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In this article we share a presentation from John McIntyre - a passionate and energetic speaker about PMO - about an alternative way of thinking about our development as PMO practitioners.
In this paid member-exclusive session we took a closer look at PMO interviews. We looked at those pitfalls that are out of our control; how to prepare for an interview; PMO interview questions; how to get what you're worth and questions to ask recruiters to help you prepare for interviews.
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The PMO Career Hour session in this article focuses on the PMO CV and members in this session wanted help in these kinds of areas:
Tailoring my CV to suit different types of PMO roles
Interested in picking up pmo specific CV writing techniques
Evidencing PMO experience and showing one size does not fit all - how best to showcase the expertise
I've not done a CV for many years. I wouldn't know where to start with a CV!
Marketing myself in the right way
The session wasn't recorded live (for privacy) but in the recording below we share the deck which was used throughout.
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Throughout the lockdown period on our Wednesday afternoon #PMOwfh sessions we have been hearing about PMO practitioner's situations - some furloughed; some with contracts cancelled; others working at home and some securing new roles.
In the early days I think most of us would agree that there wasn't any clear picture about what was happening or what to expect in terms of our futures.
Last week we had a session with John Thorpe of Arras Peeople - the Project Management Recruitment Specialists - and he gave us a great overview of what's happened to the marketplace and what we can expect going forward.
In this latest recording you'll see the session from John plus our poll; a short sessions on different modes of working as a PMO practitioner and there's some specific insights into PMO recruitment too.
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Another resource for you to check out if you've not already, the PMO Strategies podcast is now 37 episodes strong and the latest one features a bit of PMO Flashmob as we talk to Laura Barnard about careers in PMO.
The podcast can be accessed through your usual podcasting places or you can listen right at your desk by [visiting the website here]
We had a good old chat about different aspects of PMO careers - check out the agenda below on my usual scribble pad!
If you have any great podcasts you listen to, why not leave a comment below and let us know, I always like having a listen when I'm pottering around the garden or taking the train - where do you like to listen?
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Since April 2017, organisations with a pay bill over £3 million each year, must pay the apprenticeship levy. As reported in People Management:
Levy-paying employers contribute 0.5 per cent of their pay bill into a fund each month, which can be reinvested in apprenticeship training for their business. And for every £1 contributed, the government adds 10p.
All business with a pay bill over £3 million each year contribute to the levy regardless of whether they have apprentices or not.
But why wouldn't a business utilise something like this if it's already paying in?
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'Working in a PMO can be an isolating place.'
That was something said at a recent event where PMO practitioners had come together to collaborate on a new initiative.
It's true, we see lots of POOs and POTs (PMOs of One and Two) and it can feel a little lonely sometimes. Even larger PMO teams can feel isolated from the rest of the delivery organisation too.
That was one of the main drivers for PMO Flashmob - to get people together from different and diverse places so that they could say:
"I'm not alone; all these people here are also just like me."
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Driving home last night there was a piece on the radio that was covering recent research that 320,500 self-employed people in the UK are working two or more jobs.
I think it's likely to be a lot more than that but the report, by the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE), is probably covering a particular section of society because it also goes on to state that 7% have also gone on to launch additional businesses. (There are some decent resources on their website if you're thinking about being a contractor IPSE)
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I held a careers coaching session the other day for someone looking to get into a project co-ordination role for the first time. I'm conscious that a lot of the PMO Flashmob topics and themes at events might not be newbie friendly and perhaps we should look into doing something like this in the future.
What made me write this article was that some of the things that came up in the career session would be beneficial for other people too.
You might be reading this as an experienced PMO practitioner, in which case, great! Make sure you add any other tips to the comments at the bottom - plus also point any newbies you meet to this article so you can help them out too. So this article is for someone looking to get into project co-ordination for the first time. It assumes two things; they've got some experience working within an office or business environment of some sort already. Not project related, just any office experience. Two; this is about getting into supporting a project for the first time, not a PMO role (that will come later)
I'm also going to share some resources to other places too.
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