Monthly Archives: February 2014

Job Hunting, Motivation, Observations, Project Management Careers Advice, project management jobs, project management recruitment

Taking the leap of faith – PM Jobs

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So we’ve been in and out and back in and double dipped the recession, a lot have held on in their current jobs feeling it to be a safer bet than moving into the unknown – but in reality, just how safe is it to stay with an employer after a few years? The business may be booming and there is no sign of streamlining, however a story I hear all too often is that there appears to be no progression and roles are becoming a little stale as the projects are very much alike. As far as your career progression goes, the safe bet is actually making your aspirations grow stagnant. Most PM professionals enjoy the job because of the diversity and growth, and as much as your company may be signing off training to keep you interested and happy – is it really enough?

I was talking with a programme manager last week who told me he had realised he’d lost his spark because there just wasn’t enough of a challenge for him anymore. When he had started his role a few years ago at his current employer, he had significant challenges with disparate teams and projects not delivering on time or to budget. Having spent time to really understand the team and implement a stepped capability model into the business, he had brought the programme capability through to maturity and apart from the occasional anomaly he has a smooth running ship. He explained that he’d hung in with the business as the job market was unstable and felt the security of his current position was enough to keep him interested. But as time has flown by he realises that he needs to do something against his risk averse comfort zone and take a leap of faith to secure a new challenge and get his spark back. Although he has a great deal of loyalty to his current company, he knows that the current structuring means he will continue in the same role with no chance of progression until “someone dies” and as the PPM team and structure are looking healthy for the foreseeable future his only option is to move on.

Puzzle pieces

Is this you? Are you feeling trapped in a comfort zone which is slowly killing your passion for PM? The market is always up and down, there is never an ideal time to jump ship but as a good PM you will be used to researching and weighing up the risks, so use these skills to look at new opportunities and relight that fire.

Business Networking, Job Hunting, Networking

How to increase your network – PM CV Tips

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So you’ve created the perfect CV and have been applying for roles only to find a lot of them seem to be put on hold or aren’t quite the opportunity advertised, what else can you be doing to ensure you aren’t missing out on jobs. There are a high percentage of roles which aren’t actually advertised; therefore you need to be doing more than just applying for advertised roles.

Here’s a list of areas which should be on your to do list:

  • LinkedIn – employers are increasingly using this business networking site to find fresh talent, avoiding recruitment costs they are making contact with individuals who look like a good fit to the team. Make sure your profile is up to date and not just a carbon copy of your CV, add in some interesting pieces of information which will draw in attention. Also make sure you join some groups and join in the forums, you’ll be surprised how this actually opens doors for you. Not only will you be making new contacts, you might just gain attention from hiring managers looking for solutions to their issues.
  • Twitter – I know this may feel like a daunting thing for some but twitter is fast becoming the place for networking, there is a strong PM network which can really give you a heads up to current practices, PM needs and building your network.
  • Personal network – put the word about that you are available, people like nothing more than to help each other and you might just find you are being recommended for pieces of work or at the very least, being made aware of roles coming up which have yet to be advertised.
  • Events – there’s a fair few free events across the country, even those run by APM have a low fee for their branch events. Meeting other professionals in the field and learning something too – what’s not good about that?
  • Agencies – register with relevant agencies and try to make contact with a recruiter to get in their heads, make sure you know what you want to discuss and make a good impression. Databases are vast so it is ideal to be speaking with someone and keeping in regular contact to ensure they are keeping you in mind when new roles come in.

Groups

Make an effort to do more than just apply for roles online, demonstrate your tenacity, motivation and professionalism by taking extra steps to secure that next role.

CV Tips, Job Applications, management advice, project benefits being realised, Project management career progression, Project Management Careers Advice, Project Management War Stories

What Makes Project Management Interesting – PM CV Tips

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Project Management is all about variety and achievement – however it isn’t as simple as getting from A to B, anyone who has managed a project which has run smoothly will appreciate the hassle free approach but in reality this is a rarity. It is the challenges and blockers which really make for an interesting project and can really add value to your CV. These challenges can range from cultural issues, resistance to change and suppliers going under. Not to mention disparate teams and no buy-in from the senior management team – every PM professional I have spoken to has a portfolio of stories to share but it is rare to see any evidence of this on their CVs. Employers are usually aware of the major issues faced within the organisation when looking to bring in fresh talent and sharing these war stories can really add a new dimension to your application and set you apart from your peers. It isn’t about whinging, trust me, a lot of PM professionals feel sharing such detail would come across like this however written in a positive light on how you overcome significant challenges you are addressing some core areas such as management style, problem solving and organisation. Although the other perception is that it is all part of the job, to a point yes it is but it takes real skill to turn around a failing or troubled piece of work and as such why are you not singing your own praises? Focussing on particular aspects of PM such as the people element or process are key skills sought after by employers. Quantifying your skill set with some key achievements is a great way to showcase yourself in your CV and let’s face it; the job market is flooded so it is imperative you are marketing yourself in the document. Choosing a few achievements with some variety and also targeting specific examples for the roles you are applying for will certainly highlight you for the right reasons with employers and the all important gate keepers (recruiters/HR).

Winner

When noting your achievements you should look to set the scene with enough detail to be clear on the challenge then talk through what you did to rectify the issues, followed by the result / benefits. Keep to a short statement (the CV needs to be concise) and don’t be tempted to share more information than is necessary – it always gives the impression you struggle to get to the point with long winded statements; this is not a good impression to make as hiring managers will assume an hour long interview is likely to go on for 3 hours and project meetings will unnecessarily overrun. Remember it is not just the content that is being assessed, are you being clear, concise and demonstrating an understanding of what it is you do.