The PM Pivot - #6: Staying True to Yourself

Staying True to Yourself

I once spoke at length to a jobseeker who was being told to erase over a decade of experience from her resume.

After spending time to talk about her goals and experience, it became clear to me that this jobseeker had a lot of experience in leadership that transcended any one industry. My advice was to adjust the accomplishments and responsibilities in the resume for target roles and to lean into her talents as a leader.

I think that many jobseekers are feeling the pressure to eliminate or devalue their past experience, simply because it's not an easy fit for a target role. The thing about a career pivot, though, is that it's not an easy feat. It's a huge challenge to translate the value you bring into language for hiring managers to understand.

I prefer to frame this question in terms of "value," rather than "experience" or "qualifications." As a jobseeker, you have to align the value that you bring to the needs of the position. Yes, your experience and qualifications matter. But it's as important for you as a jobseeker to understand exactly what you bring to the table as it is to adequately and clearly communicate it.

Sometimes this takes some reevaluation of where you've been and where you're going. I once spoke to a jobseeker for several sessions before she told me that in addition to her years of professional experience, she had also owned and successfully operated her own hair salon business. That's a wealth of experience and value that wasn't getting its fair share of shine!

A critical component of a successful job search is putting in thoughtful contemplation. We have to know ourselves, our values, and our strengths. It's difficult to understand where we are in our journeys if we dive into the search first, firing off resumes and applications in an attempt to rush into a new role.

Take a bit of time. Think about who you are and all the things you've accomplished. Write up a list. Reevaluate the resume in light of the many wonderful things you've done. You might uncover some terrific strengths that were going unappreciated.

The Unready Project Manager

If you're reading this newsletter, you're likely interested in project management or are actively seeking to pivot into that field from another role. I wanted to share some of my story and some of the PM basics with readers, so I wrote a small book: The Unready Project Manager.

The book is now available for purchase via the link below. In the book, I write about my own introduction to managing projects (it was a "baptism by fire"), what you can expect to focus on in your first 30 days as a new PM, and thoughts on certification and career building.

I hope you find value in the book; I'm looking forward to hearing thoughts from my readers.

Valuable Wake-Up Calls

Have you applied to 200 jobs and gotten no interviews? I've been in that boat. It doesn't feel good, and it's difficult to figure out why things aren't working because the job search process is murky.

But if you connect with solid advice-givers, they will help you along. Recruiters and people who have successfully pivoted careers already. Not all the advice out there is great, but the basics out there are true.

Be clear and demonstrate value on your resume. Don't lie. Save your files as your name. Don't use an unprofessional email address. And don't be unkind on LinkedIn, because you never know who is watching you.

It can be difficult to hear that you've been doing things wrong. And it's not fun to get feedback on mistakes during an already stressful job search. But when I was in this same position, it was a huge relief to understand why I was failing to get traction and to take control over what I could to rectify the situation.

Finding a trustworthy community for yourself (mentors, colleagues, recruiters, and professionals in your target field) will go a long way toward guiding you in finding good advice. Don't throw it away because it's difficult to hear; almost everybody would way rather have a job by getting it right than stay unemployed because being wrong feels good.

An Upcoming Conversation

On December 22, I'll be hosting Walt Sparling - PMP, LEED AP for our monthly PM Mentors Live show. Walt has a ton of experience as a PM and we'll be answering your questions. Click "Attend" to join us live or watch the recording after the show concludes!

Click here to join us for our session on December 22!

Thanks for Reading

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