Benefits of PMI Membership

People often question the value of Project Management Institute (PMI) membership and ask whether it's really worth the money. PMI membership costs $119 per year. Here's an independent take on this subject, from my personal experience. 

Disclaimer: I am a PMP and a PMI member since Oct 2007 but have no other affiliation with PMI.  

This page is an excerpt from an article that I posted on Squidoo. To read the original article, click here: 10 Benefits of PMI Membership.

Benefits of PMI Membership

1. Save on Certification Exam Cost: First time PMI membership costs $129 (including $10 application fee). As a PMI member you can save $150 on PMP certification exam fee. That's a saving of $21 over non-members. So, the membership pays off right there !

2. Free Online Acess to Project Management Books: As a member, you get free online access to over 250 Project Management books. 

3. Access to Specific Interest Groups (SIGs): You can join SIGs depending upon your area of expertise and career interests. These SIGs also conduct webinars, which can help you gain valuable PDUs for re-certification.

4. Benefit from your Local PM Community: Local PMI chapters provide a good platform to learn from experts and peers, are good for networking, help build leadership skills through volunteer opportunities, and of course a great source for earning PDUs.

5. Free Copy of all PMI Standards: As a PMI member, you are entitled to a free copy of all the 11 standards that PMI publishes. Members can download the PDF version from the Library of PMI Global Standards.

6. Free PM Magazines, Newsletters, Journals and more: Members also get free subscription to PMBOK Guide CD-ROM, PM Network monthly magazine, PMI Today monthly newsletter, Project Management Quarterly Journal, and a few more publications and newsletters. 

Members also get free subscription to PMBOK Guide CD-ROM, PM Network monthly magazine, PMI Today monthly newsletter, Project Management Quarterly Journal, and a few more publications and newsletters. 

7. Gain Leadership Experience through Volunteer Opportunities with PMI.

8. Access to Research Studies, such as the recently published Researching the Value of Project Management. 

9. Access to Career Development Programs: Members get access to PMI's Online Job Database and a host of other career development tools and applications.

10. Discount on Books, Software, Merchandize, PMI Conferences and Courses.

In conclusion, I believe that PMI membership is a good value for money. There's a massive value that all members can gain from it. How much you can extract from it depends upon you.

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