Category Archives: Project Management

Careers Advice, CV Writing, Job Applications, PMO, Project Management, Sector Advice

Project Management Job Applications

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Applying for jobs can become tiresome especially when there is little to no response to applications made and job adverts are less than inspiring, I’ve even spoken to techie IT PMs who have set up software to apply on their behalf – which does seem a bit extreme and has proven embarrassing for them when I have called them about a role they didn’t know they’d applied for.  I have spoken with candidates who have applied for jobs in excess of 20 per week – trust me, that is too many. And I have also spoken to those who do not apply for any roles yet always secure interviews for roles relevant to their experience.

What is the right way? Well there are lots of right ways as much as there are lots of wrong ways – the most important way, is the one which suits your lifestyle and schedule most. If you are between contracts or unemployed, then I recommend all the below. However if you are currently in employment and not in a rush to “jump ship” then I would pick and choose which work for you best. Remember, if you are working in a secure area and cannot take calls during the day – you need to ensure you are communicating this in applications / on your CV and you should also look to set aside time where you can speak with recruiters’ etc. such as taking lunch breaks off site or agreeing to take calls prior to work or after hours.

Here are some ideas to ease the search for that next new role:

  • Set up searches to do the trawling for you – most job websites will have a search engine which you can set to run daily / weekly and email you the results. The key to success for this type of search is to try a few keywords and see what the searches bring back to you. If you have a niche skill which you would like to play on, then you may only need to put this skill as a keyword such as Primavera etc. However using keywords such as “project manager” for a London location will return a rather large list of roles, so try to get the balance right by using keywords closely matched to your skill-set / industry / sector etc. Once you have your list of roles emailed to you, you need to go through each role and discard all the roles which are clearly not for you. By filtering down your list to a small manageable list of jobs, you are cutting down the disappointment of rejection and also cutting down your workload to send your applications to. Track your applications (which should be easy to do if there are only 3 or 4 per week) and request feedback for rejections, this should assist you in understanding whether your CV is saying the right things.
  • Market yourself – Gain a review of your CV to understand if it is working for you, once you are confident it is, load it on the job websites and wait for the recruiters and employers to come to you. If your CV is good – they will! If you are under confident or you have tried this method and it hasn’t worked for you, seek advice from a professional CV writer who specialises in your field.

As part of one of our services – The CV Righter can assist you with getting started on applications and show you where to look etc. For a free CV review contact us: www.thecvrighter.co.uk

Careers Advice, CV Tips, CV Writing, News, PMO, Project Management

Covering your projects whilst on holiday

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OK so we’ve all been there – summer is fast approaching and you are reaching critical stages in your projects, your holiday has been booked for months and your family are excitedly packing their cases ahead of the break. Short of taking your work mobile and laptop on holiday and praying for a decent WIFI connection by the pool – you need to look at how and who can be trusted to keep momentum on your projects in your absence!

I have learned my lesson sorely by entrusting my critical workload to colleagues who promise the earth but when it comes down to it – they are either far too busy with their own schedules or figure it’s not really their problem. So what can you do to ensure all is not lost in your absence?

  • In an ideal world, there would be enough slack in the budget to cover an interim for the period you are away – but reality often dictates no spare cash for such resource. Depending on the impact on the business due to slippage and current investment – you may be able to present a business case to secure funding for a contractor.
  • Speak to the PMO, in another ideal world – there is an established corporate level PMO in place which holds extensive resource maps, (and should already be aware of your absence) to which they can work around resources to ensure a dedicated individual with experience (who has been briefed) can pick up the reins.
  • Plan ahead and create your very own second in command – from the outset, ideally, employ a project coordinator / junior project manager / project assistant who is not used as an admin tool (although if you cover this aspect in your role then exposure to this is required), he/she works alongside you and learns all about the project, suppliers, stakeholders, business requirements as you work together. OK so you may now be saying this is an expensive resource. Is it? You are offering to provide some strong work experience to a professional who is already on the cusp of promotion into delivering a small project. I think we could all easily write a strong business case for this and also gain good buy in from the person to take the role.

Planning ahead and thinking outside of the box are key requirements for a good project professional, don’t leave it to chance – make sure you have cover in place so you can enjoy your holiday and save yourself from stress when the only thing which should be worrying you is which factor sun cream to use. Or of course in the UK which raincoat to take!

Are you currently using these skills in your role? Does your CV tell us this? Are you missing a trick? Get in touch with your CV for a free review exclusive to Project Management professionals! www.thecvrighter.co.uk

Cover letters, CV Tips, CV Writing, Friday Snippet, PMO, Project Management

Cover Letters

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Whenever anyone mentions cover letters I hear the same old sigh and comments such as; “Does anyone actually read them?!”. It is a bit of a lottery depending on who is reading your application but it cannot hurt to write one specific to the role and especially when applying direct to an employer it is courtesy. Remember you are being judged from the moment you make contact with an employer or recruiter – simply writing, “See attached” or even sending a blank email with your CV attached is not good form. Equally, writing a cover letter which is generic is also not adding to your application.

  • When writing an effective cover letter you should look to address the person you are sending properly – if the job advert states the name of the person accepting the application, make sure you address it to them personally.
  • Ensure you state where you saw the advertisement and what the role is (remember HR and recruiters deal with numerous roles at once).
  • Look to add some strong content which matches up your relevant experience to the role itself – if the job advert states it requires someone who has implemented PMO procedures then make sure you add detail about a time or times when you have had this input.
  • Do not copy and paste detail from your CV – you’ve already stated this.
  • If the business product has a strong synergy to a current or previous employer – talk about this, demonstrating your understanding of the way the industry works.
  • Do not be afraid to add into the letter that you will follow the application up with a call to discuss your experience further and state a date; then do as you say you will.

Remember you are one of a number of applicants for any one role – making an effort to tailor your application not only demonstrates your enthusiasm for this role, it also demonstrates your written communication skills and ability to follow up on pieces of work. As a project professional these are key qualities and as stated above, will be judged from the outset.

Making a smaller number of tailored applications will return a higher number of call backs and interview possibilities rather than applying for everything with the word project in it. Remember when dealing with recruitment agencies you will soon gain a reputation if you apply for everything, especially when the roles as so dissimilar. Create a good impression first time around and be remembered for the right reasons – you may not make it into the shortlist for that role but a new role may just be being qualified that has your name on it, a good recruiter will recognise this and have you top of the list to speak to for that role.

 

The CV Righter is a professional CV writing service aimed at project and would be project professionals – we can assist you in tailoring your CV and cover letters for specific roles too.

For a free CV review visit: www.thecvrighter.co.uk

Careers Advice, CV Tips, CV Writing, PMO, Project Management

CV reviews for Project Management professionals

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When was the last time you had your CV reviewed? Your CV is the key tool to gain interest by hiring managers and recruiters. I have had a fair few enquiries recently from candidates wanting to understand why they had applied to many roles with little or no feedback; often describing their job applications disappearing into a “big black hole”, never hearing anything back. There are a number of reasons for this, one being that you may be one of up to 100 applicants (sometimes more depending on role type, location, salary etc.), as a rule of thumb the recruitment process will filter down the list of applications to a manageable shortlist of candidates to speak to or interview outright. When I asked the candidates if they had chased up their applications, a good percentage said yes but felt fobbed off with standard responses such as “candidates with a closer match to the experience required made the shortlist”. When pushed for further feedback the recruiters and HR staff were reluctant to provide any useful feedback stating the CV was OK. However, if the CV is “OK” and you feel you have a strong synergy to the role requirements, why are you not making shortlist? I always recommend going back to the recruiter for further feedback as it is important when you feel your CV says XYZ – why it doesn’t to the person reviewing it for the role.

As a professional CV writer, specialising in the field of project management I have sat on the recruitment side of applications too – I have spent many an hour discussing candidates CVs with the applicants in order to assist them in getting the right information down on the CV to ensure successful applications for roles in their field. As such one of the services we provide at The CV Righter is to perform a free CV review for candidates where a one to one appointment is made and areas of the CV are discussed. I have found the feedback for such a service to be very positive, after all another person’s perspective is always beneficial but particularly when that other person has actually done the job and recruited for hundreds of roles spanning, PMO, project management, programme management, portfolio management, change management and business analysis to name a few.

If you feel your CV needs that competitive edge and you feel you have gone as far as you can with it but still are not securing interviews – then it may be time to let a professional CV writing service take a look. We offer a competitive value for money service which is tailored to your needs. If the CV does not require a complete rewrite then we talk through areas that do need work and charge accordingly. We also offer an insight into the recruitment aspect of applications and advice on how to move forward with success by taking a detailed account of what you do at the moment and equip you with new approaches to applications and getting noticed in your field.

Get in touch with your CV for a free CV review – be prepared for honest and constructive feedback, we believe you can only add value if you know where you are going wrong. Visit www.thecvrighter.co.uk and make contact through our contact page.