I am often asked to provide a Project Management CV sample by clients, unfortunately I cannot show you any of my clients’ CVs under data protection, however I have put together a generic CV which will give you a flavour of the type of information to include in the document. Do not forget that more detail is required to ensure you have a CV which tells a holistic story and provides context, but as a starting point……
Yes, it is Guy Fawkes and as such we are adding a little fun into the article today to relate all things to the occasion and asking the question – does your CV light fires in the hearts of hiring managers’ or is it a bit of a damp firework? Expectations are always high when it comes to opening a CV when recruiting for a new role, sometimes (but not always) we have our appetites whet by a really explosive covering letter which really addresses the requirements for the role and we open the CV with excited anticipation, however, often the CV is a real let down. Why does this happen, you ask? Well CVs are often put together and then forgotten about as you feel you’ve done the best you can and it should be fit for all applications. You see a job you like and go about writing a cover letter talking through your career similarities to the position, all the effort goes in here with little thought to how the CV reads now (sometimes months on from when you originally wrote it). It is good practice to always read through your CV and match against the roles you wish to apply for, and then make tweaks so it is substantiating the detail you have supplied in the cover letter.
Have a safe and happy Guy Fawkes!
As it is All Hallows Eve, far be it for me to pass up on a ghoulishly themed article, last year we looked at all things scary when it comes to job applications. Something I came across recently was a CV which seemed to say all the right things in regards to areas covered within the roles, but on asking questions about different aspects such as change management (which had been listed) it became clear that not all was as it seems. As a former PM recruiter I know only too well that candidates will be vetted on the detail supplied in their CV – usually at the point of contact with a recruiter but sometimes not until interview. Regardless of when this happens, rest assured it 
will happen and if you have not got examples to back up your statements then you will be rejected for the role. Therefore it is important to keep it real, when I asked why the candidate had stated areas which they hadn’t actually touched on the response was “I thought it was what the employers want to see on the CV”. I pointed out that it would soon become clear there was no evidence to substantiate the claims and pointed out that they actually have some great experience despite the lack of exposure to particular elements. Why paint an untrue picture when you can create a masterpiece which is true and will gain interviews for the right roles? Scary to think some still believe it is OK to include untruths and not be found out. As tempting as it may be to try and boost your CV, don’t! Leave the dramatics and masks for Halloween parties and going out playing Trick or Treat with the kids.
Here’s a short guide to getting it right:
Have a fantastic All Hallows Eve and get the need to dress up out of your system – you might get some sweets and will certainly gain a more positive response than doing it in your CV.
As much as a balance of experience and competencies put into context are important on Project Management CV, personality is a close second. This may feel quite daunting as it can be difficult to bring the CV to life with a personal feel, but really it isn’t rocket science. Talking through you as a professional in your profile should really be a marketing pitch for employers which gives a snap shot of you, but don’t be afraid to present it in your own words – we are often encouraged to write this in a formal way but there are subtle ways of introducing your personality in there. Think about your management style and approach, if people are your thing then talk about how you engage people (briefly), you take a straight forward approach to implementing structure? Then say so, don’t worry about being too embroiled in PM terminology (there’s plenty of opportunity to get these keywords in further down the document. Now my favourite part of the CV, Key Achievements is the perfect place to really bring your personality to the document. This is where you talk about those extras that you do as a matter of course being a project professional and are what set you apart from others, so if you’ve already mentioned you are a good people person then you need to draw out a good couple of examples to qualify what you’ve said. If you have said you take a pragmatic approach to applying structure then this is also a brilliant place to talk through how and why you have done this with demonstrable examples. Really bring out your management style and personality to help the employer draw a picture of you.
Talking through your career experience you should look to add in context with the project details and competencies, then tailor the information to match up with your approach so it is wooden. I have come across so many CVs which are well written but read a little flat (missing the personality); the document needs to be informative and engaging.
It is really important to me to make sure a CV not only sells the candidate with all the right information but also to make sure the CV is akin with its owner – this is why a consultation takes place at the start of the our CV writing process – not only teasing out all the information, gaining a good understanding of your management style but also getting to know you and how you engage and articulate yourself.