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Hire Me
 Need a job?
You have to have experience.
Need experience?
You have to have a job.
It’s a vicious cycle that makes finding your first job a not-so-easy task. There are steps you can take, however, to make securing a position a little easier:
1. Build contacts on the inside.
Research where you want to work—and who works there.
“If there is a company you want to work with, build that relationship before the position is even posted. The best companies are always looking for good people, even if they don’t have openings,” says PM Network® Career Portfolio columnist John Sullivan, PMP.
Abad Kelawala, PMP, says, “Not only can your source alert you to possible openings, but they can also fill you in on what your would-be employer is looking for. It is also critical to understand what the prospective employer is looking for in terms of the project manager and how the employer defines the role for the project manager.”
To help get that initial contact, Mr. Kelawala, a Columbus, Ohio, USA-based consultant at Information Control Corp., suggests contacting the company’s human resources department.
2. Expand your network—beyond online.
Although sites like LinkedIn can be a tremendous resource for networking, nothing beats building those bonds face-to-face.
“Get out from behind your computer. You need to meet people, and you need to do something for them,” says Mr. Sullivan who also works as an IT project manager in Dayton, Ohio, USA. He suggests volunteering to meet people with similar passions. “The paradox is your first motivation has to be serving others. Secondary is the networking,” adds Mr. Sullivan.
“Join PMI, get along to conferences and project management events. Meet people in the real world as well as the online communities,” says John Cornish, PMP, managing director, Micro Planning International Ltd., Wimborne, Dorset, England. 3. Give job fairs a chance.
They are great places to build relationships and get information. Network and meet some of your competition and find opportunities in different disciplines, says Ronald B. Cagle, senior partner, Arjay Enterprises LLC, Viera, Florida, USA. It could lead you to could find interesting people outside your normal circle.
“You never know what’s going to happen at a job fair,” he says. “In today’s job market one must at least look at all opportunities available.”
And go in armed with a sufficient supply of résumés. 4. Be interview-ready.
Getting an interview is only half the battle. Once you are finally face-to-face with a possible employer you have to be prepared.
“You never have a second chance to make a first impression. Present yourself confidently and professionally at the first meeting. Do your homework and preparation thoroughly. Know your subject well and yourself just as well,” says Mr. Cagle, author of Your Successful Project Management Career.
Be sure to research the interviewer and the company and to be ready for whatever questions may come up.
Mr. Kelawala warns that scenario-based questions are often used in interviews. “Be aware of these questions and have your answers prepared in advance for these roles,” he says. And whatever you do, show control with your knowledge and body language. Don’t fidget—it can signal you are unsure of what you are talking about.
Mr. Cagle says, “Control is the mantra of project management, so it is essential that a project manager have a solid knowledge of the subject at hand and that he [or] she show confidence, not smugness, in the presentation of answers to all the questions.”
So, go inside, outside and online — and be interview-ready. Use all four approaches to help land that elusive first job.
Take advantage of all the ways that PMI can help you to start, build or advance your career.
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