When you apply for a job as a management consultant, it is of the utmost importance that you be well-read, because your business literacy will be tested both overtly and covertly. Exposure to the situations, solutions, problems and so forth that exist in business will be an indicator to you of how serious you are about pursuing this career.

If you don’t enjoy reading about business problems and their solutions, you are unlikely to enjoy consulting about them. Having said that, here are my best recommendations for you:

The Best In Books:

The McKinsey Way and The McKinsey Mind, by Ethan Rasiel. Rasiel is a former consultant for McKinsey. These books will give you a lot of in-depth information on firm practices and culture. The things you will learn include hypothesis driven problem solving, 80/20 thinking, and more.

Author Jim Collins has written several very good books, and I recommend them all. My favorites are Built to Last and Good to Great. Also check out Good to Great and the Social Sectors. Jim’s books give a real sense of the essence of business thinking, and many consulting team members read and discuss Jim Collins’ ideas. These books have been influential on the way in which consultants relate to and understand their clients and corporations conduct self-analysis.

Among Magazines and Periodicals:

Although, I have never read the Harvard Business Review cover-to-cover, I definitely recommend it. There is always something of timely interest to be found. Whether it’s setting up organizational systems with an eye to talented employee retention or how to encourage bottoms-up innovation, there is always something interesting and timely in every issue.

You will probably enjoy The Economist. I have been surprised, due to my experience with McKinsey, to find out how many people are avid readers of this magazine. I am surely a subscriber. The Economist is very helpful in understanding vital issues in regards to the global economy. You are sure to find interesting information in the finance, economics and business sections.

Fortune Magazine always has in-depth, high-quality articles on the leading thinkers in the business world. It also has good information about the top companies. Fortune is well-written and makes good reading.

By applying to take the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam, you also automatically agree to comply with the Project Management Institute (PMI) audit terms. The PMI writes about this in the credentials handbook as follows:

To ensure that only qualified individuals attain credentials from PMI, we routinely conduct audits of candidate applications. The audit process is primarily random however, PMI reserves the right to audit any candidate or PMI credentialed individual at any time.

Here is what you can do in order to make a possible audit go smoothly and what to expect.

First of all, start out by reading the PMI’s Credentials Handbook to learn the basics regarding the audit process. It doesn’t list all the details but it is the only official information that the PMI has published on their website about it.

As you fill in your application for the exam, answer all questions truthfully. The intention of the application is to show that you fulfill the PMI’s eligibility requirements. The intention of and audit is to ensure that only viable candidates apply. Consequentially, If you fill in your application truthfully, then you will have nothing to fear from the audit. This audit process is one of the reasons that the credential retains its high regard.

The audits are completely random and you will be informed via email that you have been selected. This email is usually sent to you the moment that you submit your application. Along with the statement that you have been selected for an audit, the email also contains detailed audit instructions for you.

At this point, it is important to realize that once you are being audited the “clock stops.” By this we mean that you have one year following the submission of your application to take the actual exam. During the audit, this “clock stops” and does not continue until after your audit has been processed. So if your audit takes 6 weeks, then you have one year and six weeks to take the exam.

After informing you that you are audited, the PMI will prepare the “audit package” for you. Log into your account at PMI to find it. This package contains the details that you have submitted for each of your projects on your application. It also contains further instructions. You will now have to do the following:

• In your application, you named a primary contact persons for each of the projects that you had worked on. Forward the appropriate section of the package to each of your primary contacts. They must now verify that the information listed is correct, print and sign the document, put it into a sealed envelope and then put another signature across the sealed flap of the envelope. And yes, the PMI is very serious about this last one.
• You will also have to make photocopies of the certificates you received from your training courses, to show that you have received 35 Contact Hours in training related to the 9 PMBOK Guide Knowledge Areas, for instance from The PM PrepCast.
• Then you will have to send the sealed envelopes and your certificate copies to the PMI for review.
• PMI will inform you about their decision via email. Should you fail the audit, then the PMI will refund the money that you paid minus an administrative fee of $100.

It is important to realize, that you have the power to expedite the audit process. The sooner you respond, the sooner it is processed. The PMI is usually rather quick in processing your audit documents after you send them in. In some cases it can take as little as 4 days.

Some aspirants choose to proactively resolve any future audit issues even before they are selected. This can be a very effective way in ensuring that you will pass a possible audit. Once you are ready to submit your application to the PMI, submit it to your primary contacts first. Allow them to see your application and tell you if they agree with the information that you have listed. You not only give them an opportunity for input, you also proactively inform them what might be coming during an audit.

About the Author: Cornelius Fichtner, PMP is the host of The Project Management PrepCast, the first true PMP podcast. It’s the easiest way to prepare for and pass the PMP Exam.

As a good Project Manager, you definitely know the value of having a good plan. So, if you are preparing for the PMP or CAPM exam, what’s the first step? To build a great plan towards taking the exam

If you find yourself procrastinating, or you are having trouble finding the time to study and practice, you will want to find ways to keep yourself focused. Be a planner, and practice good project management in the process.

Here is the basic plan of action for passing the PMP or CAPM exam.

1. Commit to at least 40 hours of self-study over a three week period before the exam (though I highly recommend doubling that, especially if you are not feeling confident about either your memory retention or your test-taking skills. I put in about 100 hours in the weeks over six weeks before I took my exam to give myself an extra edge).
2. Go through the training in no more than 2-4 months at the most, so that the bulk of the information will be fresh in your brain at exam time. Set a schedule, and stick to it. Review for familiarity the appropriate section of the PMBOK after you cover topic in the training.
3. If you are on a tough topic, print out the study aids that are part of the particular online training module. Spend extra time going through the flash cards on that section, and study the practice questions over and over. Take your PMP exam flash cards to the gym with you, ask your friends to quiz you.
4. Practice doing a “dump” of all the PMP formulas and important facts and terms over and over so that when it comes time to take the test, you will already have developed a method of doing this braindump onto paper at the start of the exam.
5. Practice taking the test using a PMP or CAPM exam simulation, either using an online simulation or a DVD-based simulation. See how you do, and what your strengths and weaknesses are. This will make you a little sharper and alert for information.
6. Take a full PMP or CAPM exam simulation every 2 weeks. Adjust your study plan based on results.
7. In the last month leading to the exam, focus work with the simulations on your trouble areas by using the PMP exam flash cards and topic specific study mode.
8. Shoot for 80-90% scores on the tests as you get close to the test. This will give you confidence that you are ready to pass, and if the scores are lower, will give you more impetus to work harder.
9. If you need to, read books, online materials, free templates, PMP podcasts, and any other materials that you fit your learning style to see things from different angles and approaches.

The key really is practice good project management – what you are learning – and to have a plan, and to follow it! You can and will succeed. Increase your chances of project management and exam success with a plan.