FAQ
Our Most Frequently Asked Questions
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Courses & Training
what do I get in your PMP® Exam Prep+ course?
Everything you need to transition from military Leader or Veteran to civilian Project Manager! You’ll receive:
- 21st Century AI-driven conversion of your military leadership experience into commercial project manager experience for your PMP® application, resume, and LinkedIn profile.
- Personal PMP® application audit defense by Dr. Eric A. Wright, PMP®, ACP, CIA (inactive); we have successfully defended 50+ applications with PMI.
- Training to use the 6th edition of the PMBOK® Guide and pass the PMP® exam using military project examples that parallel civilian projects for ease of learning and translation.
- A hard-copy PMBOK® Guide, a PMI-published PMP® exam Q&A book, a full-color Study Guide workbook, a full suite of project management documents depicting a real-life project for reference, and video and audio recordings of all our recorded virtual courses. No wonder our first-time go pass rate is 94%, and our second-time pass rate is 100%! Yep, we stick with you until you pass!
- Provide you with a professionally written 2-page Executive resume.
- Provide you with a 4-hour Interview Skills Workshop.
- Provide you with lifetime PM career mentorship and placement assistance.
- All for some of the lowest prices in marketplace, especially considering most of the industry’s training organizations only provide the PMP® training component! Our virtual Webinar courses are only $1,287.00 USD and our onsite courses are only $1,647.00 USD. This produces the highest value, lowest cost, only lifetime long solution in the industry! Additionally, our average Veteran client is placed in 60-90 days of starting the program.
What does "webinar" mean?
How do i participate in your courses?
You can attend our live instructor-led, monthly Webinar from the comfort of your own home any month you wish, and in classrooms at select locations globally. High interaction with other participants and instructors occurs in both formats; in fact, we have seen no difference between them in terms of our 94% first-time pass rate, and our 100% second-time pass rate.
what is the time commitment for the PMP® Course?
When does your live webinar air?
Check out our Course Calendar here.
What does a class session look like?
Instructors provide instruction through Power Points, anecdotal stories, interactive exercises, polls, and videos. As adult educators, we have built our curriculum and delivery method in a manner that engages all learning styles.
How do I get started?
Click Here to download the getting started guide
can I get more information on your program?
First, watch this orientation video.
Second, read this white paper and this one sheet.
Third, visit Vet Stone to easily and accurately translate your military leadership experience into project management experience for your PMP application, resume, and LinkedIn profile:
Does vets2pm administer the PMP® exam?
No, PMI exams are administered through Pearson Vue testing centers globally.
Will we be taking the exam the last Friday of class?
No, individuals must receive PMI acceptance of their application and schedule their exam with the Pearson Vue testing center of their choice (https://home.pearsonvue.com/pmi).
Can civilians attend your training?
Yes. The PMBOK® Guide is applicable to projects in any environment.
How far out from my ets should I start my training?
In our experience helping thousands of Veterans, we suggest 12-18 months out.
Does the PMp prepare me for any pm position?
Yes, it is a strong block to have checked, along with a 4-year degree, but like rank in uniform, it conveys only baseline capability. You’ll still need to discuss your ability to run projects in terms of outcomes and do research on the industry you’re seeking employment in. You can research companies, connect with their employees, and begin informal mentoring relationships to develop an industry-specific context. We have helped aircrews go into IT; IT experts into construction; and logisticians into healthcare.
Tell me more about what is offered with the Vets2PM Bootcamp
Click Here to download the Vets2PM Roadmap
Student Resources
What books will i need?
Webinar students: Register and order your materials for yourself no later than 10 days prior to your desired Webinar start date to ensure they arrive in time.
Onsite students: You will receive your materials the first day of class. Please register at least 10 days prior to your class start date to ensure your materials are there day one of class.
Glancing through the Glossary and Table 1-4 are great, but not requisite, pre-course activities.
will i get a checklist to monitor my progress?
Yes, you’ll receive detailed instruction and email phase gates to monitor your progress, and ensure you’re on track easily and accurately.
How Do I change My Account Password?
Your Account Password can be changed in two places;
If you are logged out you can visit the login page and choose “forgot password” and follow the instructions.
If you are logged in you can visit the “My Membership” page and all of your details can be changed here.
So I finished training but what do I need to do next to test?
Click Here to download our End of Course Guide
What are the PMP® exam requirements?
PMP® exam candidates possessing a 4-year degree or higher must demonstrate a minimum of 4,500 hours of experience over 36 months of experience within the last 8 years.
PMP® exam candidates possessing a High School Diploma or 2-year degree must demonstrate a minimum of 7,500 hours of experience over 60 months of experience within the last 8 years.
Can I receive mentoring?
Yes! We have partnered with THE PMO SQUAD and created a digital mentor platform staffed by volunteer successful PMs to provide professional development mentorship:
https://www.thepmosquad.com/veterans-mentoring.html
how Do I change MY Account Email?
There is only one place you can change your account email and that is by visiting the “My Membership” page, all of your details can be changed here.
Resumes & Job Opportunities
What are the resume services all about?
As part of your Boot Camp Plus program I will create a resume for you, translating your military experience into civilian-understood terminology. I will send an intake email just before the start of your course, asking a series of questions and requesting certain documentation. I use this information to create the first draft of your resume. Your first draft resume will come with instructions on the revision process, where we collaborate to get the resume ‘just right.’
What if I want a Federal resume?
Our Boot Camp Plus program includes a 2-page (usually) Standard resume geared toward private industry or government contractors. A Federal resume is much more involved, much longer, and contains much more detail. If you are interested in a Federal resume, I can provide that and the fee is $250.
How long does it take to get my resume?
Once your course starts, and you reply to the resume intake email you will receive a reply that tells you I’ve added you to my resume queue. My resume queue is often very long, and I ask for your patience as we work through the process. One of my questions in the intake email is when you are transitioning and what is your target date for the resume. I will always do my best to work within your time frame, and you can feel free to talk with me about timing if you have a special request or need the resume outside of the normal queue.
do your placement services cost money?
No! It is a free service we provide Veteran project managers!
I have two or more areas of interest…can you create several resumes for me?
I only provide one resume per student, however, usually one resume is more than sufficient. Your objectives may seem different, but usually they fit well into one resume. I provide information on how to easily adjust resumes toward job descriptions, which doesn’t require rewriting the resume for each job you are interested in. I have a generic cover letter template that I can provide you that helps target your expertise toward specific jobs. You’ll love it and it has proven to be very helpful, especially early in your transition.
Do you write LinkedIn profiles, too?
Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time to create or revise LinkedIn profiles, and LinkedIn has very strict rules preventing multiple people from logging into one person’s account. The course will provide LinkedIn optimization strategies, and I do as well. Once we get started, feel free to ask me about LinkedIn and how to best optimize your profile!
Please tell me about PurpleX and lifetime placement assistance.
Because we are help military veterans become project managers…and more…we wanted to ensure we help you with ‘The Next Chapter,’ your job search! In fact, even if you’ve been hired after your transition, you may be interested in an even better job down the line, and that’s why we provide lifetime placement services.
Every student is entered into our Applicant Tracking System (ATS), named PurpleX. This is the system we use to manage our alumni, now called ‘candidates.’ By having your resume entered into PurpleX you are visible to me and our trusted Corporate (Employer) Partners who are interested in hiring Veterans. Every PurpleX Corporate Partner will be listed on our website, which you can view by clicking on (Brook: I can’t find our corporate partners page). Each Corporate Partner on the website tells a bit about their company and has links to their website / careers page so you can review their open job descriptions, some of which are posted on our Job Opportunities page.
Employers & Recruiters
What is PurpleX and how can it help our company?
PurpleX candidates are all professional, educated, vetted, motivated, flexible, and interested in exploring roles with leading civilian organizations and government contractors.
PurpleX grows by approximately +/-60 candidates per month, and a PurpleX subscription includes a fee Corporate Partnership for the term of the subscription.
How many users come with a subscription to PurpleX?
Every PurpleX subscription comes with two user credentials. Additional user credentials can be purchased for $200 each for the term of the subscription.
How can PurpleX ‘transform our Veteran Hiring Initiative into a Reality’?
There is a serious gap between transitioning veterans, their ability to accurately convey their expertise, and a hiring company / prospective employer’s ability to identify and understand a candidate’s worth when their resume contains only ‘military language and acronyms’. The candidates in PurpleX have resumes that have been translated into civilian-understood terminology, with titles that convey their responsibilities, and makes identifying and hiring veteran professionals just as easy as hiring civilian candidates.
What are the benefits of Corporate Partnership?
Corporate Partnership is a great way to draw veteran candidates to your website, to learn about your company, and view your open career opportunities. When you subscribe for a Corporate Partnership you include a website-quality company logo and a write up about your company and instructions on where to link both to your website (home page, careers page, etc.) Vets2PM draws thousands of viewers per month – all veterans interested in their transition and thinking about their next career move.
How does Job Posting Services work?
By choosing job posting services you will have the choice to post a single job, two jobs, or subscribe to six-month, or one-year of unlimited job postings. You can take care of everything directly from our website, including uploading your job description. You job will be posted on our website for maximum exposure. With six-month and one-year plans you can post as many jobs as you like and switch them any time. When you post a job, you can include a link to the actual job posting and instruct candidates to click on the link to apply, or they can click ‘apply’ directly on our site. If the candidate applies directly from our site, we will forward the resume to you immediately.
What is PMaas?
Project Management as a Service. We have many candidates interested in consulting assignments and we will source our candidate pool to fill your temporary, remote, or ‘try before you hire’ project management job requirements. We employ the Veteran and put them to work on your jobs.
Funding Sources
Do you accept Army credentialing assistance (Army CA)?
Yes, we certainly do. You will need to request an invoice from us to include with your credentialing goal. Please let administrator@vets2pm.com know once your funding requests have been approved.
Do you accept AF Cool funding?
Yes, we certainly do. You will need to request an invoice from us to include with your credentialing goal to be approved by your supervisor. Afterwards, you will need to go back into the AF Cool portal and submit 2 funding requests, one for study material (tuition), and the other for the exam fee, both of which need to be approved by your supervisor. Please let administrator@vets2pm.com know once your funding requests have been approved and are awaiting AF Cool CPO review and I can help expedite.
How does the AF COOL Program work and how can I expect the timeline to flow?
Click Here to download the AF COOL process schedule
How do I know if I’m eligible for AF Cool funding?
AF Cool is an enlisted benefit that allows up to $4500 to be utilized towards certifications. For more information on who is eligible, visit the following link: https://afvec.us.af.mil/afvec/Public/COOL/HowDoIApply.aspx
Can unit funds pay for the course?
Yes, this is a regular process we handle, please fill out this template and route through your commander, resource advisor, then to the Government Purchase Cardholder.
I’m an officer, are there any funding opportunities?
Yes, we have had several Officers that have had success getting their unit to fund their attendance via the SF-182 process. Please click here to download a SF-182 with our admin portion pre-filled out to route through your command for approval. Once SF-182 is approved, I will need to know who the invoice needs to be made out to (Usually your RA/RM/S4/Comptroller) to make payment via Government Purchase Card.
DO YOU ACCEPT MCCC (C3) FUNDING?
Yes, Military Veterans and Spouses may be eligble for funding via MCCC. “Military Corps Career Connect, better known as C3, is a workforce lead initiative aimed at reducing the unemployment rate of veterans and active duty spouses in Maryland. Transitioning active duty service members, active duty spouses, and recently separated veterans (non-retiree) are provided a customized set of services that allow them to successfully transition careers. C3 is funded by a $4.2 million National Dislocated Workers Grant from US Department of Labor.” Please let administrator@vets2pm.com know once your funding requests have been approved or if there are any questions.
Will the GI Bill/Post 9-11 GI Bill fund my attendance?
Unfortunately, the GI Bill does not cover preparatory courses for certifications at this time. It will reimburse you for the cost of the exam however and the process is covered here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cover-cost-your-pmp-exam-va-educational-benefits-eisenzimmer-pmp
Are you a DoD skillbridge program?
This is in the works, more information to follow in the very near future.
How do I request a new invoice or change an invoice?
To request an invoice, navigate to the event/class you would like to attend and fill out the “request an invoice” form. If you need to make a change to your invoice, including changing the event/class you’d like to attend, contact administrator@vets2pm.com
Company/Organizational Training
Do you only train military/veterans?
No, we certainly train everyone to successfully learn and obtain their project management certification. We have done trainings for several corporate clients in the past and can address your company trainings needs.
How far will you travel to conduct my unit/organizational training?
We have conducted classes across CONUS locations and several OCONUS as well including UK, Germany, Japan, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and more.
What is your price for conducting unit/organizational/company training?
It is best for me to learn what your needs are to scope our offerings accordingly to meet your intent. Please email me at administrator@vets2pm.com and we can setup a time to speak to discuss the scope of the training and I can provide you a timely estimate for our services.
Federal Contracting
Do have set-aside goals you are needing assistance with?
We are a SDVOSB and specialize in corporate training and staffing (Project Management as a Service (PMaaS) and would love the opportunity to work with you. Our capabilities statement can be found here: https://www.vets2pm.com/fedsupplier
Are you on a GS schedule?
We are working on getting approved for a GS schedule. Stay tuned!
Application Translator
What is the Project Management Opportunity in the CIVDIV?
This 33-minute video answers the questions what is a civilian project manager, how do I know if I qualify for a career in it, and how do I prepare myself to achieve a post-Service career in project manager?
What is project management experience?
In the field of project management, the widely-accepted defining doctrine is A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, or PMBOK® Guide. It defines a project as a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique good, service, or result for a professional organization. It also defines a project manager as the person responsible for leading the project team to deliver the expected good, service, or result within the project objectives of scope, time, and cost. This means that your experience receiving, planning, resourcing, leading and controlling, and documenting military mission and/or exercise performance equates to the civilian profession of project management, according to its own governing doctrine. Documenting this experience can play a key role in your transition, either upcoming or past, because civilian hiring managers and recruiters instantly recognize project management, understand its extreme value to their organizations or their customers, and pay top dollar for it.
What are the Project Management Institute’s requirements to sit for the Project Management Professional exam?
The PMP®certificate is globally considered the gold standard project management credential. It is awarded to project managers that successfully pass their PMP® PMI requires PMP® exam applicants with 4-year degrees or higher to document a minimum of 4,500 hours of experience “leading and directing project activities” over 36 cumulative months within 8 years of the application submission date, and PMP® exam applicants with a High School Diploma or 2-year degree to document a minimum of 7,500 hours of experience “leading and directing project activities” over 60 cumulative months within 8 years of the application submission date. PMI also requires all applicants obtain 35 contact hours of project management-specific education and adhere to their Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. These requirements let industry know that PMP® applicants understand their profession in terms of knowledge, execution, and behavior.
Calculating Your Project Summary Hours
PMI uses a standard 40-hour work week, of which they consider there to be 4 of during a standardized month.
Therefore, when you are calculating your Gross Project hours, multiply 160 hours to each month you present to arrive at your Gross Total of Hours. Then, determine how much of your time that month, and for each month, you spent on the project under consideration. Finally, then apportion your Revised Gross Total of Hours according to PMI’s generic allocation percentages if you can’t, or don’t want to, calculate your specific hours in each Process Group of: 13% Initiating (IN), 24% Planning (PL), 31% Executing (EX), 21% Monitoring & Controlling (MC), and 7% Closing (CL).
I have provided a table which illustrates both; PMI’s generic percentages and an example, that you can use as a reference.
How do I calculate my hours and months of project management experience?
Many civilians work 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year. This means they work about 2,000 hours a year, the maximum number of annual hours PMI allows PMP® exam applicants to document on their applications. To break this number down into PMI’s target units, we divide 2,000 work hours per year by 12 months and get a conservative 160 hours per month. Use this factor X your project’s total number of months to calculate your project’s Total Gross Hours, which you’ll multiply by the % of time you devoted to it each month for it’s duration, i.e. full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, or one-quarter time to get you respective Revised Total Gross Hours.
Let’s illustrate:
I lead a 6 month long project that I worked on half-time, i.e. 50%, because I was doing other projects and leading Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, or Marines. So, 6 months X 160 hours per month = 960 Total Gross Hours, X .5 (50%) for a Revised Total Gross Hours of 480 hours. So, I would get 6 months and 480 hours of project experience.
You then allocate your Revised Total Gross Hours to each process group according to PMI’s generic allocation model: 13% for IN, 24% for PL, 31% for EX, 25% for MC, and 7% for CL, or 62 hrs. IN, 115 hrs. PL, 149 hrs. for EX, 120 hrs. for MC, and 34 hrs. for CL.
How or where do I insert my Project Details such as Project Name, Sponsor, Role, etc.?
You’ll actually insert all of this information in your PMP® application at pmi.org.
The Vets2PM Application Translator only needs the Project Details such as hours and months “leading and directing the projects’ activities”, and the qualitative statements about which activities you led and directed to lead to which project outcomes/deliverables under which project objectives/constraints.
Furthermore, for each Project Summary on your Final Report, you’ll enter “Project Manager” as your “Title”, and you’ll enter either “Sponsor” or “Manager” for your POC that will validate your experience if audited. That’s because PM was your role, because you “led and directed project activities”, and the person that gave you the project charge A. did so (Manager) or B. paid for the project you did (Sponsor).
How do I Use the VEts2PM Application Translator?
How does Vets2PM's application Translator work?
The Vets2PM Application Translator is just a tool to assist with hours per month and it distributes the hours per process group. Additionally, it ensures you are not exceeding the character count. Finally, we give you proven examples for bench-marking that drives the application submission. Altogether it is a powerful tool to assist in determining the Objective and Theme of your project, which maps to the profession’s language, knowledge, tools, techniques, interpersonal skills, and activities as identified and codified by PMI in the PMBOK® Guide, PMP®Handbook, and the PMP® Examination Content Outline, to produce an profession-accurate description of your military experience as commercially viable civilian project management experience. This is inteded to be a self-help tool.
How does a PMP® certificate help me transition into a meaningful, lucrative career in the civilian workforce?
To sit for the PMP® exam, applicants have to document a minimum of 4,500 hours “leading and directing project activities” over 36 cumulative months within 8 years of the application submission date, in which they discuss their “autonomous” roles “leading and directing project activities” of “diverse cross-functional teams” to produce deliverables and/or artifacts (i.e. project plans, documents, templates, etc.) to “meet project objectives”. Latent in this definition are the 2 fundamental characteristics that make projects projects, they are temporary endeavors, meaning they have clear start and stop dates, and they produce unique goods, services, or capabilities.
Military missions and exercises to prepare for missions also have start and stop dates, and objectives and performance standards, which are met through high-performing teams execution of plans using organizational resources and assets to enhance the organization.
This means that any military Member or Veteran that has ever received; planned, resourced, led, and controlled; and documented performance for reporting to a higher echelon has project management experience civilian hiring managers and recruiters will pay top dollar for in the civilian workforce.
When employers see PMP® after your name on your resume and LinkedIn profile, they know you’re a proven project manager project-ready day one.
Note: quotations indicated verbiage from PMI’s PMP® Handbook and/or its PMP® Examination Content Outline. Additionally, PMP®, PMBOK Guide®, and PMI are all copyright PMI, Inc.
What are PMI’s five process groups (sometimes called “domains”)?
According to PMI, the five process groups contain the primary processes to deliver projects on scope, time, and budget within the constraints, which takes leadership, decision-making, influence, and risk, change, and quality management. Initiating (IN) is all about defining the project scope and obtaining approval from stakeholders. Planning (PL) is all about preparing the project plan and developing the work breakdown structure. Executing (EX) is all about performing the work necessary to achieve the stated objectives of the project. Monitoring and Controlling (MC) is all about monitoring project progress, managing change and risk, and communicating project status. Closing (CL) is all about finalizing all project activities, archiving documents, obtaining acceptance for deliverables, and communicating project closure.
Please note the process group labels of IN, PL, EX, MC, and CL. These are PMI-provided, which means also they are PMI-approved, which also means they are required in your summaries. PMI will reject summaries and therefore applications that do not depict them. Please ensure your application has them and they are included into the character count.
Why do I need to provide a User Input Summary?
We need to see a User Input Summary, so we can determine the project’s Objective, which then allows us to determine the project’s Theme, which then allows us to dial our focus in on the project activities, leadership actions, deliverables, artifacts, and dimensions that describe accurately and robustly your project management experience.
What is the full Application translation process?
First, you need to watch the video found here: https://zoom.us/recording/play/7DvvSEhcK-yFlossl6dCYeLDR2uOYKQW6N5iCaqfID6x4O2qtjUT8EWeKh7LgRIj?startTime=1574778622000 to learn about and how to use the tool.
Second, you’ll then begin to fill in the Application Translator. This will help you to copy and paste the content into your PMI® application at www.pmi.org, get test approval, study for the exam, pass the exam, update your Executive resume and LinkedIn profile with the credential and one project per billet. A lot of work goes into this step.
Third, prepare “what I did was…” type answers for your PM interviews.
ACP®
How much does it cost?
$1000
What is the schedule?
2 Weeks – Monday, Wednesday, Friday – 6 pm EST – 10 pm EST
What is the difference between the PMP® and the PMI-ACP®?
Do I have to be PMP certified in order to take this class?
No, anyone can take this class. In order to sit for the exam, you must meet the prerequisites set forth by the Project Management Institute (PMI) (https://www.pmi.org/certifications/types/agile-acp).
Whom do I contact if I have questions or need to register?
Jeremy Burdick – Jeremy@vets2pm.com / 1-888-551-4251 ext. 8
OR
Dwayne Sowell – Dwayne@vets2pm.com / 1-888-551-4251 ext. 9
What equipment do I need?
Computer, Tablet, Phone, Microphone, Webcam, and a Positive Attitude!
How long do I need to study to pass the test?
While everyone will have a different learning curve, we suggest studying for at least an additional 2 weeks after the class. Each student will receive an Exam Study Plan upon registering for the class which will provide a detailed roadmap to their success.
Is Vets2PM accredited?
Yes, Vets2PM is a Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
What all is included in the package?
12-month access to our Student Portal
Unlimited retakes of the PMI-ACP Live Webinar in a 12-month period
PMI-ACP Exam Study Plan
Andy Crowe’s The PMI-ACP Exam – How to Pass on Your First Try
Provide you with lifetime PM career mentorship and placement assistance
Personal PMI-ACP application audit defense by Dr. Eric A. Wright, PMP, ACP, CIA (inactive)
What happens if I miss a class?
Not a problem! Our staff understands the busy schedules of military personnel. Simply watch the recorded lecture that you missed and contact your instructor.