Project Management CVs - Project Management Tipoffs

Documents like constitutions and working histories are both amendable and proof of words that spring to life. The action phrase "Working Resume" might give your working history just a bit more resolve and forward thinking.

The Working Resume™ has been popularised in recent years thanks to Nick Corcodilos, an American head-hunter and management consultant who runs the popular job search/hiring tips blog "Ask the Headhunter". In a 2008 newsletter piece entitled Resume Blasphemy, Corcodilos describes the idea behind The Working Resume which is about stating specifically what you would do going forward in your career, listing (quoted from the article):

"A clear picture of the business of the employer you want to work for."
"Proof of your understanding of the problems and challenges your prospective employer faces."
"A plan describing how you would do the work the employer needs done."
"An estimate of what/how much you think you could add to the bottom line."

Corcodilos writes also of his disdain for CVs*, judging them "too static" and susceptible to being "lumped in" with other CVs. In applying for a job, he opines that The Working Resume doesn't require academic credentials, prior employers, past experience, jobs you've done, accomplishments, achievements or awards. Just stick to the four bullet points above. Sounds radical, so we delved further to see if this approach could be adopted by the project management industry.

His January 21st post entitled How to apply for a job: The Working Resume highlights an effective example of a solid Working Resume (submitted by one of his readers) from one of the great artisans of history: Leonardo Da Vinci. It revolves around Da Vinci's application for employment with Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, in 1481. In it Da Vinci illustrates ten-fold examples of what he can do when hired, and wraps by indicating his willingness to provide a free trial. Corcodilos is bowled over by the letter, ending the post with disdain for the traditional CV and its reference to experience, credentials, education and achievement.

Corcodilos writes: "When the applicant says he can do all the things you need him to do and is willing to show up and prove it? That's a Working Resume."

It's an inspired read, one we definitely recommend so you gain a full understanding of just what is happening in this new and radical approach to gaining the job you really want. And although we do advise on delivering effective CVs to hiring personnel, we're not above suggesting The Working Resume to you if it can give you a leg up in getting your foot in the door. Frankly, when done effectively, it's a document worthy of endorsement.

The UK job hunting market as it stands today (see a role, apply for it [through agency or direct], gain interview and hire) is not conducive to The Working Resume idea for a number of reasons;

Lack of need to include anything in terms of working history, the achievements or accreditations is too much of a step change - how on earth would recruitment agents be able to sift and sort without keyword searches (!)
Most opportunities in the marketplace don't give enough detail about who the organisation is, the ins and outs of the programmes or projects, or the realism of the job specification and person specification - how can an effective Working Resume be created without this information
There is not enough of a collective voice to say "we don't like how the hiring process works" to change the way we do things now - without that, it doesn't become the norm

But that's the great thing about The Working Resume, it is not the norm and we think the principles of it can be adopted for your competitive advantage.

While keeping the four bullets within the context of it, our version of The Working Resume does not eliminate the CV. Rather, it moulds it according to The Working Resume standards. Keep the CV, but emphasize the achievements or responsibilities you've undertaken previously in your work experience that specifically address the key points in the job specification. If you do the research and can point to those things on your working resume as effective demonstration of your capabilities in the role, you've started to gain a competitive advantage already.

The project management field lends itself perfectly to the four principles of The Working Resume:

"A clear picture of the business of the employer you want to work for."

Ensure you clearly include in your CV your match to the employer business or sector. It's easier to do this when applying directly to an organisation but if you are applying through an agency, ask the questions that enable you to make these changes to the CV.

"Proof of your understanding of the problems and challenges your prospective employer faces."

Project management is all about providing solutions to business issues, whether it's corporate strategy, customer needs or public service. If you research enough about the project or organisation you want to join, it becomes easier to understand what the current pressure points are and what projects are being undertaken to address them. Demonstrating that you understand the bigger picture of how projects provide solutions for a business could be included in the personal statement or work history.

"A plan describing how you would do the work the employer needs done."

Now this might sound like "teaching grandma to suck eggs" so I won't go into detail but a project management CV should include the basics of how you manage projects. Tell the reader how you deliver successfully (and not just that you deliver within the triangle constraints!) Spell it out; from initiation, through planning, execution and support, these are the details your future perspective employer needs to see.

"An estimate of what/how much you think you could add to the bottom line."

Again, this is the bigger picture; if you understand the problems and challenges a business faces and you know you deliver projects effectively and successfully, tell the prospective employer not only where you've delivered cost savings, increased profit, reduced time to market etc, but also how this translates to their current needs.

For The Working Resume to be an effective undertaking, it cannot be the same for different roles you apply for. This is a principle that applies to simple CVs as well: The job descriptions are different, and that changes the achievements you'll need to highlight in your traditional CV. You have to tailor the document you are providing to the job and hiring personnel you're applying for/to. That means properly prioritising the order of work examples from your past, allowing you to better point to accomplishments that address the problems and issues the new employers need to have solved.

*Corcodilos' writings rarely use the word 'CV', as the commonly-known title for a working history document in America is the French term 'resume'. We've stuck with 'CV' in all possible references outside the trademarked The Working Resume™ to avoid confusing our readers.