Hi I am a long time reader first time poster. In the last 8 years I have been working in the technical side of I.T (with a year off working for the family building company) one of my main jobs in the last two roles I have worked in were to manage different I.T projects that have come about.
I have now taken an active interest in this and looking at taking a full time Project Management role, being that a junior role. I am studying for a diploma in Project Management which will go towards completing a Degree in Project Management. I have worked on many projects and have managed many too and have gained a lot of experience but now I am coming to apply for Junior PM Roles as I know I can’t walk straight in at the top but I am being rejected at the first hurdle for not having enough experience. Although I feel like I do have a lot of project experience.
So I would like to ask for some advice on how I can go about getting that Junior PM role, what kind of experience these companies are looking for in a Junior PM role.
I am sorry for the length of this thread hopefully the more I use it the smaller my threads will be. Many thanks in advance for any feedback.
A CV alone may not be enough to get you the job interviews that you had applied. Add an Appendix at the end of your CV listing your projects delivered and summarise as follows:
Project [type of project]
Business requirements [why the project was initiated]
Your role [as Project Manager or otherwise]
Brief description of deliverables - month, year.
This approach provides an insight to potential employers and recruiters of the type of projects [experience] you managed and delivered successfully for the business.
I would also support the advise Richard provided, that you will need to chase up as too many CV's received may not be looked at and you must take the initiative to follow through; a telephone call should clarify status of your application and not leave you wondering whether your application has been put forward or not.
There is no such thing as a Junior Project Manager; you are either a Project Manager or not. Depending on your experience a job role may suit reporting and supporting a Senior Project Manager, an excellent way of learning on the job.
Vasoula many thanks for the idea of creating an appendix, that sounds like a great idea and will get onto it as soon as I get home this evening. Basically I am looking for a job where I would be able to be taken under the wing by a project manager and shown the ropes so to speak, as although I have project managment experience I think there is a whole lot more I need to learn.
I think from now on any jobs I apply for I will also follow up with a phone call to make sure my CV is read.
Can I ask you guys how your career formed into becomming project managers?
Also Linda many thanks for you post with the job, but from what I could see it was in the U.S and although that is my goal to work there one day I am unable to make that move just now, but I would like to say thanks for sending the link.
Again thanks everyone.
Regards
B Saving Changes...
David WhelbournSenior Project Manager| xwave Solutions IncFredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Much the way you are going. I decided to be one because I was pretty good at leading and organizing teams (plus I enjoyed it). I sought out training, educated myself and then applied it in my day job as a Business Analyst. I had a lucky break to be asked to implement a new system and so I drew up a project plan tada!
I then took general management training to broaden my management abilities and finally completed an MBA in change and innovation.
One more comment:
I am surprised your organisation doesn't want someone to take the lead on a project. I would draw your plan for your piece of the work and then use that to deliver your work package to specification. Use the PRINCE2 product description as a mechanism to draw up the expected deliverable. I always find it a great place to start when getting agreement on a deliverable. Saving Changes...
David, thats funny cause I am the same, I enjoy leading and the organization of projects. My company have not really got a role for this but with any piece of work I get given which I know will take a longer than a day or so I try to write a plan, the more time the work takes that larger the plan.
In a way I do try to plan and undertake my work as a project, everything I do will be planned and executed teh same way a project would be. I think if I can carry on producing my work in this manner then maybe someone will take note and think about a full time role.
BR
Ben Saving Changes...
Richard HowProgramme Management Consultant| How Associates LtdHarthill, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Ben
some of the common routes into project manager are from Business Analyst to PM, some companies have a role called project coordinator or project administrator, this is a role that does a lot of the donkey work like updating RAID logs updating the plan etc etc. In that role you update all the data for the PM and the PM makes the decisions and decides the course of action to take, if you are lucky the PM will share their thought process with you and you will learn how to interpret the information available and what action should be taken.
Me personally I started as a developer, developing project management systems using an application called Artemis. After implementing a planning tool I was asked to create a set of tools for the PM's in the company and I suggested I be both lead developer and project manager and the company went for that idea, it was very hard work but I delivered a couple of new systems like that and it was decided I was good enough to PM more projects. Sometimes you have to give something free up front and get the reward for it latter Saving Changes...
Paul NaybourFounder and Director| Parallel Project TrainingNailsworth, United Kingdom
Ben
I agree with the comments that you can not the a supporting PM, you are either in charge or not.
I would keep doing what you are doing, sucessfully deliver a few project and your CV will look much sronger.
Make it fact based, measure team size, how you hit milestones, busget responsibility ect Saving Changes...
Elyse NielsenSenior Project Manager| Ascension Health Information ServicesHaines City, Fl, United States
Hi Ben,
Here is a tip for your job search! I have a career highlights in the middle of the first page. This section highlights 5 accomplishments, my role, and the beneficial outcomes to the business. Location and ease of readibility is key. Additionally have the phrase ahead of schedule and under budget when applicable as a part of these accomplishments.
I see a lot of PM CVs and the most common problem for IT PMs is that they tend to focus on the technology and not on the project management. Try removing all IT jargon and focus on the 9 knowledge areas in PMBoK and what you accomplished for the project. Saving Changes...
