Monthly Archives: September 2013

Project management career progression, Project Management Careers Advice, The CV Righter

Project Management Careers Advice

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Although there is limited information available for project management professionals looking for advice on careers – in an ever evolving job market and with project management being such a vast area to cover, bespoke advice can be very hard to come by and often rather expensive. That is why we also provide guidance with our Project Management CV writing service, some require a little coaching or advice and others necessitate dedicated sessions adding value for money. When you make contact with The CV Righter we talk to you about your career aspirations and what you have done so far working towards achieving these. We then identify where you may need further assistance which is integrated into your service package, unlike other CV writing and careers service advisors we make sure that you walk away with a CV which will yield results and be informed in how to tackle those career pitfalls moving forward.

Some areas we cover (although not exhaustive):

  • Job Applications – where to start
  • LinkedIn usage
  • Interviews
  • Cover letters
  • Engaging with recruiters
  • Internal career progression
  • Graduates
  • Negotiating job offers
  • Identifying unadvertised jobs
  • Understanding project management
  • Understanding PMOs
  • Career progression planning
  • Breaking into project management
  • Planning your approach to job applications
  • Understanding interview feedback
  • Confidence building

Hand holding

If the assistance you require is not listed, just ask – we cover a wide area of advice related to project management and careers advice. All our clients are encouraged to keep in touch after the service has been completed, we are there for support moving forward for as long as you need and even if you just want to tell someone about how things are (sharing good and bad news is always better than keeping it to yourself).

No, Project Management CPD, Project Management Events

Project Challenge Expo 2013 – Free Event

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The bi annual Project Management event Project Challenge is back with us 15-16th October at Olympia, London.

A must for those wanting to network, learn about new tools, make contact with recruiters and learn something from the various presentations being held throughout the event.

Project Challenge Expo 2013

It is a free event but you do need to register online to receive a pass into the building, if you are local to Olympia then you should pop in even if over your lunch break. Those who are currently looking for new opportunities should also put the dates in your diary so you can keep your hand into what is new in PM but also the networking is invaluable. Take a few copies of your CV and talk to recruiters, also make acquaintance with your peers – I have done this time after time and yielded some fantastic leads for future initiatives.

Project Challenge Expo 2013

Location: Olympia, London.

Dates: 15th & 16th October

Register here.

Careers Advice, Job Hunting, LinkedIn, Project Management Careers Advice, Recruitment

LinkedIn for Project Managers

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LinkedIn has evolved over the years, what was once a business social network has quickly become a tool for hiring managers and recruiter to identify potential employees – with a pool of 200 million users reported it is one big database. The ability to be able to search on location, companies, industries, job titles and keywords makes it a fantastic resource for those tasked with recruitment.

This in mind, have you done the basics to ensure you are making your profile attractive and not overlooked; here are some basics to get you started:

  • Endorsements – contacting your previous employers, colleagues, former customers etc. to request a few words is definitely worthwhile. That said you should also look to return the favour with your associates. Endorsements are useful for potential employers to have a look at how others view you; they won’t stand in place of your references but certainly play a positive part in attracting interest.
  • Project Managers on LinkedInDetails – seems obvious, but I have lost track of the profiles I have viewed which barely state current or previous employment names and dates. Think about how this looks to others, lazy and uninteresting. Invest some time to add in details which can be (and I advise should be) different to your CV. A stripped down version which talks through your projects and basics on how you delivered should suffice – whet the appetite of the viewer.
  • Summary – this is a good area to introduce yourself, make sure you talk about you as a professional – what is it you actually do? But also ensure you add in keywords specific to your skill-set as keyword searches will scan for these. Also think about including industries etc into this section.
  • Free flow – as your LinkedIn profile isn’t an official CV you can add an element of creativity and it is important to do this. Not make things up!! But address areas which you merely don’t have the room for on your CV, where your passion lays and also what your outside interests are too. Look to build a strong profile which says all it needs to but engages others.

OK so now you have a profile which is interesting and you feel happy with, make sure it is searchable / open to others. This is a question I am often asked – should I make my profile public in my privacy settings, short answer to those who are looking for their next opportunity, yes! You can always batten down the hatches on your settings once you have secured a new role but in the first instance, how do you expect to be picked up by recruiters and hiring managers?

We have been approached by a number of clients asking for their LinkedIn profile script to be put together alongside their CV so they are set to start their job search; this is certainly another element of our services and something we highly recommend to put you in the right position moving forward.

CV Tips, CV Writing, Project Management Events, Recruitment

Project Management CV Workshop

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I will be presenting a Free* Project Management CV Workshop at The APM North West Branch on Thursday 5th December at 6pm in Golbourne – this will be an interactive event where I will talk through structuring your CV to make it an effective tool to generate results for your job applications.

Workshop

Recruitment has evolved over the past few years and it has become increasingly difficult to make it into shortlists for interviews, employers expect to see a lot more in a CV than in the past and those who have previously transitioned seamlessly into new roles are now finding job applications a challenge. As the first point of call for job applications is to present your CV, it is imperative that you are making a good impression from the start of the process. An effective project management CV needs to have a balance of information such as project types/size/complexity, how you work (addressing core competencies), key achievements which add value and give a flavour of your management style, and core areas relevant to the type of role you are applying for. I will address all these areas and talk through workable examples to help you grasp what it is that makes an effective CV, I take a recruiter perspective so you can see how it works on the other side of the fence.

Areas being addressed:

  • Structuring the CV
  • What information to include in the CV
  • What employers expect from you regarding your applications
  • How to market yourself in your CV
  • Questions about effective CV writing
  • Questions about recruitment today

The session is aimed at all levels of project management – from support roles through to senior level delivery roles. You will gain a greater understanding of what works and how to pitch yourself to hiring managers and walk away with the knowledge of how to create a strong CV which actually yields results in a flooded marketplace. There is also an opportunity for you to have your CV reviewed supplying you with constructive feedback for improvement.

Spaces are limited as the session will be very much a “round table” scenario with the opportunity to engage throughout, providing ample opportunity for you to ask questions and have a more personal experience to producing an effective project management CV.

More details about the event and to book, visit here.

*The session is free for APM members and only £10 for non-members.