I am a PMP with 10 years of experience and a CSM but I have no agile experience. I am on a job hunt and would like to work in Agile, but everyone wants experience. Any ideas on where to gain it? Even volunteer work. Thanks. Saving Changes...
No experience? Oh come on! That's not the reason you're not getting picked! You can make your own experience by building your own website. Anyone can build a basic website. Just make it a project. Then follow agile precepts (you can google for that).
The bottom line: You are not getting hired BECAUSE either you've got a poorly written resume without any agile verbiage on it (all project are 'agile' after all, in this fast-paced world), or you do not interview well. Don't use 'lack of experience' as an excuse. PRACTICE interviewing with friends in the same boat. IT IS THE DYNAMIC INTERVIEWEE WHO GETS THE JOB (99 out of a 100 times). HOMEWORK is the KEY. No, I am NOT saying you should 'lie' on your resume. I'm SAYING there are absolutely 100% AGILE methods or loose framework in EVERY project for the last 5 to 10 to 15 years. REVIEW your work history and update/correct it. BUT really study the current Agile, I'd say focus on Scrum with KANBAN framework. Be able to talk about Agile. BUT I'm BETTING you get rejected for OTHER reasons. You must learn how to be a confident, charismatic interviewee and really LISTEN to your interviewers, for what they are REALLY asking. Do BACKGROUND research on the company you are going to interview with. What are their key problems today? Just google company name and 'bad', that'll be a good start. :) Also, STOP LYING TO YOURSELF. You KNOW your strengths and you must be willing to ADMIT your weaknesses.. TO YOURSELF, then fix the weaknesses. I'm hard on you, yes, but You KNOW I'm right. Saving Changes...
Thank you for that candid and enthusiastic can of whoopass(!). Actually, I am grateful. You make some very good points. - Bill Saving Changes...
Syed Zia ZaidiProject/Program Manager - Agile/Scrum Practices| Nisum Technologies, Inc. North Bellmore, Ny, United States
I don't know how much you are willing to compromise on salary, but if you can afford a pay cut, you can let the employers/recruiters know that you are pretty flexible and open when it comes to salary. If you can lower your salary requirements, that could potentially help you find a job where you could start building the experience you are looking for.
Also, being flexible for relocation is another option if you can afford to relocate temporarily. That could also improve your chances to lad a job of your choice. There are many contract jobs available out there where they need people immediately to start for a short/long term contract. But again, IDK what your circumstances are and if you can afford to relocate.
I could imagine, landing a job without the real experience could be challenging but you have to keep trying. Good Luck.
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2 replies by Syed Zia Zaidi and William Porterfield
May 18, 2016 1:45 PM
William Porterfield
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Thanks, Syed. I can not relocate, but I am willing to take a paycut. Ironically, at least one position wouldn't hire me because, as the recruiter told me, they felt i was overqualified and would jump as soon as another better paying job came along.
I have just been told by a recruiter that a hiring manager is preparing an offer for me! Hoping this happens.
May 18, 2016 2:31 PM
Syed Zia Zaidi
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That's a great news! I hope it works out for you, and you land the job. All the best.
I don't know how much you are willing to compromise on salary, but if you can afford a pay cut, you can let the employers/recruiters know that you are pretty flexible and open when it comes to salary. If you can lower your salary requirements, that could potentially help you find a job where you could start building the experience you are looking for.
Also, being flexible for relocation is another option if you can afford to relocate temporarily. That could also improve your chances to lad a job of your choice. There are many contract jobs available out there where they need people immediately to start for a short/long term contract. But again, IDK what your circumstances are and if you can afford to relocate.
I could imagine, landing a job without the real experience could be challenging but you have to keep trying. Good Luck.
Thanks, Syed. I can not relocate, but I am willing to take a paycut. Ironically, at least one position wouldn't hire me because, as the recruiter told me, they felt i was overqualified and would jump as soon as another better paying job came along.
I have just been told by a recruiter that a hiring manager is preparing an offer for me! Hoping this happens.
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1 reply by Stéphane Parent
May 18, 2016 2:36 PM
Stéphane Parent
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It is indeed good news. Break a leg!
Saving Changes...
Syed Zia ZaidiProject/Program Manager - Agile/Scrum Practices| Nisum Technologies, Inc. North Bellmore, Ny, United States
May 17, 2016 11:51 AM
Replying to Syed Zia Zaidi
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I don't know how much you are willing to compromise on salary, but if you can afford a pay cut, you can let the employers/recruiters know that you are pretty flexible and open when it comes to salary. If you can lower your salary requirements, that could potentially help you find a job where you could start building the experience you are looking for.
Also, being flexible for relocation is another option if you can afford to relocate temporarily. That could also improve your chances to lad a job of your choice. There are many contract jobs available out there where they need people immediately to start for a short/long term contract. But again, IDK what your circumstances are and if you can afford to relocate.
I could imagine, landing a job without the real experience could be challenging but you have to keep trying. Good Luck.
That's a great news! I hope it works out for you, and you land the job. All the best. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
May 18, 2016 1:45 PM
Replying to William Porterfield
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Thanks, Syed. I can not relocate, but I am willing to take a paycut. Ironically, at least one position wouldn't hire me because, as the recruiter told me, they felt i was overqualified and would jump as soon as another better paying job came along.
I have just been told by a recruiter that a hiring manager is preparing an offer for me! Hoping this happens.
It is indeed good news. Break a leg! Saving Changes...
Bret PiontekSenior Project Manager, Global eCommerce| Tacit KnowledgeOakland, Ca, United States
Certifications are definitely useful in getting recruiters interested, but what matters to most employers and clients is the ability to successfully deliver projects to completion.
Practical experience in agile methods definitely helps, but we all have to start somewhere. If you're in a more traditional project organization, it's good to look for opportunities to introduce agile where you're at.
I worked for a company that didn't have solid traditional project management discipline, let alone agile methods. I just kept experimenting until we found a system that worked.
We went from spreadsheets to sprint planning with relative estimation, using physical kanban boards to track the work. There are a lot of tools that can be brought in. This helped a lot in bringing transparency to the organization and simply cascading up the need for more resources on our projects. It helped keep the development teams focused as well.
Like any methodology, it's really more of a tool belt than a rule book.
It can be as simple as using basic agile principles in your daily work, especially when working with your team. I stopped dictating tasks and due dates. I started asking the team who should take on what and what was reasonable in an iteration.
The developers were empowered to make decisions, interact with clients, and chime in on the overall process. Over time I found them to be less stressed, more motivated, and more engaged. We also reduced administrative waste because I didn't have to constantly check up on them for progress (daily standup meetings help with this a lot).
Demonstrating the ability to bring agile principles into a place that wasn't agile was a good stepping stone to getting to my current company which is far more mature in its agile practices. In the interview I was honest about my knowledge gaps, but worked through the scenarios as logically as I could based on experience and the training I had received. If you're flexible in trying new things, responsive to change, and can demonstrate success in past projects, getting a job in a more agile oriented organization is completely obtainable. Saving Changes...
