Category Archives: project management resume

Careers Advice, Networking, Project management career progression, Project Management Careers Advice, project management jobs, project management recruitment, project management resume

Hidden Project Management jobs – how to tap into them

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Only a small percentage of jobs are filled by recruiters, in fact the percentage doesn’t increase greatly with advertised roles either. The majority of roles filled are through other means – now I have always said that recruitment can be like a lottery, you need to be in the right place at the right time. However there are some things you can be doing to ensure you are likely to be in the right places and highlighted specifically for upcoming roles and roles which haven’t necessarily been identified.

  • The key to successNetworking – personal networking and social contacts are a valuable tool when you are looking to secure a new position, do keep in touch with your contacts regularly and not only when you want something! Update or create a LinkedIn profile and connect with your previous employers, colleagues, friends etc. Make sure you join groups and get involved in discussions, this keeps you at the forefront of people’s minds but also demonstrates your passion for your profession and you can easily gain new valuable contacts through this practice. Go to PM specific events, there are a fair few which are free to attend – go listen to seminars and network with delegates to strengthen your contacts list. Join in social networking discussions beyond LinkedIn – twitter has a regular gathering on a Friday afternoon under the hashtag #pmchat – the topic differs from week to week and it is a great opportunity to talk live about PM related subjects with other Project Professionals.
  • Create opportunities – if you are already in a contract or employed you can take the consultative approach and get involved with other project teams, understand what changes are afoot and identify how you could tap into these changes. Even talking to other PMs over coffee and hearing their challenges can unearth some interesting pieces of work you can take to Head of Projects etc.
  • Direct approach – I can almost hear your sigh at the thought of a speculative application, after all in the past you have done this and received the generic response of “keeping your details on file”, but there is a more effective way to approach businesses.
    • Create a list of companies you would like to work for and know have project management functions.
    • Research the companies, track them online – identify changes, look at anything which might generate jobs, from new product launches to mergers.
    • Identify Heads of Projects – a bit of searching online will soon generate some names and contact details.
    • Draw up a tailored cover letter, talk through the change you have identified and match up your experience to how you have delivered similar change in the past.
    • Tweak your CV to ensure it is relevant to the business and look at other employees’ profiles from that business to grasp an idea at what attracts the business to them.
    • Approach the contact, be assertive but not pushy and ask for a call or to meet for a coffee to discuss.

The direct approach is time consuming but, think about how your chances of securing a new role have increased significantly by demonstrating key skills such as being proactive, commercially astute, good researcher etc. you could also save them costly recruitment fees moving forward and avoid the long queue for a role which has later been adevertised.

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.

Career Objective, CV Tips, CV Writing, Project management career progression, Project Management Careers Advice, Project management CV, project management resume

CV Objective – to include or not

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Stating a career objective in your CV can be a great way to highlight where you wish to go next in your occupation, however it can also be stating the obvious. If you have a resume which is clear in your goals then stating an objective can over egg the pudding so to speak, however if you are looking for a change in career or want to be taken seriously for progression then including this detail can really help. For those who display their CVs online for recruiters and hiring managers to pick up, the objective can help stop wasting time being called for roles which are not on the radar for you. Especially those who may currently (and have a history of) managing projects and would like to progress to managing programmes and equally for those who have previously worked in a field which they wish to move away from.

Be careful what you state as an objective and don’t pitch yourself out of the market, a good objective will talk through why you wish to move into a particular field (such as interest or exposure to something you wish to specialise in) and also give a view of where you see yourself in the future (progressing up the career ladder).

Here’s an example of an objective which covers the above:

  • Following a successful career supporting a number of large projects now looking to progress to the role of project manager where these skills can be utilised to their full potential; following 3 years experience of managing smaller projects through the lifecycle. Long term goals include eventual progression into managing programmes of work.

Here the candidate is clearly stating that they are ready for that next step up to managing projects rather than supporting and they have experience which means it is not unrealistic. The long term goal tells the reader that the person is serious about their career and is working to a plan; they are not unreasonable and know that it takes time (and experience).

You can justify your potential for promotion / progression with your objective therefore if this is a route you are looking to take then including the objective can really work for you. Likewise if you are looking to move into a new industry or career you can also use the objective to highlight your transferability.

If you applying direct to an employer for a role, they may ask for an objective to be included on the CV. I cannot emphasise enough that all job adverts need to be read thoroughly, following instruction can be part of the recruitment process and as such you need to take this seriously and comply.

Making sure you are pitching to the right audience is key to getting viewed favourably for roles – don’t leave it to assumptions, make sure you are clear about what it is you want.