Category Archives: Job Applications

Cover letters, Job Applications, Project Management, project management recruitment

Example Project Management Cover Letter

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Writing a cover letter seems to be a daunting act for so many – I have previously written about what to include but wanted to provide an example letter to assist you in gaining interest from potential employers. Cover letters should be tailored to each application and it is a good idea to spend time making sure you tailor your CV too. Unfortunately, gone is the day when one size fits all so taking time to apply for fewer jobs but putting more effort in will give you a better chance of success for generating interest and that all important interview.

Letter

Here is a fictitious job advert:

Project Manager required to manage a number of new product development projects within FMCG manufacturing, the successful applicant will have a good understanding of project management methods such as PRINCE2 and will have managed teams within matrix managed environments which are globally dispersed.

  • Exceptional project planning using MS Project
  • Manage resources across different cultures
  • Competent in PRINCE2 methods
  • Good client facing exposure
  • Extensive financial tracking and management responsibility
  • Comfortable providing monthly presentations to site managers and senior management teams

Of course the tailored letter for this role is only applicable to those with at least 90% of the above required skills and experience. This is a rule of thumb for all job applications; don’t waste your time applying for roles which are not relevant to you.

So a cover letter will go something like this:

Dear Sir / Madam (ideally try to get the name of the person you are applying to)

Please find enclosed my CV in application for the role of Project Manager as per your advert (reference CVR2905) advertised on XXXXXX.com.

I would like to draw your attention to my current role at XXXXX where I am responsible for managing up to 15 concurrent FMCG new product introduction projects, although PRINCE2 is not a process used at this organisation I have previously used this method at XXXXX where the business adopted a light version and all projects were managed through aspects of the project lifecycle.  I should also point out that during a contract position prior to this I implemented PRINCE2 methods into the core project management function within XXXXX.

All my roles have required extensive stakeholder management with internal and external parties based across the UK, Europe and USA. Most of my team management experience has been within matrix environments and where resources are globally dispersed. I am an advanced user of MS Project and have used this to plan projects for the past 10 years; I have held full P&L responsibility for all my projects with budgets ranging from £100k to £1.5m. I currently provide bi monthly presentations to our senior management team on project status, financials and forecasting – these are generally utilising Powerpoint and on site however I have also travelled to a number of our manufacturing sites for this purpose also.

I am available on my mobile to discuss further and look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Yours Faithfully (if you do not know their name) / Yours Sincerely (if you do know their name)

Jack Tyler

07000000000

So as you can see – the letter addresses all aspects of the job description with examples and tells the reviewer more than the CV allows as we only want a 2 or 3 page document which should be highlighting the above but may not have all that detail. This will greatly enhance your application and should do all the right things in getting the reviewer to really read your CV not just skim through it along with 100 other applications. It also does the trick of helping the HR / recruitment consultant understand your relevance to the role; bearing in mind that a great deal of these reviewers won’t always have specialist knowledge of the role.

CV Tips, CV Writing, Job Applications, Project management CV, project management resume

How to refer to yourself in your CV

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Always an interesting subject, how people refer to themselves in their CV – some opting to take the “I” approach, others opting for “We”, the third person approach and no pronoun. Let’s take a look at each approach and talk through the benefits and pitfalls when using them:

  • Using “I” – a common method, put in context this would usually be used like this:

“I was responsible for doing xxxx” or “I have a team of xx” – although you are keeping the emphasis on what you did it does tend to look unprofessional.

  • “We” – often we work in team environments and talk about our achievements in an inclusive context, however this can be very difficult for hiring managers and recruiters to really understand what your involvement was. Being vague can be very off putting and doesn’t tend to favour well on applications.
  • The third person – referring to yourself in the third person such as “John was engaged in xxxx”, this style can work but be careful of grammatical errors and confusion in the CV. Also I have had feedback in my recruitment days from clients feeling this line comes across as egotistical.
  • No pronoun – this is my choice of tactic for a CV, avoiding using any personal pronoun by making statements such as, “Managed the technical team on the xxx project to produce xxxx”

Here’s an example profile I have used previously in a blog, I have written it in all the above styles – which do you think works best?

Example 1; Using “I”

I am an experienced Programme Manager with accreditations to back my practice (APMP & MSP). I have overall programme responsibility for corporate wide initiatives; I lead a team of 10 project managers and I also have hands on experience of managing multiple concurrent strategic projects increasing a business’ ability to achieve its goals. I have good exposure to interfacing with all levels of management and cross functionally within the organisation.   

Example 2; Using “We”

As an experienced Programme Manager with accreditations to back up the practice (APMP & MSP) and with overall programme responsibility for our corporate wide initiatives. We lead a team of 10 project managers and we boast hands on experience of managing multiple concurrent strategic projects increasing our business’ ability to achieve its goals.  We have good exposure to interfacing with all levels of management and cross functionally within the organisation.   

Example 3; using the third person

John Smith is an experienced Programme Manager with accreditations to back up his practice (APMP & MSP). John has overall programme responsibility for corporate wide initiatives; leading a team of 10 project managers and hands on experience of managing multiple concurrent strategic projects increasing a business’ ability to achieve its goals.  John also boasts good exposure to interfacing with all levels of management and cross functionally within the organisation.  

Example 4; using no pronoun

An experienced Programme Manager with accreditations to back up the practice (APMP & MSP). Overall programme responsibility for corporate wide initiatives; leading a team of 10 project managers and hands on experience of managing multiple concurrent strategic projects increasing a business’ ability to achieve its goals.  Good exposure to interfacing with all levels of management and cross functionally within the organisation.   

CV Tips, CV Writing, Job Applications, Project management career progression, Project Management Careers Advice, Project management CV

Horsemeat burgers

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Keeping topical and those of you who follow my blog will know I do like to bring food into the equation given any excuse. All the news of burgers and ready meals containing horsemeat got me thinking about the fundamentals of not labelling correctly and misleading others to buy products. This can happen with CVs, as with food products you are required to state what goes into the product – by putting emphasis on one key ingredient and not addressing other areas you too could be falsely packaging yourself and as we’ve seen, you will eventually get caught out.

I am a reindeer honest

Most people have had some exposure to project management at work, however describing yourself as a project manager when you are in fact a business manager who has managed a project or two is not an accurate description of yourself. The same goes for those with titles other than project manager who actually are dedicated to managing projects and nothing else.

In the latter circumstance then clearly labelling yourself as a project manager is vital should you be looking to take on PM roles moving forward and knowing how some HR staff do tend to just read a job title before dismissing CVs it is important to be clear in your profile. Never change your job title given for each role as this will be picked up later down the line but your profile is a fantastic opportunity to tell the hiring manager what you actually do and name yourself PM.

The issue with the former situation is that too much emphasis on only a small part of your job can mislead others into thinking you are something you are not. Now I know you may be perfectly capable of managing projects having managed a few over the years but there is a big difference to a PM with a vast portfolio of delivered projects under their wing. The key is to be honest and strike a balance – look at the uproar of the burgers and ready meals, people feel miss sold a product which clearly described itself of one thing but contained something else too. This is where the issue really lays, without jumping too deep into the politics of it horsemeat has been eaten for years in countries such as France. There is no issue in regards to safety but there is an ethical factor in regards to those not wanting to eat an animal seen as a pet.

As with hiring managers they want to buy a XYZ then they realise they have been presented with an XYY – naturally they are going to be a little put off to say the least. If you are honest and up front about your experience and skill-set then the hiring manager can make a decision whether to see you or not, in fact they may actually like that you have operational BAU (business as usual) experience to add to the mix.

So think on, be true to who you are as a professional and the right role will be found.

A bit of fun, CV Tips, CV Writing, Job Applications, Job Hunting, No, Recruitment

Be my Valentine

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Valentines is a long held tradition across many countries in the world as a day to express love for another – one legend is that of a priest in the third century in Rome, who took it upon himself to marry soldiers in secret, who were forbidden to marry under Emperor Claudius II as his belief was that single men made better warriors of war. On discovery, the priest was executed; the Catholic Church recognises three saints Valentines or Valentinus’ all of whom were martyred. Of course there are a fair few legends but this one I think is particularly romantic in that it talks of a religious party striking against what the establishment deem as right in matters of the heart.

Be my valentine

So naturally I wanted to tie the Valentines theme in with CV writing, sitting down to think about what Valentines actually means to others and how it affects our lives I put the question out to my friends – the response was good but one of my favourites was this response; “It’s a bit like Xmas. You can go the hype route, or if you take heed of the underlying message you can enrich your life.” How true, seeing through the commercial aspect it is a time set aside to reflect on what really matters in your life.

I began to write a list of what actually happens on Valentine’s day and the actions we take:

  • Putting yourself out there – taking a risk for something you really want. For single people valentines provides an opportunity to let that special someone know that you are thinking about them. As is the case with applying for a role, it doesn’t have to be an advertised job, you could make contact speculatively. You have nothing to lose as long as you keep your approach professional. You never know, as up until the point you make contact you are not even on their radar!
  • Making an effort – getting dressed up to create a good impression doesn’t always mean knocking on doors physically, dress up that LinkedIn profile and CV; make contact and let them do the talking.
  • Thrill of the chase – now we all love a chase to get something we want so why only extend the exhilaration to romance, use the adrenalin and endorphins to keep you motivated and enjoy the ride.
  • Rise above the fear of rejection – the time old saying, it’s better to have tried and failed than never tried at all. Performed in the right manner, surely it is worth a go.
  • Anonymity – traditionally sending a card or flowers to a valentine is supposed to be a secret, a bad CV can have the same effect – to recruiters, bad CVs get put in the recycle bin and it’s like you never existed so heed the warning.
  • Rock someone’s world – it’s not always the flamboyant and expensive gestures which make an impression, often it’s the well thought out but simple motion.
  • Dating agency – for those still looking for that special someone, an agency can be just the ticket. Recruitment agencies and job websites are also there to attend to your professional needs. Sign up, make contact, search through profiles, find something which makes you want to make contact and do just that.

Striking a balance of a happy personal life and happy work life is the key to contentment – if you invest as much time and effort into finding a new job as you do to matters of the heart and take the thrill of it rather than see it as a chore you will find yourself on a new exciting journey.