Tag Archives: job applications

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.

Job adverts, Job Applications, Job Hunting, project management recruitment

Reasons why your project management job applications fail

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I have been approached literally hundreds of times over the years by job hunters asking why they are not getting calls following on from job applications – each case is usually slightly different but on the whole it comes down to a few reasons listed below:

  • Incorrect matching for job – in the current climate, most employers are less flexible with what they will accept in regards to skill-set and experience. If they are asking for a professional with specific product knowledge or project management method of delivery then they tend to stick with this requirements list and interview those who already have a close match. Remember, you need to meet at least 90% of the role requirements to be in a position to be considered for the job.
  • Poorly written job adverts / job descriptions – this comes down to recruiters and HR staff either not understanding the role or using old job descriptions to create new ones which are often out of date and not relevant. Therefore when you see an advert which doesn’t give any real detail about the organisation / projects in hand you are taking a leap of faith with your application.
  • Generic CV – alongside the generic job descriptions, these rarely give enough detail about your experience and specialism. As employers want project professionals who are closely aligned to their requirements it can be difficult for them to gauge you and they will naturally pick out the CVs which spell it out.
  • Job is closed – yes, a lot of roles are already closed when they go to advert. Why do it then you ask. A good recruiter will already have some candidates in mind for a role as they are qualifying it; as such they will have made contact with the candidates and will have sent in a shortlist to their client before writing up and publishing an advert. This is because there is a lot of competition for these roles with recruiters and time is of the essence, the advert will go online after, which will generate interest and more CVs for next time. Also the recruiters know that the best way to generate further business is to be seen to be publishing lots of new roles – the busier the agency appears to be the more likely they are to get more leads.
  • Fake job adverts – there are still a number of job adverts placed out and about which are “fishing” adverts, usually generic in their form and not unlike the above scenario. But these tend to be nonexistent jobs purely used to help build a recruitment database.
  • Too slow – not all roles are filled when published online, especially the harder to fill positions, but with competition high from your peers, you must be quick. I have published roles which have generated hundreds of applications within the first few hours, I have interviewed and shortlisted before the day has ended.

Looking for work

It is not uncommon to believe your CV is saying all the right things and reads clearly to others but all too often the common trait is that you know your job inside out and assume others will understand this. The CV becomes a document so in tune with what you know rather than a clear communicator of your exposure to different elements, difficulties you have faced (this sets you apart from others), core competencies (as you assume the reviewer will know you covered all aspects) and the types of projects you worked on (believing that leaving out the technical element will make you a more transferable candidate). My advice is to first address your CV, ask for a review – make sure it is honest! Then when you are confident it is good, keep an eye out for roles which look genuine and apply swiftly.

CV Tips, CV Writing, PMO, PMO CV

What a PMO CV should say

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What should your PMO CV say – it’s all well and good telling us you support / manage / set up PMOs in your CV but do you give the recruiter or hiring manager enough information for them to get a feel for your exposure? Often I am sent CVs from PMO professionals asking for feedback and although basically it is well written, there are huge gaps leaving me wanting more detail. Recruiters and hiring managers are unlikely to pick up the phone to ask you questions when they already have an inbox full of applications, they simply move on to the next CV.

What do we want to know? Here are a few points to consider:

  • The PMO itself – what kind of PMO is it? Is it corporate level, satellite (department based, permanent for say IT), or temporary (set up for a specific programme and disbanded once the programme has delivered)
  • How big is it? Some PMOs are just one person, others run into 20’s to much larger
  • How mature is the PMO, are we talking rather new and currently creating & embedding structures, enterprise level or somewhere in between
  • How many programmes and / or projects feed into the PMO
  • What are the programmes / projects which are being supported
  • What level of support is offered – purely admin or as intended, consultants to the project management team
  • Who does the PMO report into – is it an interface between project management and the senior management team

As a PMO manager or consultant have you addressed these points?

  • What type of PMO manager are you – do you set up PMOs and move on to new assignments once you have implemented structures and handed over to someone else to manage
  • Do you have a PMO tool kit of templates which you can adapt for business needs
  • Are you all about process or pragmatic in your approach to implementing structures
  • Do you pick up existing PMOs and mange going forward as opposed to setting them up
  • What is your key specialism – do you look to address overarching business needs and work on communications
  • Are you a coach / trainer to project managers

These are few areas which require consideration when putting together a CV; too many times I have seen CVs which list a lot of bullets such as:

  • Risk & Issue Management
  • Stakeholder Mapping
  • Change Management
  • Planning

Put like this – it doesn’t tell the reviewer a great deal and does tend to read like a job description not a CV, think about adding in some context and really adding some meat to the bones. It is easy to assume that others will know all about your role at XXX plc but the reality is that we don’t, by taking time to think about how you may describe to others what you do and your environment you can really make a difference to your CV.

guest blogger, Job Hunting, Recruitment

Three Steps On the Path To the Job You Love

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If you are not yet on the path to the job you love, then you better begin immediately. Many people are suffering from burnout nowadays because they are stuck in jobs that pay their bills but don’t sustain their interests. Who knows, the job you love may be just beyond the walls of your office. You just have to be diligent in seeking. Once you get a job that you really love, you will feel that you won’t have to work at all. Your job will feel more like play rather than a means to pay your bills.

So how do you do it? Here are three practical tips for you to follow on the path to the job you love:

1. Look into yourself and know your passion

Many of us think that passions are for children who don’t have families yet, but that sort of thinking has gotten many employees stuck into their day jobs. Don’t do as the others usually do; think actively about the type of work that can allow you to satisfy your passions and at the same time help others. That may mean reading more books, recalling past events in your life, asking for counsel from other people you trust, and having more experiences so you can delve deeply into possible fields where you may want to work. Here are some practical tips.

2. Plan ahead.

Identifying your passion isn’t enough. You need to act so you can fulfill your dream of getting a job aligned with your passion. Set a time frame; that can be as short as you wish (spanning weeks) or as long as you wish (possibly years, if you need to go back to school and study). Then take note of specific actions you can take. Although later on, you may act differently from how your plan proceeded, as long as your actions are aligned with your passion, that is okay. Here are some moves you can make: being an intern, studying at a college or university, starting a business, and talking to other people who can help you find the job you love.

Find your pot of gold

3. Leave everything you aren’t passionate about

If you want to get a new job that suits your passion, then leave your old job. The more you persist in doing your old job, the more you will lose sight of your passion and your goal to seek out the job you love. Also, hanging on to your old job gives you a feeling of safety, which can be hard to give up when faced with the risky challenge of going on your own. Once you are out of your old job, you will have nowhere to go except to your new job. However, be prepared. Have some savings because it will take some time to think about what you really want in life and find a new job you will be passionate about.

When it comes to finding the job you love, don’t hesitate and don’t delay. At first, you may need to adjust because thinking about your passion is different from the thinking you do when working on a usual day job. Just remember that in the end, if you persist, you will reach your goal.

Danny Duric is an avid blogger from Australia. He earned a degree in Business Management. Ever since he discovered his passion about psychology, he is reading and writing actively about HR, career and marketing related topics. Lately he is researching the mining industry in NSW, Australia.