I am often asked to provide a Project Management CV sample by clients, unfortunately I cannot show you any of my clients’ CVs under data protection, however I have put together a generic CV which will give you a flavour of the type of information to include in the document. Do not forget that more detail is required to ensure you have a CV which tells a holistic story and provides context, but as a starting point……
I thoroughly enjoyed presenting at the APM PM CV Workshop on Thursday 5th Dec – not only was it a pleasure to give something back to the PM community but it was also great to meet a bunch of really enthusiastic and engaging PM professionals. I was in talks with Graham the NW Branch Secretary about running a session back in April 2013, and I hadn’t expected the year to fly by as quickly as it did. Unfortunately on the evening we were met with horrific storms which lead to a reduced number attending the session, but this in no way reduced the energy in the room. For those who missed out here’s a synopsis of the evening. The session was broken down into sections, first we talked through an introduction lead by myself on who we were and a little about our backgrounds so we could establish a relevant theme to take throughout the evening. We then talked through structuring the CV and the importance of getting the right kind of information presented without producing a lengthy document. We discussed what employers look for in a CV and how the market has changed over the years, delving into experiences from the recruitment aspect and also how the delegates had found the shift. It was interesting to have a mix of delegates from permanent and contractors to those happy in their roles but recognising a need to have an up to date CV. We had stories from those who had never really needed a CV as their contract assignments had usually been secured through word of mouth and networks but had seen this type of behaviour dip over the years and those who had been in their current employment for over 10 years. It was interesting that one of the delegates pointed out that the demographic of the attendees was 40 year old plus, which sparked a discussion about ageism and how this could play a part in recruitment whether beneficial or discriminatory. However as the group was reduced due to the storm it was not a true reflection of parties interested in improving their CVs, although the willpower to attend against the blocked roads and gale force winds was noted. The session lasted a good hour and a half due to lots of discussions about various aspects of the CV and talking through examples, lots of great questions were asked and by the end of the session although some felt their CVs needed shredding and starting over. Everyone felt reenergised about how to put together a winning CV. I also gave some personal CV reviews after the session and provided all attendees with a CV template sample and guidance notes to achieve the winning CV. Asking around the room (also receiving some fantastic feedback afterwards via twitter and the blog) everyone felt the session had been a real eye opener and useful for them moving forward.
I must say I tend to find presentations quite stale when too formal, so taking a more collaborative approach to delivering and sharing information came as a refreshing change and a style I shall adopt for future workshops.
I have been asked to present at future APM events, which I look forward to – hopefully next time we won’t be faced with adverse weather conditions!
As some of you will be aware, I am due to present at tonight’s APM branch session in Golborne – the session is has been fully subscribed with a waiting list for a few months. I have been asked to present at further events and we are currently in discussions. The essence of the session is to take a look at what employers and recruiters expect to see in a CV and work through the core elements of the CV structure. I have designed the session to be interactive rather than a PowerPoint presentation style, which I feel will be much more constructive for delegates. The PM job market is a difficult one to crack if you haven’t got a strong CV which says all the right things and there are a great deal of job hunters out there who remain oblivious to the fact that their CV just isn’t hitting the mark – blaming lack of interviews and call backs on the market being flooded. It is true to say the market is flooded but the reality is that there are very few who really know how they should be presenting their CVs for job applications. It is often the best CVs not the best candidates who secure short-listing.
We will discuss individuals experiences of job applications, talk through job specific areas for the CV and I will also be providing reviews on individuals CVs. Delegates will walk away with a good insight into what employers and recruiters look for and will have the knowledge and tools to put together a winning CV.
PMOs play an integral role in most organisations which have a number projects and programmes being delivered across the business. There are many types of PMO such a Programme Offices, Project Offices, Centre of Excellence and Portfolio Offices. Taking this into consideration and the subtleties within each, it can make for a much more interesting CV which can really pique the interest of recruiters and employers and demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the field.
When putting together a CV we need to address some of the key criteria for a PMO professional:
Type of PMO:
Size of PMO
Once we have established the type of PMO and talked through the volume and types of projects and programmes, it is time to address what your involvement is. Firstly is the PMO something you have set up or reengineered or already in place? Then we want to know your role, are you managing it, an analyst, coordinator, consultant etc. Then run through the core competencies involved – what do you do on a daily basis? From this you will also be able to pull out some key achievements such as impact on project capability.
The PMO as you know is all about communication and how you apply that to the task in hand, there are many elements that go into this and all organisations are different. Some organisations employ business managers to manage projects and these types of PMs generally require a great deal of hand holding, think about coaching, training, workshops etc which you may have facilitated. Include this information into your CV along with the above to give the reviewer a holistic view of the role and what it actually means within your business.