Category Archives: CV Writing

Business Analyst CV, CV Tips, CV Writing, Project management CV

Business Analyst CV

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Business Analysis is an integral role within organisations – often the role is merged with a project management roles which will see a great deal of PMs and BAs taking on a dual role, as with other areas such as change management it has become an profession which reduced budgets have forced over the years. However a Business Analyst is very much a numbers and facts role first and foremost, investigating both systems and processes. Other important areas for a successful BA are listening and negotiation skills, as such the CV needs to take a holistic view of all these skills and demonstrate this detail. This is where the CV differs to other project management CVs, when putting together the CV you must strike a balance of methods, types of assignments, user groups, and communication plans.

  • Business AnalysisProfile – the profile as with all CVs should be a short statement which highlights what it is you actually do and where your skill-set lays. Talking through (briefly) the types of assignments such as industry and core systems / processes / task in hand.
  • Achievements – Addressing achievements is something I note a lot of BAs negate from their CVs, however this is an area where you can really add some value and set yourself apart from your competitors.
  • Career History – Here is the important part, make sure you give enough detail about what you have been tasked to interrogate. Give some context in relation to the size of user groups, methods adopted, benefits, challenges and how you work (what did the role actually involve you doing).

As a Business Analyst you will look at centralising services to improve working environment  efficiency, address duplication of processes and develop 3rd party supplier relationships – so talk about it!!

BAs are visionaries and need to think outside the box, you will be on top of up-to-date processes and systems and as such will be called upon to recommend fit-for-purpose solutions which keep an organisation ahead of their competitors – give some examples!!

Because there are always elements of project management in these roles, you should also talk through these – the more adaptable you are, the greater value you add to a team (and often reduced budget). It has become increasingly difficult for everyone under the project management umbrella to secure interviews due to tighter requirements and strong competition, unfortunately reputation does little for applications if you don’t have a good CV to back up the experience. The best CVs win every time for shortlists, not necessarily the best candidates – so invest time into your CV and ensure it reaches the top of the recruitment pile.

Careers Advice, CV Writing, Project management CV, project management resume

Project Manager CV writing services

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Writing your CV doesn’t come naturally to a lot of people and Project Professionals particularly find it difficult to strike a balance between getting the project information versus the core competencies. This is understandable as there is often a great deal of detail you wish to include and in doing so, key criteria is missed out completely. Knowing what the hiring managers want to see has changed over the years and with the volume of job applications increasing for roles you are unlikely to be called in for an interview to discuss the missing parts when there are those who have clear and concise documents which do have the correct balance of information.

I was talking with a recent client who had previously had her CV professionally written and one of the bullet points stated Change Management – I probed what this involved in that role and she said she hadn’t actually done any CM in that role but had been advised to state it anyway. I pointed out that should she secure an interview with the CV that she would inevitably be asked to expand, as there was no detail and it is a point of interest for a Project Manager job. She became very concerned that her CV was not saying the right things and began to question the advice she had received from the service she had invested time, money and faith into. I have come across a number of CVs which have been professionally written, which either don’t make sense or are limited in content – the problem with not using a CV writing service which is specialist in your field. At the CV Righter we work with you to understand where your skill-set lies and help you achieve a CV which will draw attention for the right reasons, we look to add that extra information about your style and where you go above and beyond the role. Setting you apart from your competitors is crucial to getting you on that shortlist for interview.

Service your CV

Do not make assumptions about the reviewer of your CV – they can come from all sorts of backgrounds and may not necessarily understand Project Management, you need to be hitting the right keywords but also adding in context to make the information understandable to all.

Identifying a CV service which is right for you and your skill-set is important – just because it is cheap or very expensive, doesn’t mean you will be getting value for money. Ask for a review of your CV before engaging services and see what their understanding of your experience is, it is all well and good pointing out grammatical errors and formatting – but what will they do with the content and how will they work with you to achieve a good, strong, honest document which will harvest results?

 

Get in touch today to receive a free review of your CV and constructive advice on how to improve it.

Careers Advice, CV Tips, CV Writing, project management resume

Why a strong Project Manager CV is so important

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I have been approached by a great deal of seasoned Project Manager’s over the past few months telling me how they would always secure new work whether it be contract or permanent, without a CV. Using their contacts from various areas such as previous clients, other Project Professionals in their field or acquaintances. Most stating that they received recommendations from contacts to hiring managers which would harvest interviews leading to successful placements. But as the market has evolved over the past few years and particularly more recently, they are finding this approach is becoming less than fruitful, often when recommended they are then asked to ping over their CV and are not hearing anything back. Unfortunately, although this type of job hunting is still one of the most successful routes, hiring managers are now pressured to only invite candidates in for interviews when their CV is good – despite the personal recommendation. There are a number of reasons a strong CV is now required; here are a few:

  • As there are less roles available recruiters are taking other steps to make placements such as a proactive speculative approach, identifying matches of candidates for a company / programme and sending over CVs stating “I came across this candidate and thought they would be a good fit in the team, I know you might not be hiring at the moment…” This approach will sometimes work – if you hit the hiring manager right at a point where they may be thinking of expanding the team but it also demonstrates to the employer the calibre of candidate available on the market. The standard of CV is usually exceptional (as it is a speculative attempt by the recruiter, the CV has to be good), this whets the appetite of the employer and also consciously and/or subconsciously sets a bar for what they will accept as a CV.Clarity
  • There also tends to be more presence from those in senior positions to analyse talent coming into the company – “we can’t afford to be taking on dead wood” – therefore those in a position to hire new personnel will be in a situation where they have to present a business case to their management team for new resources. Part of this will be presenting your CV – as much as the hiring manager may be keen to bring you on board thanks to your contacts super recommendation, the senior management team aren’t bought-in. To get them on-board they need to be able to see a good CV which says all the right things before they will consider allowing meetings/interviews to go ahead.
  • HR plays a large part in recruitment within a business and as such; don’t like to be left out of the loop. Hiring managers are reminded that all recruitment activities need to be run past them and CVs also get the full review process, again if your CV isn’t strong you will not get beyond the recycle bin.

Just because it worked before – doesn’t mean it will continue to work – as project professionals implementing change, you know this to be only too true. Although it is an alien concept, you must adapt to the change and present the employers with what they expect to see. After all, the CV demonstrates more than just your skills and experience – it shows others how you present important pieces of information, very significant in Project Management don’t you think!?

CV Tips, CV Writing, Planning, Project Management, project management resume

Project Manager CV Checklist

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Ready to start applying for a new job, but have you done the necessary to ensure you are in with a good chance of securing interviews? Here we are going to run through a few areas of key criteria you should be addressing in your Project Management CV:

 

  • Well presented CV – move away from using fancy fonts and colours; make sure you spend some time formatting your CV to ensure it is clear and easy to read. Remember this is a professional document!
  • Grammar and spelling – don’t rely on spell check for this, print off a copy and go through it word for word highlighting any errors for amendment.
  • listCV length – keep the document short, ideally 2 pages but 3 maximum keep the detail around your most recent roles and less so on the older positions.
  • Contact details – seems obvious but so many forget to put a contact number and email address, make it possible for employers and recruiters to contact you.
  • Profile – make sure you include a short statement at the top of the CV which clearly tells the reviewer what you actually do, where your key skills lay and ensure you take a holistic view.
  • Achievements – as a Project Management professional you should address some key areas which demonstrate where you go above and beyond the call of duty. Include how you add value – employers want to see what they get for their money and it is often the case that PMs will do so much more than just deliver the project.
  • Employment history – starting with most recent experience first, look to include detail of the business (so the reviewer can see which industry/sector you worked in), detail of the projects delivered, and how you deliver. All the skills often listed separately in the CV should actually be worked into this part of the CV as the stand alone list does not add value so leave the list out.
  • IT skills – this can be a useful area to add in software used such as planning/tracking tools (e.g. MS Project, Primavera, Jira etc.)
  • Hobbies – an optional area which adds a little personal detail, sometimes it can really work in your favour as I have had clients who have specifically requested candidates with a passion for the arts / travel etc.
  • References – just state “available on request”, don’t include names and contact details as you will find your referees getting harassed by recruiters looking for leads.

 

The key to a good CV is to make sure you include enough detail so reviewers can understand what you do, how you work, size of teams/projects and the types of projects. Strike a balance of information including keyword searching criteria. You should be ensuring the CV is understandable to everyone, from recruiters/HR staff with little understanding of PM to hiring managers/senior management.