By Hannah David
Once again, we have a story of triumph to share! At the TMOG Learning Center, we believe persistence and determination are the best ingredients when striving towards self-improvement. The PMP Exam is not for the faint of heart — something we learned from last month’s interview with Tierra N. (if you have not yet read it, we encourage you to check it out here). In this month’s installment of Hero Spotlights, we spoke with Erik C.
Erik transitioned from working as an Engineer Sergeant Major in the United States Army. During his service, he oversaw the engineering of million-dollar campuses and the modernization of existing campuses. This background gave him plenty of project management experience before pursuing the PMP certification. Furthermore, he understood how he could benefit by having PMP in his signature block, especially in the civilian sector. Given his background, Erik expected to complete the PMP course and ace the exam with ease. As he learned more about the program and entered TMOG Learning Center’s prep course, he quickly realized otherwise.
Experience alone was not enough to achieve the PMP’s nationally acclaimed certification. Despite everything he brought to the table, Erik struggled at first, overwhelmed by the amount of information. Yet, he had support to help get him there. With Jon McGlothian’s assistance, he received personalized feedback throughout the course and during his independent study. He says this support was invaluable.
Erik stated that Jon’s two-week study plans and the practice tests were vital to his success. He described Jon’s approach and the TMOG Learning Center’s coursework as very user-friendly. Even after he completed the course, he knew that Jon was never out of reach. He spent several weekends on Zoom completing additional study prep with Jon. During these calls, Jon quizzed Erik and helped him pinpoint where to focus his studies.
After Erik passed the exam, he retired from the U.S. Army. He then networked, interviewed, and shadowed workers at places like DPR Construction. He says thanks to the PMP and Jon’s support, his confidence has grown exponentially — and he has the experience and certification to back him up.