Then a few actions are required that could make your job seeking a little easier. Here’s the top 5 actions to take when starting to look for new project jobs:
1. Invest the time in updating your CV – you need to do a really good job with your CV, seriously, above everything else you do, make sure you invest the time in doing a really good job with this. If you haven’t updated your CV in a number of years, don’t just pull out your job description and copy and paste it in because it really won’t work for you. The time invested now will save you time (and frustration later)
2. Consider two CV’s – for project manager jobs especially – one CV should focus more on the project management skills, techniques, approaches, softer skills etc and the other should be more focused on the projects you’ve covered – types of projects, complexities, team size, budgets as well as the project management skills. Why? Well if you’re looking for a change in sector the first CV being more skills focused would appeal more to a new sector client – they’ve not neccessarily interested in the last IT project you worked on but they would be interested to know about your project management knowledge i.e., the “transferable skills”
3. Know when to use the right CV – there are lots of project jobs out there and you have two brilliant CVs ready to go – so how do you know when to use the right one? Job specifications hold the key here (and yes, unfortunately some of the jobs advertised have rubbish job specs) and this is really the only thing a job seeker has to go on initially. If the job specification at the very least has bullet points – great! Look carefully at the top three or four, what is the job spec leading with – details about the specific project or details about the kind of project management skill required? Not rocket science I’m sure you’ll agree, but you’ll be amaze how many people ignore this and send through a technical jargon heavy CV when the spec mentioned nothing about Java skills!
4. Beat the “keyword searching” recruiters at their own game – recruitment agents are notorious for their keyword searching techniques, a brief falls on their desk with the title “Project Controller” and before you know it anyone who is a “Project Co-ordinator“, “Project Analyst”, “Project Engineer” have been ruled out because you’re not a Project Controller! (and I bet that sounds familiar to a lot of you out there). So how can you get around something like that? Consider using the Objective part of the CV to tell the reader what you’re looking for i.e., “A qualified project co-ordinator looking for an opportunity to progress within the project management field in roles such as project co-ordination, project controller…..” Bingo!
5. So now you got someone to pick up and talk to you – well done that means the CV is working for you, making all the right noises and looks the business. Once you’ve talk through a role with a recruiter and you want to take it further – ask them- “is there any improvements you think I need to make to this CV, is this the right kind of format your client likes to see”, use your recruiter’s past experience of successful placements to your advantage.
