All posts by Nicola Caswell-Thorp

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CV Tips, No

Recruitment insider – what they won’t tell you

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So you decide it’s time to start applying for a new role; you are excited about the prospect of starting a new job and all that it holds. You get your CV sorted and start applying for jobs which look interesting; some go direct to employers but a lot go to recruitment agencies. What does this mean? On the whole, most reputable recruitment companies are honest in that they often state they cannot respond to every application. They also encourage candidates to keep applying for roles as the sheer volume of candidates getting in touch means their databases are overwhelmed. Others say they respond to every application with individual feedback. I have yet to see this and if you think the rejection email you received was written just for you, it probably wasn’t. Apply for another role and receive an uncannily similar response to your application. These types of agencies also claim to place you in a database which is being managed effectively; so you do not need to apply for every role which comes in, that is relevant to you as they will “find” your CV and get in touch – a rarity. So what is it these recruitment businesses are doing with your CVs, yes all your information is sat in a database – all the effort made on your part as a prospective revenue earner for an agency is often dismissed and even when chasing up applications you are palmed off with generic spiel (if you can even get to speak with the recruiter). Have you ever started getting e-shots randomly shortly after applying for roles?

Unfortunately you are in a catch 22 situation with recruitment agencies – they form the interface to the employer.

However you can bypass the recruiter, as the reality is that only a very small percentage of jobs are run through them (only 10-20%). Saving the employer £’s you can do a few things to increase your chances of success and avoid giving all your details to a database which claims to only have your best interests at heart.

  • Ensure you have a LinkedIn profile which is up to date and reads more like a CV than a sparse profile. That way, employers can see what you’ve been up to and make contact should they feel you may be of interest based on the info supplied.
  • Create opportunities – networking and research are key to finding that next role.
  • Research organisations you wish to work for and set up searches to keep an eye on movement; you do not need to wait for a role to be advertised. Go one better and identify change within the organisation, as project management is all about change you are likely to hit on something which you could apply for speculatively – well before the organisation has even considered advertising for a role.
  • Make sure your speculative applications are tailored to the organisation and any changes in the news (see above comment). Take time to match up your skills and expertise to the potential role and needs of the employer.

As the employers are becoming more frugal in how the take on recruitment campaigns it is a prime opportunity for you to approach them, saving valuable time and money for the employer can stand you in good stead.

It is important to make sure you are moving with the times and as recruitment agencies are increasingly coming under scrutiny for how they treat their candidates coupled with employers’ wishes to reduce recruitment costs, there is prime opportunity to divert to a more effective way of applying for work.

The CV Righter not only provides a professional CV writing service – we also provide careers advice to candidates which is tailored to your needs and with our insider knowledge of how employers view varied approaches, we can advise on what works best. www.thecvrighter.co.uk

Careers Advice, CV Tips, CV Writing, PMO, Project Management, Q&A

CV Length – Questions answered

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In-line with my regular Q&A sessions this week we have a good question from a candidate who wants to understand what the acceptable length is for a CV.

Can you please answer me how long my CV should be – I have lots of experience in the PPM domain covering an expanse of different types of projects and programmes, when it comes to writing a CV I find I am not able to keep the document down to a short list.

Sharon, Programme Manager; London.

Hi Sharon, many thanks for your question – it is a question often asked and one which can simply be answered by stating “2 or 3 sides”. However as you are finding it difficult to keep the document to a length deemed acceptable in the recruitment field I would like to address a few things:

When compiling your CV you should look to take the following guidelines on board.

  1. It is important to include all your employment history; however I suggest you keep the bulk of the detail to your most recent roles. Roles over 10 years old need only be a line on the CV including dates, employer and job title.
  2. When writing the detail in your remit for the more recent roles – look to address the following: number and type of projects, stakeholders, benefits, how you deliver, size and complexity. Additional information such as any major issues – simply stating delivered on time and to budget doesn’t tell us a great deal. For example you may have had to gain “buy in” from teams / senior management etc. or globally dispersed stakeholders with cultural differences and availability may have been a challenge.
  3. Rather than adding achievements to individual roles; you could look to address “key achievements” at the top of the CV – these can be interchanged for particular job applications, ensuring you have relevant detail available to the hiring manager for that role.
  4. The key achievements must not be too lengthy, try to keep to a structure of describing what the project or piece of work was, your input and the results achieved – employers like to see how you can add value so £ and %’s are good to add here if appropriate.
  5. Do not list skills in a separate section, integrate them, thus adding context to the role remits.
  6. Ensure to use terminology common to project management, especially if you have been working through a structured method such as Prince2, Agile etc.
  7. Treat the document like MI; clear and concise – do not say in 30 words which can be stated in 10 or 15. Keep to the point but do not just write a job description.

The good news is that you have too much information – now it is time to edit the document back down to a shorter version, you can keep the long version as a master copy and pick and choose relevant information for specific applications. By creating more than one version of your CV you will be in a position to swiftly apply for a range of roles specific to your skill set.

At The CV Righter we provide a free CV review and career guidance to project professionals and those wishing to enter into PM. Send your CV through our contact page at: www.thecvrighter.co.uk

CV Tips, Job Applications, PMO, Project Management

Keeping sane whilst looking for work – Project Management Tips

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Whatever situation you are in – whether you are unemployed, between contracts or just ready to make a move from your current role, the recruitment process can be incredibly frustrating. Searching for roles, applying for them and then waiting to see if you are blessed with any kind of response from the employer or recruiter and when chasing up applications being told you are one of dozens of applications blah blah blah. It is a bit soul destroying, even for the most motivated and upbeat job seeker. So what can you do to ensure you keep motivated and a sense of humour during this period?

Here are a few tips:

  • Don’t be so hard on yourself – I know it’s easy to say, but it’s true. There is a reason you are not shortlisted for some roles, a good hiring manager or recruiter will be looking for specifics in your CV and once they have met their shortlist needs they discard other applications. So it isn’t always just about the best CV, it’s the best CVs getting in there first.
  • Talk to people – whether it’s the recruiters, HR staff or even people in your network who currently work at the organisation. Understand what is going on behind the scenes. As we are currently going into holiday season, applications may be sat on the desk of someone who is away for 2 weeks and will have a back log of work when they return. This could be the “black hole” you feel you have gone into.
  • Call a friend – cliché I know but, talking to someone about how the process is going will help bring you back to normality. I have often bounced ideas off virtual work buddies – we work in different fields but all have an appreciation of what we do and can sympathise with each other’s situations. Bringing the sense of humour back is important.
  • Keep going – don’t pin your hopes on a couple of roles, you may be hearing all the right noises after making your application but for whatever reason, roles do go on hold and can be withdrawn. Make sure you keep plenty of irons in the fire, the worst which can happen is you end up with a few interviews (better for practice anyway) and hopefully, multiple job offers.

As project professionals, you are well used to good planning (or should be) – make sure you plan your recruitment activities and keep up momentum. By keeping to a structured format of applications you will feel more in control of the situation and will free up time for other activities – keeping sane means timeout too!

For further advice and a free CV review – get in touch: www.thecvrighter.co.uk

 

Friday Snippet, Networking, PMO, Project Management

Come Dine With Me for Project Managers – Friday snippet

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Come Dine With Me for Project Managers – Friday snippet

Here’s a novel idea – has anyone ever come up with a fun way of exploring others projects through a “Come Dine With Me” style – try and score? Imagine hooking up with 3 or 4 other project professionals in a similar capacity and spending an afternoon at their office gaining a flavour of what goes on in that organisation. This could work really well for PMOs as well as Project or Programme Managers. Throughout the week you get to have a nosey around the projects of other professionals and grade them on their management style, integration in the business, smooth (or not) running, communications etc. At the end of the week all the contestants get to sit down and share with each other their thoughts on what they liked and didn’t like about each organisation and hopefully take away some sound advice and new practices to use in their own working environment. Of course there’s no need for camera crews and let’s face it, most organisations wouldn’t allow camera crews inside their buildings when they could be potentially embarrassed or projects are sensitive. But as a professional gain-share practice – I really think it could work!

Now who is going to approach their boss about a trial?