Haters Are Going to Hate. Don’t Fall for the Bait!

Today I learn from our office secretary that another person in our office has asked the quality manager for a PMP exam application reference.  This is the very same person who has taken project management training money before my arrival to the agency but now nearly 14 months later he decides that he needs to get serious and apply for the PMP July 31^st exam change deadline.  All this time I submitted my application, secured my references, and already scheduled my test.  Instead of fretting, I have been studying since May 3^rd. I’ve made substantial progress scoring over a passing 61% on the last two knowledge area practice exams.  Thursday I will review my practice study guide chapter 7 and complete cost management practice exam. This weekend I will take my second PMP practice exam scoring over 70%.  I don’t sweat the competitors because I’m on my A game all of the time. Furthermore, with less than 2 months before the PMP change, there is no room for error.  

Never Ever Being Mediocre!

            Pastor Joel Osteen preaches about mediocrity running rampant. I’m not that all, I’m an overachiever. It has taken me until that sermon to understand that receiving promotion, testifying in two trials, traveling to four different states and enrolling in two statistics classes mean that I’m not going to take the PMP exam this year.  It’ll be on top of my list in 2013. USDA Graduate School has a $375 PMP preparation course.  In between now and January 23^rd, I’ll complete statistics 2 and intro to statistical modeling classes, finish reading operations management and square away all of my work projects. By March 15^th, I’ll reread the new PMBOK twice, taken 5 practice exams and registered for the exam. I’ll have my PMP before May 1^st. After PMP is the statistical process control on March 18^th and acceptance sampling on April 19^th. With PMP, I’m focusing only on that. Next year I’m pacing myself. I’m only doing 2 things at a time. Spacing them out lets me devote time towards it. Come June I’ll pass the certified quality engineer test making me a sure shot for GS-15. There’s no way I’m not getting promoted with PMP and CQE. Personally, I’ll be happy to utter the words; engineer!  That’s pretty big coming from a woman who never thought about becoming one!

            The US Department of Education constantly stresses the importance of Americans studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees. I have an economics degree which is social science.  Though I study statistics and have taken several higher-level math courses, obtaining the certified quality engineer distinction puts me in the STEM category.  I’ve always been hypercompetitive Type A personality who never backs down from competition.  Becoming an engineer after arriving in 2006 as an economist, is a big achievement. I only had an algebra. It took me dropping out of American University to take precalculus at Northern Virginia Community College-Alexandria campus, calculus at USDA Graduate School and calculus II at the University of the District of Columbia.  I took calculus III at UDC to finish the sequence. While taking the class, the physics student was there.  I looked up the university’s physics major prerequisites.  You only needed calculus II.  No wonder it was hard.  I received a D, the first time and a C the second time. Finally, I took linear algebra and advanced statistics. Now I’m taking statistics.com statistics 1 and 2. By the certified quality engineer (CQE) exam, I’ll complete three more advanced statistics classes (I might read Differential Equations for Dummies to learn more math [engineering probably requires this] and I’ll earn my fourth higher level math course qualifying me for the fed government mathematician classification).            Obtaining the CQE certification opens up doors for me. One I’ll qualify for GS-15 quality manager jobs. Also I’ll qualify for IEEE. Furthermore, since a native-born American armed with an engineering certification, I’ll demand top-dollar!  The one thing I won’t be is mediocre!  I don’t know how much time I have remaining on this earth but I refuse to waste is doing the minimum!