Sometimes, and all in the name of becoming more successful, we strive to invest in ourselves and strip off any bad habits acquired over the years.
I am talking about mastering the soft sales skills of job hunting, finding the best gigs, creating effective CVs, sailing through job interviews, wooing recruiters, all of which is culminating in receiving and accepting the best job offers.
Like most of you reading this, I have been living, and breathing project management over the past twenty years. At one point I decided to write a book on it called 'PMO Careers: From Redundancy to Freelance Consultancy' which has tones of useful tips. In this book you will start to come to terms with redundancy and realise that it just might not be the end of the world. In further chapters, you discover who you are, what matters most to you and what job you would really like to be doing. Together, we explore various ways to land that dream job that you truly deserve. By the middle of the book, I'll outline everything you need to know in order to start your own business. Finally, I’m going to commend the many virtues of being a freelance. Why not check it out today and get your own copy.
Around seven years ago, I entered the turbulent world of contracting. As a company director, I became responsible for all of my branding, training, budgeting and HR matters. Even more so, I am solely responsible for positioning myself so I win new contracts again and again. Here is where the marketing skills came in. Just how much of this is part of the career development for PMs?
So, where do we acquire those soft skills? How to present ourselves in the best possible light to potential employers? And what is the best CV to use?
Recently, I posted a short article entitled ‘Best CV Template for PMs’ at the #1 Project Managers group on LinkedIn. Little did I know that this post would attract over 1,300 comments and likes to date, most of them asking for a copy of the best CV Templates. Such interest almost overwhelmed me. I took a step back, and gathered my thoughts.
If you give up certain things on your CV, your job hunt will be far more successful.
So, release your inner hunter with these 7 easy fixes, as follows:
1) Give up on endless detail and long-winded resumes.
“It is quality rather than quantity that matters.” ― Seneca
When recruiters get your CV, they want to get to the core of things, and quickly. Stay away from boring them with endless details of previous jobs spreading over numerous pages, and produce a 2-page document. Recruiters are looking for key areas only. Save the details for the interview day, there will be plenty of opportunity to impress.
2) Abandon dwelling on the previous positions long in the past.
“What you leave behind says as much about you as what you bring along.” ― Jacquelyn Middleton, London Belongs to Me
Even so it is reasonable to mention positions going back 10 to 15 years, you certainly do not want to focus on anything older than 5-years. Most recruiters will look for the most recent, and most relevant experiences. Do help them by placing the most relevant data on your CV right at the start of work history. This will make their lives easier, and win you a few favours right at the start.
3) Stay away from sarcasm, funny email addresses, typos and grammatical errors.
“Using the comma well announces that you have an ear for sense and rhythm, confidence in your style and a proper respect for your reader.” ― Lynne Truss, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
Sometimes we all like to have fun, but there is a place and time for it. This is NOT it! Check your CV time and time again to ensure there are no typos, or grammatical errors. "Effect "is not the same as "affect". A person can be affected by an event such as passing a Prince2 exam; whereas an effect is the result of that event, such is taking on more responsibilities.
4) Stop sending the same CV to everyone time and time again.
“Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
Seldom it is that you find two jobs that are the same, especially in a fast-paced world of project management. In order to impress, it is essential to tailor your CV to the role you are applying for. It may be all too easy to get carried away, and attempt to state all of the relevant experiences. Instead, we need to switch the mindset and tailor each CV content to your target audience highlighting the most relevant skills.
5) Ditch generic descriptions of your achievements.
“Don't mistake activity with achievement.” ― John Wooden
Working out the right wording can be really tough, especially if you are a novice to CV writing. It is not easy to fit all skills and experience into a short paragraph. It is even more important to include the right words, and active verbs. One of the recent job adds was advertising for a Project Manager with experience in managing matrix teams, and dealing with senior stakeholders. The closer you can match job titles, skills and achievements, the higher chances of success.
6) Stop trying to be someone else.
"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."—Oscar Wilde
Most of us have acquired mentors, and worked alongside high-performing colleagues. A professional CV is not the place to fill in gaps with someone else’s achievements. CV is yours and yours only, embrace what you have achieved. Be proud of your own achievements, and show it appropriately. If you have done your homework and have a good understanding of your Unique Selling Point (USP), make sure you highlight it.
7) Ditch untruths, and fairy-tales.
“If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.” ― Mark Twain
Always, I repeat, always stick to the truth, like glue. If you hold a project management certification, that gives you gravitas with most of the hiring managers. If your previous employers have mature project methodologies, that is another tick in the box. If the key job requirement is ‘managing teams in a matrix environment’ you will need to show that on your CV, in order to take a step closer to that well-deserved job offer in 2024!
