Are you a project manager who is out of work? Are you a consultant struggling to find clients? The great US job recovery that everyone is talking about does not really seem to exist. Even today – ADP, the US payroll processing giant, indicated that, by their figures, only 38,000 new jobs were created by employers in the month of May 2011. Economists were forecasting 170,000 – 200,000. What?!? 38,000. Now, put that into perspective with the more than 400,000 new, yes NEW, first time unemployment claims in the month of May and you can see where it’s hard to accept any claims of a US job recovery.
So, what are project managers supposed to do? Are companies hiring PMs? Is it still a viable and growing industry? Are organizations making do with department managers and techies filling the roles? The answers are likely 1) I’m not sure, but keep trying, 2) Yes, 3) Sort of, and 4) Yes, probably. I’m not sure what PMs looking for work should be doing other than keep plugging away.
Companies are still hiring PMs – or they are at least posting for PM jobs…not sure if or how fast they are filling them. PM is probably still a viable career path…at least I hope so! And yes, organizations who are strapped – which most still are – are probably making do with internal resources…and probably suffering for it.
What should PMs who are out of work do? Here’s my best list for those searching….
Get your PMP
I’m not a big PMP proponent. I think it’s meaningless for the experienced PM. But if you’re searching for a PM job, it will at least get you noticed and get you past some of the first round weed-outs that are happening in HR searches.
Tailor your cover letter and resume
Put project successes in your cover letter and resume. If possible, tailor it to the job description to some degree. Include key experiences that match up well with points in the job posting. Be specific with numbers, dollars, and client references. If you’ve had a big project success with a well known company or for a recognizable client, put it in there and refer to them by name with dollar figures and any other relevant, measurable numbers. Numbers catch eyes.
Use Dice, Monster, AND Craigslist. And more.
Use all available resources you come across. Yes, Craigslist can be helpful…though I’ve found it to be a better source for some add-on consulting work than for real jobs. But real jobs are out there. Avoid recruiting firms if you can. They sound like they have real jobs but most are recruiters trying to fill their files and make themselves look viable so that THEY don’t lose their jobs.
Find the CEO