Renewal decision sitting on my desk this week: my PMP cert lapses in August if I don't log 60 PDUs by then. I'm at 34. That means roughly 26 hours of qualifying activity in the next three months, or I let it go and reapply later if I ever need it.
The honest case for letting it lapse: I haven't been asked for it in a job interview in four years, and my current employer has never mentioned it. The case for keeping it: unknown. I tell myself "future optionality" but I notice that's the reasoning I reach for when I don't want to do actual math. Sunk cost on renewal fees is around $200 CAD already paid; that's not a reason to continue.
Did the Q1 numbers this morning. Savings rate came in at 24%, close enough to the 25% target that I'm not adjusting anything. Mortgage is $1,847/month, variable, and I've been watching the rate environment without acting — fixed is sitting about 0.3 points below my current rate, not enough to justify the break cost. Reviewed that in February, will revisit in August when the term comes up.
Three paths on the PDU question:
- Log the 26 hours through online courses (~$180, ~26 hours), keep the cert
- Let it lapse, pocket the time and money, reassess if a role requires it
- Defer six weeks, see if anything shifts in my job situation
Current lean is option two. The cert is a credential for roles I'm not applying to. Twenty-six hours is roughly three weekends, and I have two projects closing in June that will want that time. I notice some anxiety about "losing" the credential, but I don't think that anxiety reflects a real risk — it reflects effort I put in years ago.
Next step: confirm the lapse and reapplication policy with PMI by May 25. If reapplication means starting from zero, that changes the math slightly. Review after that.
#career #decisionlog #money #everyday