Tag Archives: Competition

Careers Advice, News, PMO, Project Management, Sector Advice

A shift in strategy for top police job, is this a sign of change in attitudes?

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Friday’s news made an interesting read; “Tom Winsor ‘best candidate’ for police watchdog role” was the headline on the BBC news website. Interesting because what has traditionally been seen as a role for a police individual has been opened up to a civilian, the first time since the role was established. Winsor, a commercial lawyer has been handpicked by a committee and backed by the home office to take the role.

Could this be the start of a shift in the job market? Particularly for project management staff, who in recent years have struggled to shift into any role other than the sector or industry and project type they have experience in? PMO professionals have had an easier ride in transitioning into other industries but purely due to a lack of experienced individuals in the field during a time where employees in secure roles are less willing to move roles due to uncertainty in the market. PMO staff can be recycled within the organisation and set up to support the next programme of work whilst project managers (particularly those with a niche specialism) are more likely to be moved on or kept but to work on projects which do not “light their fire” hence more project managers actively searching for roles, meaning more competition which has lead on to hiring managers (in a risk averse state) picking candidates most closely matched to the organisation.

Adapting to change

I have often felt that businesses are missing a trick when it comes to bringing new employees onboard, surely someone who has a breadth of experience and skills in the field of PPM but less exposure to the “product” will be asking questions often overlooked by teams who are too familiar with it? Also it has often been seen that organisations adopt different ways of working across sectors – could elements of this be introduced into a different industry? It all comes down to perspective, strategy; and no doubt – fear of change.

So reading that Winsor is a prime candidate for the role filled me with a sense of hope for everyone looking to make changes moving forward. And a lesson to be learned here is that Winsor took on a piece of work to analyse police pay – the review left him unpopular with people within the force however he gained a great deal of exposure to how the force is operated. This insight and his ability to address key areas of change without fear of losing popularity coupled with a different perspective, the home office feel, has placed him in pole position for the job. Take opportunities to look into different areas and fields – it may well be your passport out of your current industry into a great new challenge.

The CV Righter is a professional CV writing service which was formed to assist all those in project management – having a background in managing projects and implementing PMO processes followed by 5 years experience in recruiting project management staff from support roles through to programme directors across all industries and sectors means we have a good insight into what the employer expects to see on your CV. If you would like to learn more about how we can assist you, get in touch: https://www.thecvrighter.co.uk/

 

Careers Advice, CV Tips, Project Management

What sets you apart from others – food for thought on your CV

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Time and time again applications are made for project management roles and are either rejected or a lucky few make it through to interview shortlist but candidates are “pipped at the post” by the competition. Competition is exactly what recruitment is all about so in this blog post I want to delve into a common reason why some candidates appear to walk seamlessly into that next role while other good candidates are left on the bench.

I have addressed a number of key areas to be considered when creating your CV in my previous blog posts – this piece of information is taking that well written CV to the next level.

So, what actually does set you apart from others? Only you know this, have a think about what you do beyond what you are actually paid to do. Going the extra mile is a sure way of adding to your skill set and getting noticed for the right reasons, it also adds value to your marketability. In a time where employers’ resources are limited it is crucial to demonstrate how you can really enhance the team and the business with that extra set of skills and your willingness to do so. In smaller organisations it is common place for employees to not only perform their own role but to also get involved in other aspects of the business, such as implementing structure, business development and training personnel. In larger organisations employees tend to be kept within the structure of the business to manage their own workload however you can look at various aspects of your departments – identifying bottlenecks and working with departments such as IT to create more efficient tools for delivery.

Embrace the opportunities and think about the bigger picture – what skills will you gain or develop from being more actively involved in the business and how can you add this experience to your CV. Remember that other candidate that pipped you to the post may have a very similar delivery skill set but have also been involved in marketing campaigns which is something the potential employer is looking to embrace moving forward- therefore that other candidate got the job (possibly with an even more attractive package offering).

Do not deflect too far away from your core experience and skills in your CV but adding elements of additional aptitude will certainly add to your attractiveness with potential employers.

For a free CV review and discussion about how to best market yourself in your CV – get in touch: www.thecvrighter.co.uk