Category Archives: CV Tips

Careers Advice, CV Tips, Job Applications, PMO, Project Management, Project management CV, project management resume, Starting out in Project Management, Transferable Skills

Let’s talk about transferable skills – starting out in Project Management

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There’s always a lot of talk about skill-sets and particularly transferable skills; however if you want to transfer your career into the project management field then it is important to highlight the right skills which will be of greatest benefit to you and your potential employer. Now we all know there are differing types of project management roles from support through to managing and there are also more technical PM roles too – not just IT, they may be construction / engineering etc where you need to have a good knowledge of the field as well as PM methods to be successful in delivering benefits. So I am going to cover some key transferable skills for the PM aspect not any specific industry based element, here are a few to consider:

  • Investigating – Researching and questioning why? Key components to any good PM professional, being able to push back with quantifiable evidence is required even more now that funding is tight and projects benefits really do need to be explored thoroughly before starting off another project.
  • Planning – Planning / scheduling projects, predicting outcomes / scenarios, organising events and preparing for tasks – it’s a must!
  • Leadership – Core requirement for any good Project Manager and comes in very handy for Programme Support professionals too.
  • Influencing – The ability to gain buy-in is a big requirement for PM professionals, whether it’s from senior management, external (or internal stakeholders), sponsors or suppliers – you need to be able to persuade and encourage others.
  • Teamwork – Proving you can bond with others and build a strong force which produces results is key to successful project delivery.
  • Problem solving – Taking different viewpoints and exploring solutions is a big part of PM, from understanding workstream leads other commitments to supplier issues.
  • Budgeting – At some point you with be either managing your own budget or monitoring budgets on projects in a support element.
  • Decision making – The ability to look at your options and actually pick a way forward is crucial especially in a critical situation.
  • Training – Working with others either as a manager (PM) to mentor and train people in the project team or as a support person (PMO) to train others in various aspects of the project lifecycle such as risk management etc through workshops and 1 2 1 engagement.
  • Organising – From coordinating teams and individuals, arranging meetings and resources to scheduling.
  • Time management – Meeting deadlines and setting priorities are the core factors of project management and being on time is a given.
  • Creating – Not always highlighted as a core skill for PMs but in my experience of delivering projects, inventing, originating, designing or composing play a big part to success.

Now you can use this as a starting guide to performing a skills audit – once you have a list of transferable skills, you then need to provide some good examples of each skill (where you have used them / how / outcomes etc). These will help you form a basis for applications to project management jobs.

 

CV Tips, CV Writing, guest blogger

Ultimate Tips for Writing a Winning Resume – Guest Blog

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Writing that winning resume can be an exceptionally challenging task. You will feel pressed to provide all of the essential information. At the same time, demonstrating some creativity and out of the box thinking is always helpful. Is it possible to achieve both and create a consistent, professional and unique resume?

Always focus on your strengths when trying to impress a potential employer. Being honest and knowing what sets you apart from the competition will help you get noticed immediately.

The Objective: A Big Opportunity or Your Nemesis?

Writing an impressive resume objective is almost impossible to achieve. This part of the curriculum vitae is traditionally full of clichés because many applicants think that potential employers ignore its content.

A well-written career objective is your chance to shine. This is the section that gives you room for creativity. You can write anything instead of the traditional stereotypes that focus on the benefits you will bring to a company.

The objective writing style should also correspond to the company and the professional position you are applying for. A frivolous, eccentric style will be unacceptable for a managerial position and a dry tone will speak little of creativity if you are applying to be a company’s senior copywriter.

Hot-kitten@mail.com

Few applicants understand how important contact information is. It speaks a lot about professionalism, experience and even character. Think twice about including the e-mail address you created after a wild night out with your friends.

A good contact email should include solely your first and second name. This is the safest option. You may also consider providing information about your LinkedIn page, Facebook profile or other social network that will reveal something about your professional skills.

Creating an online portfolio or having a personal website is always a great idea. Companies that put emphasis on innovative use of technologies will be impressed by your online presence.

Active Verbs

Instead of presenting your skills and past experiences through bullet points, use active verbs. This is a psychological trick that will affect even the most professional human resources experts.

Active verbs speak of ambition and your desire to take the initiative and the responsibility. Avoid passive structured in the resume because these lack vitality and strength. Instead of saying “content planning, editing and optimization” write “I created content plans, edited the final product and dealt with optimization.” The later structure sounds better and it demonstrates your active involvement in all of the tasks.

Original but Honest!

So many applicants see the resume as a chance to brag and to even exaggerate their work experience. Although it may increase the appeal of the CV, the exaggeration will soon be noticed.

Human resources experts deal with tens of applicants on a daily basis. They are trained professionals, capable of spotting lies effortlessly. Even if you manage to make it past the initial stage, you will suffer the consequences of the lie during the interview or a professional test.

Creativity is great but you should exercise it within the boundaries of your actual work experience. Everything else will sound pompous and fake.

Be yourself in order to write a winning resume. Refrain from trying to predict what an interviewer is expecting from you. Such preliminary plans will limit your opportunities and affect the final outcome.

Damian is a blogger and a marketing consultant. His best articles are from business and educational niches. Damian is working with http://www.skyerecruitment.com team to build online authority and improve visibility of this Australian recruitment agency.

Careers Advice, CV Tips, CV Writing, Project management CV, project management resume, Self employed, Training, Transferable Skills

Self employed but need a CV?

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I am often approached by business owners who confess they have never needed a CV or not needed one for so many years that they wouldn’t know where to begin – there have been a few who have decided to go into contracting or permanent roles due to a number of reasons and are stuck for what to do. Whenever anyone sits down to write their first CV it is a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be – take it step by step. First of all I would like to point you to a blog article which takes you through the basics of structuring your CV and gathering information.

Now I would like to talk you through a skills audit – basically it is a process which will help you identify your current skills and any gaps which may need addressing for future roles.

  1. 1.   Identify existing skills and knowledge – make a list of all the skills and knowledge you feel is important in your current role. Make sure you identify your key job description – looking online at example job descriptions can help with this, and then take a look at all the extras you are involved in such as marketing, finance, business development and other key areas to running a successful business.
  2. 2.   Skills required for your next role – research the job descriptions and adverts for roles which you feel you are best suited for and list down the key requirements next to your existing list.
  3. 3.   Compare – how well do your current skills match up to those required for the job you wish to apply for? Tick off the list on all areas covered and look to the additional skills required to see if in fact you have missed any from your own list.

 

Once you have a strong list of key required skills you are at a fantastic starting point for adding detail to the structure of your CV. Remember to flesh out the skills by contextualising them in bullet points which should average approx 2 lines. By adding detail rather than just skills keywords you are qualifying your competences and making your CV about you – not just a lot of keywords; exactly what the hiring manager wants to see.

Using this information as a guide and the link to structuring CVs you will soon have a professional document which can really harvest results and also inject some confidence back into yourself moving forward. Also identifying sills gaps will assist you in making a decision on training to ensure you are up to date with required skills in the marketplace today.

CV Tips, CV Writing, Friday Snippet, Graduates, Starting out in Project Management

Graduate CV – how to begin.

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Your CV is the most important starting point for you to market yourself to potential employers – as a marketing document you need to ensure it is clear, concise, relevant, has a unique selling point (USP) and is personal to you.

To begin
Don’t pull your hair out we have all been there and although it may seem difficult to start with – you will soon develop a creative flow. Play around with a few CV templates and find a style that works for you. Then consider the following:

  • Use positive statements and an enthusiastic tone – use an active tense such as managing rather than managed and facilitating rather than facilitated.
  • Talk through your demonstrable experience – giving workable examples.
  • Avoid generic statements such as “good communication skills” and actually demonstrate how you have used the skills effectively to achieve something or get something done.
  • The space you devote to a matter suggests the importance you give to it. Be careful not to dedicate half a page to education and a line or two to your achievements or role remits.
  • Account for all gaps in the CV – if you took a year off to travel; that is fine just ensure you list it.

It is very important to make a good first impression – remember you are not the only person applying for the job! You will have competition and if you are not a strong contender – your CV could be rejected within 20 seconds of being viewed.

  • Make sure the job you are applying for is something you can realistically do – take care to place emphasis on the skills required for the role.
  • Address the application specifically to the name on the website / advert and write a cover letter matching up your relevant experience.
  • Put in the effort to make sure you are selling yourself in the best light.

Here are some links to articles which you will find useful moving forward: