Making Competence Visible: Why Certifications in Projects Are More Than Just a Piece of Paper

The reasons individuals pursue certification could hardly be more diverse. They range from the need to first acquire basic vocabulary and foundational knowledge in a new professional field such as project management, to the desire for targeted advancement in a specific area of expertise. Often, there is also the hope that certification can serve as a door opener when applying for jobs— or as an accelerator for promotion.

Certificates are particularly valuable when changing roles, professions, or industries. A typical example is the transition from a company that uses traditional project management to an IT company that primarily applies agile methods. Although there are overlaps, this shift requires mastering new terminology and processes. Preparing for a certification and the corresponding training can help facilitate this change. Those who have previously worked in environments with linear project phases are familiar with clear stages, detailed plans, and regular status reports. 

In contrast, agile companies rely on flexible approaches such as Scrum. These emphasize short development cycles, daily stand-ups, and a dynamic team culture. New terms like Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, or Product Backlog come into play, and meetings follow different rules. Instead of weekly reports, quick feedback loops and direct problem-solving take center stage. Roles also shift — introducing positions such as Scrum Master or Product Owner, which do not exist in classical project structures.

The ability to lead a team confidently as a project manager is grounded in strong self-assurance in one’s role. Certification contributes significantly to the development of this professional identity.

The structured preparation for the exam serves as a systematic validation of existing knowledge. This process often leads to the realization that one already possesses substantial expertise. Recognizing one’s own competence provides a high level of psychological safety in decision-making and actions. At the same time, addressing knowledge gaps through in-depth study fosters critical reflection on previous practices. The result is an increased sense of competence, enabling leaders to guide their teams with greater confidence and professional grounding.

Another key advantage is access to professional networks that often form through certification courses. These networks allow participants to exchange experiences, discuss best practices, and build valuable professional relationships—further strengthening their standing in the field.

One of the key advantages of recognized certifications lies in their global relevance. Certificates can be viewed as a kind of universal language that unifies project management standards across countries and languages.

This is particularly beneficial in an international context: because qualifications are widely understood and accepted worldwide, they function as a global passport of competence. This greatly facilitates professional mobility and significantly enhances career prospects in the global job market, especially when applying to multinational organizations.

It is not only individuals who benefit from certification. Organizations as a whole also benefit when their employees can demonstrate well-founded, verifiable competencies through recognized credentials.

Certifications serve as a reliable tool for quality assurance within organizations. They provide confidence that new employees possess a defined level of foundational knowledge required for their respective roles. While hands-on project experience is indispensable, it cannot always cover all necessary competencies. Certificates therefore simplify the selection of qualified professionals by providing an objective and consistent basis for comparison between candidates.

Beyond recruitment, certifications make an essential contribution to optimizing and standardizing internal processes. When employees apply the same certified methodologies, projects follow a unified process model. This leads to improved planning, execution, and control of projects.

This standardization—combined with higher overall competency among staff—directly supports positive team development throughout the organization.

Certifications establish a shared knowledge base within teams, which significantly enhances internal communication. When all team members speak the same language and are familiar with the same principles and methods, misunderstandings in communication and documentation are drastically reduced. For example, when a change request is submitted, everyone immediately understands which formal steps are required and what the standardized handling process looks like. This minimizes process errors and accelerates resolution.

Moreover, when organizations sponsor certification costs, employee motivation tends to rise sharply—demonstrating the company’s appreciation and commitment to professional growth. Employees with deep expertise represent valuable intellectual capital: they not only help improve internal workflows but also act as knowledge multipliers—mentoring colleagues with less experience or supporting the onboarding of new hires.

This internal development focus has positive external effects as well: it makes the company more attractive to potential talent and strengthens its reputation as a supportive and forward-thinking employer. 

As valuable and important as certifications are for personal and organizational development, expectations must remain realistic. They are not a guarantee of success, but rather a key tool. Where there is great benefit, there are also clear limitations.

Certifications should not be overestimated. It is essential to critically assess whether the listed qualifications are truly required for the intended role.

A certificate does not automatically make someone the best candidate. Essential soft skills—such as leadership, teamwork, and communication—must be evaluated in personal interviews and incorporated into the selection process. Mere knowledge is insufficient; it must be practically applicable, meaning the most highly certified person is not always the best choice.

Moreover, the cost-benefit ratio must be carefully considered. When companies sponsor employee certifications, the expected benefits — for both the individual and the organization — must justify the time and financial investment. A careful evaluation of which certificates are truly relevant to organizational goals is therefore indispensable. ROI analyses should consider both monetary costs (exam fees, course fees) and time investment. Intensive learning temporarily reduces employee availability for project work, making a strategic selection of certifications critical to ensure the benefits outweigh the investment.

Another critical element is the focus on the exam itself: “Learning for the Exam” versus “Learning for the Job”. Many candidates concentrate their preparation on mastering test questions rather than internalizing knowledge and applying it to their daily work. This can result in formal requirements being met, but actual application skills and critical reflection falling short. The certificate then becomes a mere entry ticket rather than proof of deep competence.

The landscape of competency validation is changing. Driven by the need for lifelong learning and technological innovation, new forms of certification are emerging that are more flexible, specialized, and secure than their traditional predecessors.

The integration of AI is transforming how competencies are demonstrated and validated, while also posing new challenges for examinations.

Through adaptive learning, content and difficulty levels can be tailored to an individual’s knowledge and progress, enabling efficient, personalized learning. AI can identify in real time which tasks are completed quickly, which concepts are well understood, and where challenges arise. The learning content is then optimized to improve outcomes, which is reflected in exam performance.

At the same time, the widespread availability of AI tools (e.g., large language models) for exam preparation challenges certification providers to ensure the security and integrity of online testing. Candidates may use AI to generate solutions during exams, prompting the question of whether exam questions should be designed to go beyond AI-generated answers.

Certifications in project management are far more than formal documentation. They foster personal development, improve career prospects, and support organizational standardization. When transitioning from traditional to agile methods, for example, they provide not only theoretical knowledge but also practical confidence in handling new roles, processes, and terminology. Organizations benefit from standardized workflows, improved team communication, and a shared knowledge base, which ultimately enhances their attractiveness as employers.

However, certificates are not a panacea: they do not replace practical experience or social competencies such as leadership and teamwork. The effort required must also be weighed carefully against the benefits.

Ultimately, certifications are a powerful tool whose value is fully realized only when understood as part of a broader learning and development process, in which theory and practice are continuously integrated.