Project Management News

Hello again everyone! The second Thursday of each month has become a new regular slot for the Tipoffs Podcast, as we dish out careers advice. Today we'll reverse course and go back and look at the three previous editions released thus far.

• FEBRUARY 2012: Sector Specialism & Portfolio Office Roles
  Our own Gary Holmes tackled questions regarding the change in approach to PPM as a transferable skillset, as well as one who works in support of Portfolios but can only find PMO roles in the jobs market that don't mesh well with her CV.
• MARCH 2012: Long Recruitment Process & No Interviews
  Ever heard of the footballer who will shoot from anywhere on the field without a conscience? So it is with the serial job applier. And has the recruitment process slowed down to the point that PPM hiring is taking longer than it once did for any particular reason?
• APRIL 2012: Switching Sectors & Personal Detail Inclusion
  The recession left one candidate wondering how hard it is to switch from public to private sectors. Gary tackled this one last month, as well as helping another candidate slip past volunteering personal information that they wanted to remain personal.

We're back next month with a new Careers Adviser podcast, and remember: The Tipoffs Podcast comes out next Thursday, so check in again!

As many of you know, there's plenty inside of the 2012 Project Management Benchmark Report each year, and there's plenty in this issue, as we delve into the current nature of the project and programme management marketplace as it pertains to age. The formula is relatively simple: are there trends with certain issues that can be broken down specifically by age? You'll find it in the April issue. Professionalism? It's in there. Career level? Affirmative. Educational breakdown? We've got it. Employment status? This is the one stop shop to find out how that shakes out by age, too.

We've got four areas, plus a fifth on today's blog entry, worth deeper inspection that you're sure to find interesting this month.

• MOBILITY & LIFESTYLE - Which age group best understands what it truly takes to get ahead in today's PPM job market?
• PROFESSIONAL BODY MEMBERSHIP - Who is taking part in professional body events, special interest groups and who wants what out of the membership in a group?
• EDUCATION - What are the education trends for the age groups that responded to our survey? Who holds a Master's degree, for instance, and who's going for a PPM-related discipline?

Check out the online version for more, including:

• PERCEPTIONS - What do PPM practitioners think of the work they do? How does our working self-perception reflect with the views of the hiring professionals?
• COMPETENCIES - What working character traits do you think mean the most in relation to the job you're trying to do? When we looked at it by age, there were some intriguing discoveries.

Welcome back for our newest segment of Arras People Podcast today - The Careers Adviser. In this monthly podcast (look for us on the second Thursday of each month), another one of our project management careers consultants from Arras People will take a shot at answering some of the more common questions we hear from candidates every day.

THIS MONTH: Gary Holmes takes some time out to address two specific issues in the recruitment process...

• Can I switch from one sector to another in a recession?
• When submitting my CV to a jobs database, how do I avoid giving away my personal details?

This month's edition of Project Management Tipoffs we take a look at Project Management Challenges. I prefer the word challenges to problems, issues and failures which seem to be words we hear a lot in relation to projects and project management. Challenge is much more positive, upbeat and the romantic in me likes to think opportunity, adventure and the 'unknown around the corner.'

In this issue we launch the 2012 Project Management Benchmark Report so you can see the challenges practitioners face in yours and their chosen career. There is much to ponder in this year's report and we kick off this newsletter with some highlights. Also check out the snazzy infographic.

We hear from Craig Golby from Dignitas and he should be congratulated for getting time travel into a project management newsletter. Take a look at Craig's challenges below.

We also take a deeper look at the challenges the younger project management generation are facing - does the future look bright?

• Check out the March newsletter from Tipoffs

Welcome back for our newest segment of Arras People Podcast today - The Careers Adviser. In this monthly podcast (look for us on the second Thursday of each month), another one of our project management careers consultants from Arras People will take a shot at answering some of the more common questions we hear from candidates every day.

THIS MONTH: Nicola Caswell-Thorp takes some time out to address two specific issues in the recruitment process...

• I'm applying for 30 roles a week. Why can't I get any job interviews?
• Is the recruitment process taking longer than it once did?

Hello, Arras People Podcast Fans! It's a special announcement podcast today, regarding information about the new contest we're holding in conjunction with our Tenth Birthday.

"Ten in Ten: A Celebration of Project Management" is Arras People's way of saying "Thank you" to everyone who has helped Arras People establish its identity as THE project management recruitment people. This celebration is not about us - it's about you! It's about the clients and firms who've been there alongside Arras, and the job candidates who turned to us for our expertise, placements, coaching and service. The free entry prize draws continue throughout the year, with great birthday presents available to you from the generosity of leading project management sponsors.

Each month, you could win great gifts like training course placements, VIP tickets to must-attend networking events, and a plethora of helpful resources & tools that no project manager should be without.

The March competition is co-sponsored by Gower Publishing. Take their two-minute survey, and if your name is drawn first you'll win £600 worth of project management books, courtesy of Gower. 10 runners up also get their choice of a Gower PPM book. Check out the Gower PM Catalogue and their project management website to learn more!

There are many ways to follow what's happening all year long with Ten in Ten:

• The Official Ten in Ten Homepage 
• Ten in Ten Calendar of Events

This month's edition of Project Management Tipoffs celebrates our first year of being the host of the UK's Project Management Training Directory. This directory is home to some of the biggest accredited names in the Project Management training game today - Parallel Project Training, TCC Training and Consultancy, Logical Model, CUPE Projects, Capita, AFA and many more. 

In celebration of this first year Tipoffs hands over the issue to the trainers. In this issue we look at the new PRINCE2 Professional certification on offer from the APM Group, David Roberts of CUPE Projects ponders what this new level of P2 hierarchy could mean for your career.

Paul Naybour of Parallel Project Training adds some of his thoughts about portfolio management, while Logical Model's Simon Harris tackles the pyramid of decision-making within an organisation.

Dot Tudor of TCC Training offers some expertise on the realities of the iterative changes that Agile adaptees must face. Stefan Urbanski of Capita identifies the skills of managers in general, managers of projects and managers of IT, framing exactly what each party will need. And Susan Ferguson of AFA Projects wades through some of the ignored project management certifications that truly are worth a glance.

• Check out the online February newsletter from Tipoffs.

We introduce a new element of the Arras People Podcast today in the form of the Careers Adviser. In this monthly podcast (look for us on the second Thursday each month), one of the project management careers consultants from Arras People will take a shot at answering some of the more common questions we hear from candidates every day.

THIS MONTH: Gary Holmes takes some time out to address two specific issues in the recruitment process...

1. Elaine from Leicester asks: "We keep hearing about ‘specialising’ as the key to hiring project managers, mostly when talking about sectors. I was led to believe the project management skills are transferable. Is that really the case right now, and if so, is there a way for candidates to get around this narrow-minded specialism?"
2. Tasmin in Bristol writes: "I am currently working for an established financial services provider within the project team and am looking for a fresh challenge. The problem I am facing is that of targeting my CV for the market as the vast majority of work that I carry out is in support of a Portfolio as opposed to a Programme, yet the roles I am coming across are primarily in traditional PMOs. Can you help?"

Check out the Podcast, and tell us what you think!

Now that the champagne flutes have been washed and packed away, Project Management Tipoffs rings in the new year with own kind of celebrations and anticipation. And what are we anticipating? The industry trends for the New Year, of course!

First things first though: Make sure the modern picture of the project management marketplace is accurate, and take part in the 2012 Project and Programme Management Census and have your say.

In addition to giving you this fantastic opportunity to help shape the most trusted PPM Study on marketplace/industry tendencies, Project Management Tipoffs slips on their Nostradamus shoes this month, soliciting the highly educated guesses of some leading project management personalities.

Here's the Rundown:

• The Dearth of Leadership Continues to Plague Project Management
• Project Focus, Sponsors and PMOs
• Project Approvals, Collaboration Tools and Planning Changes
• Managing the Project As Well As the Change
• BOOK REVIEW - "Leading Successful PMOs"