The Cover Note

The cover note is normally used to accompany the CV and give an overview of why you are applying for a particular role and why you would make a good fit for what has been advertised. Often the job seeker will make an exceptional job with the cover note and really put a lot of thought into how they match what the employer is looking for. The problem can occur when the excellent information in the cover note is not replicated anywhere in the CV. Often the cover note will be seperated from the CV in the recruitment process, which means that time and effort making the right connections for the reader will be lost in the process.

You need to make sure that the succinct overview of applicable knowledge, skills and experience also make it into the CV. Think about it, you make a good case in the cover note but in the CV there is nowhere where you share a succinct account of who you are. Think about using the personal profile area of a CV to share this clear account of yourself. Equally, if you don’t make an effort with the cover note, you should. The cover note is read by the first gatekeeper of your application (that could be an agent, first line recruitment administrator, even hiring manager) and they will read it before opening up the CV. If the cover note just replicates what is already in your CV (i.e., you just copy and paste from your CV into a cover note), what do you think the reader thinks about the job applicant? Lazy, can’t be bothered, unprofessional?? Not the first impression you wanted to create.

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Project Management Tipoffs can be in your Inbox Thursday, just by signing up for free below.

If you’ve not already signed up for Arras People’s acclaimed project management recruitment issues newsletter, Project Management Tipoffs, this is what you’ll be missing out on:

• Competencies – What PMPs are saying about the specific credentials you’ll need to succeed in various PMP roles
• Arras and the 5th Dimension – A synopsis of the latest APM announcement of the points of professionalism
• Book Review – Guest Reviewer Vincent Birlouez reviews Project Management Circa 2025 by David Cleland
• We Answer the Question of the Month Supplied by a Reader: “I am looking to go back into a particular field I specialised in over 5 years ago but recruiters / employers are not taking any interest, why?”
• Plus more on Hierarchy, Job Features, Key Links on Career Development and the Latest News from Arras People

The March issue of Project Management Tipoffs is available for free to everyone, especially our readers at How to Manage a Camel. Sign up today, and this month’s issue will be in your Inbox Thursday. And stay tuned to How to Manage a Camel for more details on downloading our new Tipoffs podcast, a greener alternative for getting ahead in project management!

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Next Thursday we release the March edition of

Latin, as an everyday spoken language, is all but dead. Save for law, higher education mottos, and the sciences (particularly medicine), this ancient tongue exists in those idioms in a manner suggesting that Latin is something we are clinging to as a origin, rather than as a force in everyday life. And while it does live on in many ways thanks to its offspring (French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish, among others), the only way you are likely to see it in everyday life is in that document you’ve polished up with gusto – the “curriculum vitae”.
 
This is exactly why the title should be dropped altogether.
 
When done correctly, the CV is the lifeblood, the essence of who you are as a working professional. Everything is in there: Where you worked, what you accomplished, what your accreditations are…everything. But like a Constitution, the document should also be a living, breathing document, something capable of springing to life and evolving with every thing you do or want to achieve next. It’s not going to look the same in four years’ time: you’ll have to account for new accomplishments, perhaps a couple of different promotions/reassignments or even new employers, and certainly more recent dates. The CV will also look different depending on the role you apply for which means you could be changing it every day of your job searches. It is open for amendment, and therefore, alive.
 
So why would you refer to it in a dead language that chokes the life out of its meaning and description?
 
We mentioned The Working Resume™ last week and more than a few employers will undoubtedly be intrigued by the notion of a candidate enthusiastically addressing the matters and issues that the vacancy needs to address. If you make this switch, understand some crucial elements of this document (when done correctly) give your candidacy a progressive, direct and active outlook because you’ve:

• Directly addressed the problems they want answered.
• Talked about how you would handle the project, point by point, task by task
• Showed your past experiences as proof of how you are capable of handling the responsibilities the role requires.
• Tailored your document according to the job specification to help them familiarise what you are in your previous life (working history) and how that qualifies you in your upcoming life (hired by them).
• Stated your willingness to show up and prove it.

Do you think that a hiring manager will be impressed with someone who has already proven they have read the job description by answering how they will complete the tasks, pointing to their experience, and showing a willingness to do it on trial? That folks is a great example of active voice that presents action. You have nothing to lose, everything to gain, and a willingness to prove your worth for someone in need of capable hands like yours.
 
This is what your “dead language” document needs. It has to have action in that living, breathing, continuously-updated database that is your working document. By referring to it in a progressive mannered voice, then showing your commitment to applying your past to the employer’s future, a Working Resume adds value and gives your application to the role a vibrancy the other CVs wish they had the luxury of bragging about.
 
In layman’s terms, Latin derivatives in the everyday vernacular kill meaning, feel and/or level of familiarity altogether. And with a document that clearly wants to stand out in the pile, anything that suggests “dead on arrival” suggests its time that you took the matter into your own hands. The Working Resume concept may not be for you, as you’re still comfortable with the traditional “CV”. By all means, stay with it, but consider changing it to “resume” (French for “synopsis”). Whatever title you go with, either one gives your candidacy that “Yes, We Can” vibrancy; the idea of looking forward while addressing your credentials never seemed more eminently possible.

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Continued professional development is not just about attending training courses, it is your opportunity to maximise your potential for the future.

Continued professional development is not just about attending training courses, it is your opportunity to maximise your potential for the future.  Whether you plan to stick with your current company for the foreseeable future, or to jump to a new challenge as the market picks up CPD is there for the taking. Talking to many project management  practitioners I still find it surprising how many people collect the “me too” training courses and list them on their CV and think that is it as far as development goes. In a competitive market such as we have today, “tick in the box” qualifications are important to get through the first selection gate but then the good recruiters will dig deeper about how you maintain and build your professional currency.

So what can you do? A great starting place is to make sure that you are maximising your corporate and / or individual memberships of project management professional bodies. For example the APM have many free events run by their branches and special interest groups (SIG’s) which cover current hot issues in the field. SIG’s are a great way to develop additional knowledge on an area of interest such as “Benefits Management” with other like minded people. Many events have CPD points associated with attendance but more importantly offer you the chance to network with fellow practitioners and get a view as to what is happening in other people’s domains. The PMI also offer such events as do other bodies associated with the delivery of project management services.
Share your knowledge: Inevitably within any organisation there will be a diverse range of project related people working across the various functions, some may be more focused on finance, others on project controls and some in strategy to name a few. All these roles will involve different levels of skills and knowledge, why not instigate a knowledge-share group, sit down with your manager and discuss the benefits of scheduled meetings where the project teams can share best practice. Outside of the workplace why not offer your services as a public speaker? There is always demand for people who have a story to tell and an experience to share.

Online resources: Make use of the many online resources available to you, the company budget may not extend to visiting events that charge - however most of these groups tend to post the presentations online after their event. A great example is the PPSO SIG (Programme and Project Office Support Special Interest Group) which is always keen to share its presentations to a wider audience. Other online tools such as LinkedIn or Twitter are great tools for contacting authors, presenters and like minded practitioners to share successes, challenges and even failures. Again like the face to face examples, these tools offer broad as well as focussed (SIG) opportunities to interact with the wider community.

As we move into the era of “project management – the profession” CPD will become much higher in profile, not only from professional bodies but also hiring organisations, so why not get ahead of the game! Don’t be afraid to share your own experiences with like minded professionals. The unmentioned plus side of all this being it may well open the door to that next opportunity as much recruitment at the moment is happening through these formal and informal networking groups. Remember “people buy people”!

jont is the Managing Director of Arras People, the Project Management Recruitment Specialists

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“The jobs market has change dramatically for both clients and candidates. Clients are inundated with applications for every post and they have difficulty filtering out the right candidates to interview”. As a result they are being “very particular about the criteria they use”.

For “candidates this means they must be much more targeted in the way they present themselves”, more is most definitely less. Many candidates are doing what they have always done in the past and unfortunately it is not working for them now.

“They need to be much more focused on demonstrating clearly that they meet the employer’s requirements”.  It is no longer good enough to focus on outcomes,  candidates also need to demonstrate the use of project management processes in their CV (demonstrating your work skills) e.g.,  “how did they plan resourcing, what stakeholder management process did you use etc”.

“Good project managers are still hard to find, because many of the best are deciding to stay put with existing employers, so a market still exists for good project managers with the right background, experience and qualifications.” “ Job hunting should be treated like a project with an investigation, planning and execution phase, as with all projects up-front planning will pay dividends during the delivery phase.”

“It is especially tough for new graduates, because they lack the experience. Ideally they need to demonstrate practical application of project management. Work in the voluntary sector in the UK or overseas can demonstrate the capability to apply project management skills.”

“On the positive note plenty of vacancies are being filled everyday,  candidates just need to be more targeted in the post they apply for.”

To download the podcast, visit i-tunes for “Parallel Projects” or view the website at: Parallel Projects Podcasts

Parallel Project Training provide new and innovative approaches for project management training including printed study guides, e-learning and podcasts which can significantly reduce the cost of learning. The Parallel Project Training podcast channel is the second most popular project management podcast channel in the world with over 2000 downloads per month and growing

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The Application Process

When you see a vacancy you’d like to apply for, do you read all the way down to the bottom? Around 80% of candidates don’t read to the bottom of the advert, the part of the advert that will normally give direction on how to apply for the vacancy. A cover note may be needed covering your suitability for the role; a indicative salary or rate range might be required or details about your availability

If you’re not applying for the role in the way you’ve been asked to, the agency or organisation may feel that your attention to detail or ability to follow simple instruction is lacking.

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Whilst the wait for news on the application continues, the APM used this opportunity to tell the community that they are launching a project professionalism pilot which focuses on the five dimensions “created by an expert, pan sector working group”  of; breadth of knowledge, depth of competence, achievement through professional qualifications, commitment through CPD and accountability through adherence to a code of professional conduct.

The team at Arras People welcome the fact that the APM have finally broken their silence on the Chartered Status and as an organisation we are 100% behind initiatives that will support increased professionalism within project management. We still have reservations about the process and how inclusive it has been, but like the 50% of project professionals who responded to the 2010 Arras People Project Management Benchmark Report (PMBR 2010) agree that we should “have a single body that represents, regulates and enhances our reputation”.

Regarding Braggs “dignified silence”, as project management professionals we firmly believe that SILENCE has no place in a change project; we believe this has been a fundamental flaw in the APM’s approach as the silence will always be filled. As practitioners we believe communication is key and ALL stakeholders should be updated even if the message is “there is no update, but we are doing xxx”.

We are also concerned that the emphasis of Bragg’s message is around “support from leading organisations across the public and private sectors”. In our opinion the APM has shown too much emphasis for this group of stakeholders whilst failing to engage with the wider practitioner community, who after all are major stakeholders in this process and its outcome. As a respondent to the PMBR 2010 said “where is the debate?” people don’t like change that is done to them!

With regard to the APM’s work to define project professionalism;  in project speak that’s great initiation but we must wait to see how “project professionalism” will be executed and again what this means for the project practitioner. We especially look forward to the “accountability through adherence to a code of professional conduct” and how this will be adopted by the wider community of PPM practitioners in the UK.

Note! By Arras People’s calculation of 80,000 PPM practitioners active in the UK (PMBR 2009), the APM has approximately 20% of the community as members. If this is checked against the alternative APM calculation of 300,000 practitioners their membership accounts for just 6% of the community.

The press release in full:

CHARTERED STATUS REMAINS TOP PRIORITY FOR APM

Interviewed in the March issue of APM’s Project magazine, CEO Andrew Bragg confirms that APM is committed to achieving chartered status for the Association in as short a timescale as possible.

The in-depth interview explains the rationale for the continuing ‘dignified silence’: to allow for due process of consultation amongst the Queen’s Advisers. Bragg acknowledges that progress of the application has been slower than initial planning assumptions. These were based on the highest levels of support from leading organisations across the public and private sectors that any association has ever achieved for its campaign for chartered status.

The article confirms that, in response to demands for a single professional standard, APM is to launch a pilot in April 2010 for the new project professional standard.  Created by an expert, pan-sector working group the standard will be rigorous, whilst the routes to achievement will be diverse and flexible, reflecting the wide range of career paths by which professional competence in project management can be achieved.

Referring to APM’s ‘professionalism’ agenda, Bragg says:

“We are determined to maintain the huge momentum for raising professionalism within project management that the chartered campaign has created. In APM, we now define project professionalism as comprising five dimensions: breadth of knowledge, depth of competence, achievement through professional qualifications, commitment through CPD and accountability through adherence to a code of professional conduct. We are committed to increasing awareness and achievement of these five dimensions across the many organisations intent on improving project management capability.”

The interview will be reproduced in full on APM’s website at http://www.apm5dimensions.com/content/chartered-status-remains-top-priority-apm

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This is an excerpt from the interview that was published in the January edition of Project Management Tipoffs. As you’ll see, we started the interview with flattery and progressed from there!

Arras People: Thomas Friedman once said, “To name something is to own it.” Judging the names of the leading websites (Slate, Whats on When, Genes Reunited, Doodle, Rotten Tomatoes, etc.) suggests that some names stick in the memory and don’t let go. Project Shrink has that kind of feel, too. What was the thinking behind such a name? Explain how lessons in naming are translatable to Social Media endeavours.
Bas de Baar: Wow. I am honored you view the name in such a way.
In 2007 when I started blogging I wanted to find out why projects really operate as they do. Not a framework of how things should be, but a deeper understanding of the inner workings of projects. My fundamental belief has always been, and still is, that “people”, and especially people interacting in groups, are the fundamental element in projects.

So, I started looking at psychology, sociology, organizational behavior, complex adaptive systems, communication theory and whatever might help me out. So why “Project Shrink”? Because I want to emphasize “human behavior” in projects and have difficulty pronouncing “Project Sociologist”. It started out as an experiment with Personal Branding. One day I started using it. And before I know it, people remember Project Shrink instead of your name.
 
AP: Attention spans wander so frequently that the newest phenomenon, Twitter, gives you a mere 140 characters to work with. But doesn’t that reinforce the tried and true communications method of “clear and concise”?
BdB: It depends. For every medium is an audience. For every occasion a suited medium. Many times in our communication we need short and precise. But communication has also a huge social component. The short messages also lower the threshold/make it easier for someone to contact another person. Not everyone has much to say, and not everyone is comfortable sending a huge white sheet of paper with only “Hi” written on it.
Together with Dave Prior I do a weekly video podcast called “Project Potion“. It is long form (30 minutes) video. It is a social conversation between two Project Managers talking about their profession and their interests. Certainly not clear and concise. There is an audience for that. A lot of people will not like the format, but for some people it will feel like coming home. Every medium has a specific audience and purpose.
 
AP: Regarding video casts and podcasts, the “free” nature of them spikes popularity. Do you see this changing? For the better of the users or for the worse? If it doesn’t change wholesale, can the bigger download entities like iTunes keep offering such products for free? What would the removal of ‘free’ do for the millions of individuals who try to get their “casts” out to the masses?
BdB: The technical cost of creating video casts and podcasts are extremely low. It’s the labor that is expensive. If you are the host, the expert, the editor and the webmaster you can easily offer this for free as you can make money on opportunities created by the podcast, or keep doing this next to your job. If you are going to use expensive crews and production facilities, have experts on the payroll, now that would be something different. Only the future can tell how revenue models are going to work for high end shows.
 
AP: Keeping with the Friedman quote and, what would you have named Project Management 2.0?
BdB: I think more in the line with Enterprise 2.0: Project 2.0. It’s not about the management, but it’s about the interactions between members.
 
AP: Are there any specific rules you would suggest to a 2.0 rookie should adhere to when marketing themselves and their skills in social media forums?
BdB: Engaging in the Web 2.0 sphere is about personal development. It is about learning. Learn publicly. Talk to people while you are learning. By doing this, people will learn from you. The marketing part is where you make it easy for people to follow your progress. And the most important rule of all: this it the web. You don’t know any of the people (me included). If advice sounds logical to you, follow it. But always have some level of skepticism. Balance that: not everything is a scam.

This article is reprinted from the January edition of Project Management Tipoffs, the project management newsletter from Arras People.

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Don’t fret: the principles that need to come out in one’s CV apply just as well with a job application. Your polished CV can be a template for the questions the application asks of you. Here is an outline for making your job application flow.

• As we all learned as young grammar schoolers, follow the directions completely. You’d be amazed by the amount of applications where this doesn’t happen, and crucial information about is not delivered.
• The CV is a template; the job application allows for its expansion. It’s not about cut and pasting from your CV: Instead, you are taking what the CV provides and adding detail to its immediate relevance to the role you’ve applied for.
• Accuracy on a job application is just as crucial as it is for a CV: essential details, company names, dates, salary/benefits, notice period and job titles (among others) are a given. As we’ve stated in other project management recruitment posts, any lies will be unravelled by a shrewd employer or recruiter.
• Normally an application features a profile section. This is where you’ll need to provide the clearest possible description of yourself. Make it concise and be sure to avoid oft-recycled phrases like “determined self-starter” with “excellent communication skills” that “possesses a can-do attitude.” But be sure to tailor your words to the job specification. Use keywords from the spec that can take a prominent place in your profile (provided the words are a truthful representation of your expertise and viability for the role).
• Qualifications and education should be listed with your highest qualification first (a Ph. D before a Masters, a Masters before Bachelors, etc.). Like with your career history, this is another rare case where the chronological order is listed in reverse.
• In the Additional Training & Skills space, include all training, skills and tools you’ve acquired/used/mastered, and look to use it in an order similar to the weight the job specification requests skills. Again, relevance to the role is crucial in ordering your skills: if the job spec places heavy emphasis on “primavera” , there’s no need to list “MS Project” first.

Job applications almost always ask you to list referees, a notion that differs sharply from our prevailing view on their place in a CV; namely, they don’t have one. Given that you’re not able to get away with writing “Available upon request”, here is our suggestions:

• Keep in touch with the people you list as referees, just to keep them familiar with you and what you have done in the past for them. Imagine the ensuing calamity of listing a high rolling higher-up simply for “name value”, only your contact with them was minimal when you were there and they end up being unable to remember you at all. Highly embarrassing.
• Let all referees know you’ve listed their names for a potential role and to expect a call from the prospective employer regarding yourself. A call out of the blue to your referee from a potential employer may put your referee on the spot, leaving them ill-prepared to give well-informed feedback on your behalf. Give them notice (with a phone call at the very least), and they’ll have a better shot at aiding your candidacy.
• If you have not informed your present employer of your intentions to leave, indicate on the application you do not want these referees to be contacted. Otherwise, you may have inadvertently terminated yourself looking for external work.

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Arras People’s own Lindsay Scott will take questions from Parallel Project Training’s Paul Naybour in his highly-regarded Project Management Jobs Podcast tomorrow afternoon. Questions for Lindsay have been culled from Naybour’s Parallel blog, home to the free audio downloads that Naybour has spearheaded to a No. 2 ranking on iTunes amongst project management podcasts.

Do you have a spellbinding question for Lindsay? Between you and me, she told me confidentially (wink, wink) the other day that she couldn’t be stumped on matters related to Project Management jobs! Leave a question in the comments box below and we’ll see if you’ve been able stump her!

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