Cynthia TedderSr. Project Controls Administrator| Haley & Aldrich, IncBensalem, Pa, United States
Hi all. I am pretty green to the project management role, I've worked on project teams before just not with any official-ness to it.
Quick backstory - my career of the last 25+ years is in the administrative profession. I am currently an office manager and am in the process of completing my PM degree (5 classes to go, yay!). I have several PM certifications that include Six Sigma Black Belt and Continuous Improvement, and I am studying for the CAPM.
Now, fast forward to present. My organization is restructuring and I fear I may soon be on the chopping block. And, rather than go back into another administrative job (should the inevitable happen), I would like some of your professional guidance on advancing into a project team role - coordinator and such. It seems that all recruiters see on my resume is "administrative" and turn the other way.
My experience on project teams includes office build-outs, construction team management, timeline management, cost/budget analysis, and more. This is all spelled out on my resume. I just don't understand why I cannot get ahead of the 'administrative' title ball & chain.
Off the top of my head the following would be helpful
1) Rewrite your resume to focus on project management. Look at each job and how you applied PM tasks and list those (remove anything that's not relevant to PM). Really ignore your titles and focus on PM (I had to do this previously with my own experience)
2) List your in-process degree (with an estimated completion date)
3) Look into getting an entry level scrum certification to add to your mix. CSM (From Scrum Alliance) or PSM I (from Scrum.org). Both don't require experience, just either a class and test (for CSM) and for PSM you can skip the class and study on your own. Most PM positions (even coordinator roles) seem to want some kind of Agile experience.
4) List the CAPM after your name after you pass. That signals to recruiters what you're about.
5) If there's any relevant projects from this degree that you can share - put them on a website and provide a link to recruiters showcasing your work.
6) Brush up as much as you can on project management software - list it on your resume. MS Project is a standard but you can learn the same skills through Project Libre (free ware) if you can't swing a license right now. Also look into Jira and Confluence as both are used in Agile/software projects and they're I believe free
7) If you're a member of your local chapter, look for a mentor (most chapters have this) and see if they have someone who can help with resume review. Also, attend any local chapter events you can to network. My local chapter is fantastic and an amazing resource - they even hold job fairs twice a year. Saving Changes...
Cynthia TedderSr. Project Controls Administrator| Haley & Aldrich, IncBensalem, Pa, United States
Thank you for your tips. I'll see what I can find out. Saving Changes...
In addition to what @Susan wrote, make your LinkedIn profile PM focused. Be sure to use the header section as a bio, not just a tagline. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Cynthia
Welcome to the community.
Susan and my other fellow colleagues here gave you some solid advice.
Fro my side, as a career coach, and given the brief information you mentioned, I suggest you look for a project coordinator role as within this role, you will be exposed to various aspects of project management and will start making practical sense of what you're learning through your CAPM Journey.
On the other hand, networking is key and LINKEDIN is a very powerful platform if you use it correctly so make sure you update your profile there and make it stand out.
Product Operations Program ManagerBarcelona, Cataluña, Spain
Cynthia,
In addition to the good tips from peers. I would also recommend to have your CV edited by a professional service according to the type of role you are seeking. Many times the devil is in the details. Your background and expeprience are impressive, I wish you all the best.
Eduard Saving Changes...
Yuriy SimonoffSenior Project Manager| N/ABuffalo Grove, Il, United States
Do not shy away from 'project manager' postings, thus don't limit your search to 'project coordinator'.
Many 'project managers' are really coordinators and project administrators. Would be a good place to start... Saving Changes...
I forgot to add, make sure to contact any career services office your school has. They can help with resume writing and usually recruiting / leads Saving Changes...
Did you check that with your actual experience you can't go directly for the PMP? Saving Changes...
Rossanne KagaoanProject Admin Coordinator, Capital Projects| University Health NetworkToronto, Ontario, Canada
Cynthia, thanks for posting your question. I'm on the same boat and so I'm also picking up on everyone's advice here. But I'd also like to add - is there any chance you can negotiate a title change to "Project and Office Manager" as an example? I can't tell in your post if you've already done that. One of my PM instructors advised me to consider having that discussion. Of course, if they say no, then continue with the job hunt.
I wish you all the best in advancing into a PM role! Saving Changes...
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