn all the steps for initiating a project. It starts with an overview of the initiation phase, the stage where ideas converge to form the foundation of a project plan.
Furthermore, you will identify the individual components of initiation, such as the project scope, goals, and deliverables. You will also learn how to measure the success of a project, a crucial aspect of project management. After all, the goal is to meet or exceed all the requirements for a successful project.
In the subsequent modules of this course, you will also be taught about working with stakeholders. This includes how a project manager coordinates and effectively collaborates with stakeholders. It’s important to note that stakeholders are directly interested in the project’s completion and success.
In the final module, you will gain hands-on experience with various tools and resources typically required to complete the work of a project.
3. Project Planning: Putting It All Together
This course is focused on the planning phase. It is led and taught by Rowena, who works as a senior program manager in Google Cloud.
The course aims to share the essential tools and techniques to complete this phase. Starting with how to kick off the planning phase, you will explore the importance of setting and reaching milestones. You will also be asked to complete a set of tasks for breaking down and distributing the workload.
However, this specific course focuses more on budgeting and how the overall budgeting process works. You will learn about people or companies outside of your organization that may play a role in determining the budget and the importance of sufficiently documenting your budget.
Furthermore, the course will teach you about the various risks and the possible impact those risks can have on the project. Nothing ever goes quite as planned, but risk management is a great way to ensure you know what could go wrong and how you’ll address it. This includes communicating possible risks to your stakeholders, creating a mitigation plan, and then keeping an eye on those risks to make sure they don’t stall your projects.
As a project manager, you will be responsible for identifying those risk threats and providing solutions for them, which you will learn more about in the next series of courses.
4. Project Execution: Running the Project
This course is led and taught by Elita, who works as a senior engineering program manager at Google. It consists of a total of six modules and may take 26 hours to complete.
The complete course focuses on how to put a project plan into action. In the first step, you’ll learn more about risks and unforeseen changes throughout the project.
Remember the previous course and how it involves the concept of risk mitigation during the planning phase. This course takes it one step further and discusses what to do when a risk materializes.
Furthermore, it focuses on tracking and quality. You’ll learn how to track and measure your project’s progress and how to use continuous improvement and quality management techniques to keep the project on track and running smoothly. These best practices are valuable for almost any role.
Other significant aspects of running a project include decision-making. You’ll learn to both use and analyze data to inform your decision-making and then, in turn, use that data to explore and explain key aspects of your project.
In addition to the theoretical part, you will also learn team management and the fundamentals of influencing. You will also learn some of the tools that provide effective team communication along with tips for organizing and facilitating meetings.
Finally, the course wraps up by discussing how to close a project. You’ll learn the steps required to finish a project and the importance of celebrating a job well done with your team. After all that planning, this is the point in the project life cycle where work gets done and everything comes together.
5. Agile Project Management:
By taking the series of courses mentioned above, you will learn about the foundations of project management and what it takes to be a project manager. You will also explore the phases of the project lifecycle, including initiation, planning, execution, risk management, and the project’s closure.
Additionally, you will gain hands-on experience with various tools and techniques for managing and communicating your plans. I believe that by effectively completing the four courses mentioned, you will establish a solid foundation in project management.
Now, let’s move on to delivering projects with Agile. If you’re not already familiar, Agile is one of the most popular software development methodologies that helps teams create and deliver projects.
This is the second-to-last course in the Google Project Management Certification program, and it is dedicated to Agile Project Management from the basics. It consists of four modules and may take approximately 25 hours to complete the course.
This specific course can help you prepare for a career in Agile project management. You’ll learn the history of Agile and be introduced to a specific Agile delivery framework called Scrum. The instructor will also educate you about the core roles that comprise a Scrum Team.
The final module will provide you with the best practices and real-world scenarios where you can apply the Agile approach to lead your project to success.
I forgot to mention earlier that the entire course is taught by Sue, a senior technical program manager with Google’s support platform, and she does an excellent job of explaining complex concepts.
6. Capstone: Applying Project Management in the Real World
Now we have come to the final course series, which will help you put all your training into the real world. You will apply whatever you’ve learned in the previous series of courses, from project initiation and planning to execution and closing stages, in the real world.
This course also includes four modules but may take a little longer, about 36 hours, to complete. The course is led by Dan, who also works as a program manager at Google.
In this last course, you’ll create project documents based on an imagined scenario. The first scenario will involve a small restaurant chain called “Sauce and Spoon,” which aims to meet its annual growth and expansion goals. You’ll gather details through conversations, emails, and other materials, just as you would in a real-world scenario.
By the end of this course, you’ll have developed a portfolio of project management documents that will demonstrate your ability to manage stakeholders and teams, organize plans, and communicate project details.
Furthermore, there will be a dedicated module on negotiating effectively with stakeholders, which will be especially beneficial for your career growth in any industry you choose to work in.
The best part is that each activity you complete in this course contains guiding questions to help you create common project documents that you can discuss in a job interview and utilize throughout your career.
As this is a professional and career-oriented program, I’m confident that the skills you learn will be valuable when applying for jobs or working on projects in your current line of work.
Certificate and Career Assitance:
After completion of this course, you will receive a Google Project Management Professional Certificate, approved by Google and Coursera.
This certificate is valid and you can add it to your resume and LinkedIn profile to showcase your skills to potential employers. Please note that having this professional certificate may increase your chances of getting a job but it does not give any job guarantee.
You’ll be provided with job training and career support by the instructor of this program. However, this certification alone may not be helpful enough for landing your dream job. After this fundamental course, you can prepare for the PMI Certification to secure a job in this industry.
My Verdict: Is Google Project Management Certification Worth It?
I find this course offers a lot of value. Based on its course content and what it teaches in project management, it is commendable. I’d say that if you’re interested in starting a career in project management and want to learn everything from scratch, this program is the best to consider.
The program is designed to provide a strong foundation in project management and can help anyone start a great career as a project manager. The best part? You don’t need to have prior knowledge and experience to enroll in this program.
Moreover, the course also provides career assistance and prepares you for an entry-level job in this field. The price of this program is also affordable and well worth the investment. I would recommend this program to anyone who is looking for a job-oriented career in project management and wants to learn everything from scratch.
Believe it or not, you’ll never get bored while pursuing this course, as Coursera has done a great job in organizing the course, which also includes quizzes and graded assignments. Furthermore, all the instructors from Google are very active in teaching.
The downsides? I find that instructors do not participate in the discussion forum to address any issues. Furthermore, there is no weekly or live interaction with the instructors, making me slightly disappointed about the course. The rest of the thing is well and good.
Google Project Management Certification FAQs:
Is Google Project Management Certification recognized?
The Google Project Management Professional Certificate is valid and can be recognized by a few potential employers in the project management industry. However, its recognition may vary compared to more established certifications like PMP. It’s beneficial for entry-level or specific roles but may not replace widely recognized certifications in all contexts.
How useful is the Google Project Management Certification?
If you don’t have any prior knowledge and experience in project management, Google Project Management Certification can be proven beneficial for you where you will learn everything from scratch. I’d say, this certification is useful for acquiring practical project management skills and may be beneficial for entry-level roles or specific industries. However, its overall usefulness depends on individual career goals and the industry’s recognition.
Is the Google Project Management Certificate hard to complete?
I have nothing found hard in the Google Project Management Certificate program. Everything you learn from scratch. Along with the video lessons, the program also includes reading materials to get a deeper level of understanding. If you follow the course in the right sequence without skimming and skipping any lesson, you can easily pass all the mock tests and exam questions it includes.
Alternatives of Google Project Management Professional Certification:
1. Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
PMI offers globally recognized certifications in project management, including the CAPM for entry-level professionals, ideal for individuals looking to kickstart their project management careers and the PMP for more experienced project managers. To become a PMP, you must meet specific experience and education requirements, in addition to passing the PMP exam.
These certifications cover a broad spectrum of project management concepts and are highly respected in the industry. PMI provides various resources, including study materials, courses, and practice exams, to help candidates prepare for these exams.
2. Project Management Principles and Practices Specialization
This specialization program in project management is also available on Coursera, offered by the University of California, Irvine. This course is designed for beginners and can be completed in just one session by dedicating 10 hours per week to studying.
However, it does not include training in Agile Project Management and does not delve as deeply into fundamental concepts as the Google Project Management Certification does. Nevertheless, it can be worthwhile to build your foundation and acquire essential skills, such as project initiation, budgeting, and managing project risks, all within a short timeframe.
Furthermore, in a short period, you’ll be able to determine if you enjoy the course and if pursuing a career in this field is the right choice for you.
3. Professional Certificate in Fundamentals of Project Management:
Available on edX, this program is also designed for beginners in project management. Here, you’ll learn the fundamentals and develop job-oriented skills.
The professional certification is created and offered by The University of Adelaide and may take 3 months to complete by studying 2-3 hours per week. Similar to the specialization program on project management featured above, this program does not include Agile training and others, but it may provide you with a good overview of the fundamentals in this industry.
This program covers various aspects of project management, such as project planning, risk management, and leadership. It may also include video lectures, quizzes, and peer assessments.
Now It’s Your Turn:
I hope you’re satisfied with my Google Project Management Certification review and found it helpful.
Now I’d love to hear from you:
Got any thoughts or questions about this Google certification program? And, how did you find my review?
More Certifications that Are Offered by Google:
As mentioned earlier in this article, the Google Project Management Certification is a part of the Google Career Certificates.
These certificates, crafted by senior practitioners at Google, are tailored to prepare individuals for entry-level positions in high-demand fields such as cybersecurity, project management, UX design, digital marketing, and more. No prior knowledge or experience is necessary to enroll in these programs.
In today’s review, I’ve covered the Google Project Management Professional Certificate, providing essential information about the program.
Here are other Google certifications and courses I’ve reviewed on my blog:
- Google UX Design Professional Certificate Review
- Google Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Professional Certification Review
- Udacity Digital Marketing Nanodegree review
- Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate Review
- IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate Review
Let me know if you want me to review any other certification programs.
(To support our blog without advertisements, we may use affiliate links in this post. Rest assured, it does not affect our reviews.)
