The month of August for Project Management Tipoffs means the poolside on holiday, the kids playing on the deck, and meandering thoughts about your career. It happens, believe me. But how do you turn these idle thoughts into something productive that can lead to some distinguishing revelations about effective job searching when you return?

For matters such as these and also tying in our new Careers Advice page, How to Differentiate Yourself in the PM Marketplace, we explore ways to turn those thoughts into a productive process that lands the role you've always wanted but may not have known existed.

Our next piece targets some data revealed in the Differentiate Yourself pages, and expands upon these revelations by advising according to the trends and facts within the current PPM marketplace. The information is fresh from a presentation given by our own Lindsay Scott in June of the same title, and our ultimate aim is to give you some tips as to the right way to self-market and pursue a good image for the branding of "you: the ultimate PPM candidate!"

We're also back with another edition of Question of the Month, a reference to one of our series of Frequently Asked Questions, and Scott takes a look at Denise Taylor's Now You've Been Shortlisted: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Being Successful at Interviews and Assessment Centres, with one lucky reader able to get their hands on a free copy!

SPECIAL NOTE: Tipoffs is now available in podcast form for all of our audio fans keen on learning the ins and outs on project management, programme management and recruitment in the PPM world. The August podcast is now available. Click here to learn more our podcasts and subscribe to our regular feed, or here to download us on iTunes. For the on-the-go, instantaneous information public, Project Management Tipoffs and Arras People are ready for you.

Would you like to advertise in the next issue of Project Management Tipoffs? We publish on the third Thursday of every month, and would like to have all advertising data (images, click-through links, invoices) taken care of the week before release. Contact us, check our running schedule and our advertising guidelines today.

We're looking for the input of higher educators, employers of project personnel, students in a full- and part-time capacity and modern project practitioners on the future of training, CPD and development of tomorrow's PPM personnel. What, in fact, is the role of Higher Education, which has added curriculums nationwide toward an increased emphasis on the higher education deliverables of a degree in project management. The findings will prove to be of a great benefit to the September issue of Project Management Tipoffs, which also focuses on the role of higher education in PPM development.

All we need is your input.

Words: Dan Strayer

Words: Dan Strayer

In recent times we have advised potential job seekers that a significant amount of job vacancies are never advertised to the wider public.

In fact 80% of roles are never advertised which might seem like an astonishing figure to anyone entering the job market.

The truth is the number of unadvertised vacancies has always been high – it’s not just a product of the economic downturn of the last three years.

When we hear that candidates are not receiving any response at all to their job applications - and that’s not just "no feedback" – it’s absolutely nothing at all. Or tried and tested methods of applying for roles, which worked a few years back, now don’t seem to be working at all. Most worrying is an increase in frustration and desperation, as candidates are uncertain as to what they’ve done wrong in following the "traditional process". The traditional process of "see an advertisement – apply with a CV – and fingers crossed".

These concerns and experiences are further exaggerated due to the relatively small pool of vacancies (20%) the job seeker is looking at.

When we talk about where things truly stand today, it's evident that the old ways of job applications are not all they’re cracked up to be. Job seekers have grown weary and frustrated with job searches that are leading nowhere.

If you're looking to differentiate yourself, 100 online applications for a single role can, at times, be a hard collection to separate yourself from. This isn’t to say that it can’t happen, but too often, the feel comes across to recruiters and HR personnel that the masses consist of a "me, too" variety. It is tough to make yourself stand out against those odds sometimes.

Now go back to that 80% figure. Probability shows that you will likely get your next job from someone you know, your network. And that doesn’t necessarily mean someone you know well. So what can you do to help open yourself up to a wider network of people?

Networking face to face

Networking registers as a large factor in that number. Which begs the question: Who, in fact, have you gotten to know in your days as a PPM practitioner? And bear in mind, we’re talking about networking prior to your decision to find new employment: the professional and personal networks you’ve built and maintained in the times leading up to a job search need to have come from a rolodex of like-minded professionals.

People like your friends, colleagues, former colleagues, colleagues from suppliers and third parties, acquaintances at professional networking seminars and conferences, and training events. Just about anyone you meet in your day to day job.

Web 1.0 Networking

While networking has always been more than just saying "Hi, I'm Bill, here’s my CV" at your local APM chapter meeting, the avenues of reach to these people have expanded to the point that some might think it’s not necessary to even have to do the face-to-face networking anymore. Social media’s a good thing, but it’s not that good.

Having said this, it is an opportunity to raise your profile and make others aware of you, your expertise and of course make wider connections with others in the PPM community.

The demand for online content, the growing wealth of masters of 140 character messages, and the vast PPM blogosphere allow your expertise in PPM the immediacy of a viral impact (and the editors always love relevant, unique contributions). Something as simple as writing a guest blog post, a white paper, making a video, asking to provide some input on a podcast, or even contributing a newsletter article every now and again can further your reach and boost your profile.

Never assume you’re too young or inexperienced to begin building this brand, either. There are many ways to contribute to your PPM community, and doing a little bit every so often is a way of giving a little to get a little (even a lot) over the course of time. When you inquire and contribute (even with a simple comment on a blog post, for instance), you become engaged in your community.

Web 2.0 Networking

We’ve extolled the virtues of LinkedIn in this space, and on the Camel, so we’ll try to keep it brief. Nowadays, you have to be careful not to rely too exclusively on social media channels as your lone sphere of connection for networking purposes.

The main idea is to find a healthy balance between the two whilst getting your work done. As it stands, identities and profiles have been so well-established on Twitter, Facebook and certainly LinkedIn that it becomes impossible to skew exclusively one way.

Consider the June announcement that LinkedIn (which had only a month before officially filed its IPO) had surpassed MySpace in the US as the No. 2 most used social media platform of all. MySpace, despite new ownership, is trending the opposite direction of Facebook in the war for fun-filled social media endeavours, whilst the more down to business LinkedIn was gaining a platform amongst the career-minded. It drives home the thinking that the project professional needs to get going with their career’s social profile development whilst the going is very good.

Networking is just one area to consider when tapping into the 80% of available vacancies, to find out more about other areas How to Differentiate Yourself in the PM Marketplace, take a look at the careers page, or download the new podcast at the Arras People Pod centre and on iTunes.

Dan Strayer is a Marketing Coordinator of Arras People and editor of Project Management Tipoffs. To read more of his work on project management at How to Manage a Camel, click here.

Words: Birgit Oberlerchner

First of all, to provide the minimum of context, I used to be an online marketer on the client-side, and as such used to be responsible for the operational and strategic development of the websites for my previous employers, which on more than one occasion gave me the opportunity to project manage new web builds (websites as well as intranets).

It was earlier this year via two new intranets, two new websites, and numerous further development projects for four corporate websites later that I realized just how much I enjoyed the project management (as opposed to marketing), and that in fact, project management was probably my real strength and passion. Even more than that, I started to see how every project was an opportunity to learn and grow. This was an insight which made me feel very excited and I went on to set some define some proper goals going forward:

• For my next role, I wanted to make the official transition to web project manager
• I also wanted to re-invent myself as a contractor
  • To gain experience not just across different projects, but also organizations, industries, etc
  • To become so experienced (and fearless) that I could walk into any company or project
  • To take time out for travel between projects, in other words to work hard and play hard
• Organisation-wise, I definitely wanted to stay at the client-side and I also felt that a not-for profit organization would be interesting; I’ve always enjoyed the change management part of PM, which explains my preference for the client-side as well as the project I was after
• Project-wise, I really wanted to work on an intranet again; which is instrumental in managing change in organizations and also offers great opportunities for back-end process optimization - another one of my likes
• In conclusion, even in terms of salary-wise, I had very clear goals

Ergo, I took some proper actions, e.g.

• Took PRINCE2 qualification
• Did tons of networking, both (web) industry events as well as events for start ups and various training workshops (e.g. social media)
• Re-wrote my CV, including my LinkedIn profile
• Joined the twitter mill (and totally 'sold' as to its benefits)
• Researched and contacted agencies, who specialized in project work/contracting

Sounds all very exciting I suppose, and I was indeed full of energy and motivated, and generally pretty good at sticking to my ambitions. However, things were to take a while and I was challenged at least a couple of times. So much so that I had sincere worries that my plans might not work out after all (at least not quickly enough); for a brief period of time, I considered roles which didn’t match my goals. On one occasion I went for the interview, but then knew pretty quickly that I just couldn't settle for less. In another instance I had a recruiter calling me weekly to check progress on my "re-invention", as she had an agency-based PM role, which involved intranet projects.

I nearly gave in for her to send my CV across, when things really kicked off. I garnered two interviews, both for 12 month contracts, and both for not-for profit organizations. Even though they were "only" interviews, I decided very quickly to disregard the agency-side role completely! I have now secured a 12 months contract for a new intranet for a not-for profit organization, and at the rate as I envisaged it!

Here are some "strategies" I've adapted along the way, which I believe helped me to follow my dreams and overcome fears.

• I did a kind of MOT/SWOT analysis to work out and really understand/see what my strengths and passions are
• Once I finished that, it was (kind of) easy for me to believe (a crucial element to this undertaking) in the positive outcome, and visualise it
• Set specific goals – I defined exactly what I wanted in terms of the project, the type of organisation, the salary, etc
• Taking action and small risks – I’ve learned to take action even or especially when tempted to look for excuses; taking small risks can often - if not always - open doors to new opportunities, insights, skills, people, etc.
• Similarly, I have adopted an attitude to never give up and to see failure as an opportunity to learn, and ultimately, attain success
• As for the market, I generally ignore the bad news when it comes to job search; if you focus on the negative you are likely to use it as an excuse NOT to take action and grow generally de-motivated. However, situations cannot be changed; it is only one’s attitude and perception that can be changed. So if, for example, I believe that there IS the one job out there that’s an exact match for ME and MY skills and experience, I am much more motivated to go for it and find it.

Birgit Oberlerchner is a freelance project manager currently on a 12-month contract managing website builds

This section is here to help you realise where to get help with your most basic and far-reaching questions alike. With just a little search, you can use the Arras People website to get ahead in your hunt for gainful PPM employment and advice. From time to time, we'll go beyond FAQs with this running feature as well - we're also happy to point you towards the tidbits of information you can do with, be it a handout, a testimonial, or reasons as to why a candidate can turn to Arras People. The main idea is to channel your regularly-asked inquiries into sections of the website that are set up to deal with them in a convenient fashion.

This month's Frequently Asked Question:

Image by sarbathory and re-used with permission.

Author: Denise Taylor
Publisher: Harriman House Publishing
Size: 255 pages

Reviewed by Lindsay Scott

If you’re a project management professional and looking for a book to help prepare you for the testing elements of the recruitment process this might well be the book for you. Contrary to the by-line for the book –Your step-by-step guide to being successful at interviews and assessment centres- the vast majority of this book features the various tests that can be conducted during the process.

Kicking off with an employers view of the recruitment process – designed I suspect to help you appreciate where they’re coming from and potentially give you the competitive edge for knowing, it falls short at actually giving any kind of in-depth or practical hints and advice. Moving onto “Preparing for Success” there is nothing in this chapter that can’t be sourced via the internet doing a 10 minute search on getting ready for an interview.

The book starts to come into its own when looking at the various tests available – grouped together in a chapter called Psychometric Testing – it covers all those tests likely to feature in a project management recruitment process – including verbal reasoning, critical thinking, numerical, abstract reasoning and personality. Each type of test is covered separately with background to the “what” and “how” of each test plus some practical examples to work through (on average 4 test examples per chapter). The book also includes web references to other testing websites and a free access login and code for one particular website. I tried the verbal reasoning test online and it was thorough and took 40 minutes to complete. There are four to choose from. This resource alone is worth the price of the book.

The next part of the book concentrates on “assessment centres” and whilst these centres don’t tend to appear very much in a project management recruitment process there is still much in this chapter to read and take away. Areas such as preparing for a presentation (not just something carried out in “assessment centres”) is something project professionals tend to experience a lot at interviews. This section breaks it down to 5 minutes, 10-20 minutes (with limited prep time) and 15-20 minutes (with prep in advance). The chapters are short though so don’t expect a “guide to” creating presentations in any great depth. There are also other scenarios which a project professional could experience during the recruitment process including written exercises and in-tray exercises with a small nod to scheduling and planning exercises specifically for project roles.

The final part of the book is centred on the interview itself, again there’s nothing really new here that couldn’t be found from around the web. If you’re looking a book which brings all the useful stuff into one place though and is well written, concise and considered, Now You’ve Been Shortlisted is worth the purchase price of around £7-8 (current Amazon prices). The interview section includes examples of standard questions – with preferred answers or giving direction to help personalise the response. There is also a section on getting ready to ask questions yourself towards the end of the interview.

All in all, this book is great for anyone who will be facing specific tests as part of the recruitment process. It’s also useful for anyone who may not have been in the job market for a number of years and wants a one-stop shop for getting up to speed with the interview and testing areas of the recruitment process.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER: Lindsay Scott is a Director of Arras People. To read more of her work on project management at How to Manage a Camel, click here.

DO YOU WANT TO REVIEW A BOOK FOR TIPOFFS? Contact us today.

"Why am I still not getting a job offer? I am applying for everything advertised that I feel I can do" – Will, Bournemouth

Nicola Caswell-Thorp of Arras People says: Hi Will. Frustrating isn’t it! Unfortunately you are not the only candidate out there who is having this problem, so let’s take a look at what you have said and offer some solutions:

I note you say you are applying for all roles you feel you can do – however I would re-evaluate this strategy as you do not want to gain a reputation for being a “serial applier”; yes we know you are keen but sending in application after application airs on the side of desperation. Recently a candidate who is in a similar situation to you came to us for assistance, on contacting one of our clients about them we immediately had a response of; “Oh it’s XXXXX again – he did interview with us about 3 years ago but has since applied for a number of roles which are quite different, this has put us off a bit.”

I am repeating myself when I say – only apply for roles which you meet at least 90% of the criteria and don’t apply for roles just to “try and get noticed”, as you can see from the above example you can be noticed for all the wrong reasons. Rather than apply for 20 roles a week, target 3 or 4 which are a very close match to your experience. Don’t assume that your CV doesn’t require tweaking - put the work in. Use examples of achievements which are closely aligned to the business need and ensure you highlight areas which are asked for in the job description / advert.

Due to the level of competition out there and volumes, you need to be smart and work at your applications. Write a cover letter tailored to the role (not just a cut and paste from your CV), ensure the detail you add into the cover letter is backed up in your CV. I would say it is a fair assumption that candidates with the best CVs not necessarily the best candidates are being picked up by recruiters and HR. It is not the job of HR or a recruiter to rewrite your CV for you, you are being tested from the first point your application arrives in the inbox – if you cannot clearly demonstrate your skills and experience in a clear manner, how can you be expected to produce clear and accurate MI reports etc?

If you would like to put a question to Nicola or any of our other project management consultants, contact us and it could end up in a future edition of the Tipoffs Q&A. Also, be sure to check out both our Project Management Careers Clinic and also the Project Management Careers Advice pages for more advice related to project management careers.

Got a question for us? Contact us today.