Issues Project Professionals are Facing Right Now - May 2009

It is becoming obvious that some project professionals are finding the current environment tough, where once securing a new contract or permanent role felt relatively easy; many are now left wondering how and why their normal job hunting methods are failing to bring in that next opportunity.

In the previously buoyant employment market, the ebb and flow of new vacancies and opportunities came through the normal channels of job board advertisements, personal networks or extended contacts in their industry. Now, with a contracting economy, many professional contractors are finding less opportunities available as their current assignment comes to a close; some are being terminated early as cost cutting measures are put into place and personal networks are not as fruitful as in the past. With some project professionals entering the market for the first time in years after a prolonged period of employment, the current marketplace can seem a confusing, sometimes hostile and negative place to be.

So what has changed in the marketplace and what changes can a project professional make to increase their return on effort?

In line with the general economy the project management marketplace has seen levels of contraction, with some sectors feeling the pinch much harder than others, a situation that is likely to continue in the coming months. Organisations are naturally approaching their resourcing needs differently as pressure to reign in costs comes to bear. For example, we are seeing more organisations looking for project managers who can deliver now and really make a difference to the bottom line; they have no interest in bringing raw talent on through training and development. As a consequence there are fewer roles for the entry level project manager.

As hiring organisations see an increase in available candidates many are using qualifications and professional accreditations as a mandatory selection criteria, whereas in the past demonstrable practical ability was in many cases enough to gain an interview. Rightly or wrongly this has become a popular way to reduce vast numbers of applicants for roles which means that some project professionals will be frozen out of opportunities even though they have demonstrable skills and experience to deliver the role. Traditionally when there is a drop off in permanent recruitment there is an associated upturn in contract positions, but again organisations are becoming much more selective in the number of contract roles they are creating and the criteria used for selection. Other obvious changes in the marketplace include a greater number of vacancies being withdrawn, even though the recruitment process is underway, this is often the case when delivery managers are panicking about getting a new product or service to market without gaining the correct internal approvals for the new headcount.

Some Project Professionals are facing real difficulties in overcoming the changes in the marketplace, but there are practical steps that can be taken to address them. "Business as usual" is not good enough, approaches should be examined and change applied as appropriate. Some simple tips include;

• Don't be tempted to apply for each and every role you see with "project" in the title, nobody appreciates a serial applier!
• Take time to really understand what skills you are bringing to the table – conduct a personal skills audit (understand what it is you've got to offer the marketplace)
• Research the project management marketplace, take time to really understand what organisation's are really looking for and how that matches your skillset
• Use both your research and skills audit to give your CV a much needed update, remembering that it has to contain your USP and give you a competitive advantage
• If rejected, always seek feedback so that you can learn from each experience
• If it's a show stopper, bite the bullet and back up your experience with some professional accreditation

Ultimately, as an individual you need to be clear about what you have to offer to the marketplace! Many people make the mistake of rushing into the job application process without first taking time to consider their options. Treat it like a project, as we all know, those with a good initiation phase tend to be more successful than those that rush to forming solutions.