In the May issue of Project Management Tipoffs, we introduced our Tipoffs audience to how a candidate can look like a professional project manager in their job search. The full-length, unabriged version of that article follows below…
In the recruitment process, it is not a given that recruiters know you and/or your work from the start. Often, they have little more to go by than the contents of a CV and a short covering letter. If professionalism is going to happen in project management, it will be a turning point in the hiring process for all project managers. Until that day comes, it behoves you to look the part to the conduit between you and your next employer.
“I think of professionalism as an attitude and more to do with the way they conduct themselves rather than what the CV says,” says Mick Hides, Project Management Consultant at Arras People. “Having said that, with a CV, you are trying to convey confidence that an employer can buy into. At the end of the day employers are looking to minimise the risk to their project by hiring a good PM.”
“All organisations are different. Therefore I would suggest you look to list core competencies in a contextualised manner,” says Nicola Thorp, who also serves as a Project Management Consultant for Arras People. “For instance:
‘Write a business case after conducting feasibility studies for a new business transformation project based around implementing new CRM systems cross functionally, submitted for approval with the steering group and sponsor…’
“Demonstrating your involvement on the project and which elements of the lifecycle can help ensure you are ticking all the right boxes with employers, HR staff and recruiters. Do not assume they know you have done ABC in order to deliver XYZ.”
A trend in recent recruitment shows that solid self-promotion in marketing your CV for a role can sometimes leave better qualified practitioners out in the dark. Mick feels the good self-promoter addresses the needs of the vacancy effectively.
“I can only go on what has been provided in the CV,” he says. “It is possible that there are better candidates who have applied but I have not been able to tell because of a poor CV. The candidates that ring us to complain that they have not been put forward would probably agree with this.”
Nicola wants her candidates to be professional by showing their ability to cope with pressure.
“Project management tends to mean working within a pressurised environment,” she says. “Every part of the recruitment process is a test to see how you cope under pressure and in uncomfortable situations. By not maintaining that professional stance you may pull yourself out of the running for a role.”
Gary Holmes is another Arras professional who assigns a strong value to having a section of your CV devoted to your professional achievements.
“Bearing Nicola’s point in mind, achievements sections on a CV are a great way of separating yourself from the crowd and showing potential employers what you are really like as a PM,” he says. “A good achievements section will take specific instances of challenges within projects and demonstrate how the Project Manager used his skill set and experience to overcome them.”
Your confidence can be exuded in a well-written CV. Yet Gary advises his candidates to never expect the CV speaks for your qualities alone – it has to come through at the interview stage as well.
“Your CV will only get your foot in the door – if you suddenly become all coy at the interview don’t be surprised if they go for the more confident candidate,” he says. “Don’t be afraid to take ownership for the things you’ve done in the interview process. It can be as simple as saying ‘I’ instead of ‘we’ when talking through your anecdotal evidence.”
Certain ways of applying for a role can show who looks professional quite easily. All three have their own perspectives on cover letters, for instance.
“My usual method of sifting is via a CV,” says Mick. “I do not look at cover letters unless I specifically ask for one – but then most people ignore that request anyway.
“I have started to tell candidates to identify the language that is used in adverts. For example when I started working I was introduced to quality tools which over the years have had several name changes. Today it is called Six Sigma and /or Lean but many of the tools are exactly the same ones I was using 20 (+?) years ago.”
Nicola and Gary, on the other hand, are fans of the cover letter.
“The cover letter is a good test to see if the applicant has; 1) Read the advert. 2) Has good attention to detail. 3) Can follow simple instruction,” she says. “It won’t necessarily knock them out of my shortlist but it does give me a sense of how they work – this will be scrutinised in the telescreen.”
“I want to see that the candidate is able to read the job ad in its entirety and respond to what I am looking for,” Gary says of requiring cover letters. “Likewise, however, a good cover letter can make the difference to me sometimes. If the candidate has taken the time to write a letter specific to that role and highlight the areas of their CV where I should be looking, it shows real commitment and gives the impression that they are not just applying on a whim.”
Direct phone calls for particularly eager applicants are another part of the recruiter’s life. So long as the caller follows up.
“The caller may pique my interest but then I would want to confirm that with a review of the CV,” says Mick.
Arras recruitment consultants always telescreen potential candidates they wish to put forward. And given that Arras focuses on quality (usually submitting 3 or 4 candidates) over quantity, this is the time where your professional style needs to shine brightest.
“We will always telescreen a candidate before submitting and then fill out a cover page that has details such as salary expectations, notice period etc,” Mick says. “In addition we have an opportunity to state why we feel the candidate should be submitted for the role. We are always looking for the best ones. If the client is still defining the role I may put in contrasting clients, but if this is the case I usually trying to establish a dialogue with the client. The best clients (and most challenging) are those that have a discussion on the merits of each candidate before they decide to interview.”
When telescreened by recruiters, candidates would do well to remember that regardless of your mood or the time of day you’re in contact, this is the job interview BEFORE the job interview.
“Being dismissive or curt towards the person who answers the phone (who is often a consultant), or coming across as tired or frustrated are all great ways to talk your way out of being put forward to a client,” Mick says. “When talking to candidates, we are always thinking ‘would I want to put this candidate in front of my client?’ ‘Are they going to reinforce or damage the Arras brand?’ Professionalism fits in this context as you should treat every interaction with an agency as though you are dealing with an employer in an interview scenario.”
Mick feels that interview preparation with candidates chosen for an interview is a chance to turn you into the candidate the client is looking for.
“We not only cover hints on how they might conduct themselves in an interview scenario but also provide some background as to our interaction with the client. Our ongoing relationship with the client can provide useful insights into an interview’s values etc.
“Suggesting to clients/candidates where negotiation is possible whilst still moving forward in a positive frame takes skill and nerve. We will always follow the decision of client or candidate but have been known to caution either side if we feel this may be a deal breaker.”
Article written by Mick Hides, Nicola Thorp and Gary Holmes
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Twitter: PapercutPM
From my perspective, when I hire, I’m looking for people who will tell me a story, not recite bland facts I can’t relate to. My gut is a big part of the checking process; probably bigger than any other aspect of the hiring that I do.
When I look at a CV I’m not looking at the words so much as the story behind the words. If I can’t see one, the CV goes in the bin. Period. I just get too many CVs thrown at me and if I’m hiring, I usually have a need I have to fill soon.
So many applicants write their CVs trying to second guess me, and I suppose that’s valid to an extent since they don’t know me yet. But I will pick a CV that tells me a *relevant* story over a Frankensteined-together cv full of fluff any day.
Even if the story’s not 100% relevant…the very fact that there IS a story will get me to call my recruiting firm and say “get that person in here”.
That’s my two cents anyway. I might be a minority. LOL
Great post, Lindsay!!