CV & Project Portfolio for Project Managers

What makes a good CV? Oh well, we could write lots of books on this topic (actually, we have written one already, you can download a free version here: Job Hunting Director).

Now, how do application documents prepared for Project Managers differ from the others?

As we discussed in our previous post, CV & Project Portfolio prepared for Project Managers are slightly different.

Why?
Because Project Managers, as the name suggests, manage projects. Dozens. Sometimes hundreds. However, it is not the pure fact of managing projects, but their final outcome that will be decisive for their next job.

The Project Portfolio includes additional relevant information that did not fit into the CV. As opposed to the Business Case Portfolio, where we recommend describing on average three business cases or complex projects, here we suggest describing the most important 10-20 selected projects that are relevant for your potential employer.

This well-structured add-on furthermore sets you aside as a motivated, well-prepared candidate, communicates your work style and train of thought. It shows your reasoning abilities, analytical skills and business acumen.

How?
It’s best to present the projects with the STAR method. This is applicable also to other professionals looking for a new job:

Situation – what was the initial situation? What were the challenges / problems?
Task – what was your task?
Action – what did you do & how?
Result – what outcome did you achieve? What were the consequences?

Make sure to include information about:

  • budget
  • team
  • scope
  • length

The “side-effect” of doing this right is that you’ll also be well-prepared for job interviews! Here you will find additional materials on how to get ready:
Interview Preparation.pdf

Tips

  • Make an even longer list of projects and then adapt it as needed depending on the position or company you are applying to.
  • The formatting should be coherent with your CV.

If you don’t have one yet, we strongly encourage you to sit down and prepare a comprehensive Project Portfolio that you will be sending along with your CV.

For Project Managers:
Do you have a Project Portfolio, and you are not sure whether it will be successful? Contact Izabela.Michaliszyn@CareerAngels.eu directly for a free career consultation.

For Non-Project Managers:
Use this link to contact us for a free career consultation with one of our Career Angels.