Ask the Expert

APMP Certification – Do I really need it?

Question by: Qazi Yasir

Hi Chris

I am from Pakistan and work as a Tender Manager at Biomedical Firm. I have been in the role for 10 years.

I am writing to get advice on APMP Certification and whether it is useful for me?

If you believe it is, how would you suggest I best achieve it?

I’m also keen to understand how I can best position my skills to secure a job in the UK/US?

I have joined Bid solutions Group a few days ago and I have found it a really useful resource.

Thank you

Qazi

Answered by
Christopher Kälin

Answer

An APMP certification will certainly make sense for you if you are seeking to demonstrate that you have a comprehensive knowledge on widely accepted best practices. You will benefit from increased credibility and respect from employers or peers. In some cases, it might even mean better compensation. In the UK and the US in particular, the APMP certification scheme is already well recognized and it is more and more becoming the standard for bid professionals.

The exam is based on APMP’s Body of Knowledge (BoK) which you can access online as an APMP member. In any case, for your preparation, I strongly suggest to get help from an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) in order to make sure you will focus on the most relevant topics that are being tested. As you are based in Pakistan, I recommend to go for an eLearning tutorial or on a dedicated webinar series. After your preparation, you can sit the exam online (book the exam on www.apmg-international.com). In any case, you should go for an APMP membership so that you can access the BoK and benefit from a significantly lower exam fee (USD 400 instead of USD 600).

When looking for a job, I recommend contacting a specialized agent (such as Bid Solutions in the UK). On LinkedIn, you will find also plenty of job opportunities.

I hope this helps!

Regards
Chris