Why a Project Management Career Can Weather the Economic Storm

Why a Project Management Career Can Weather the Economic Storm At a time of political and economic uncertainty, it can be a challenge for recruiters and employers to attract new talent â€" and retain quality staff. Yet according to new research, project management seems to be one profession bucking that trend. Away from the doom and gloom of the news headlines, our annual ‘Salary and Market Trends Survey’ has revealed that nearly eight out of 10 (77 percent) of project professionals are optimistic about the supply of jobs in the project profession over the next five years and more than two thirds (70 percent) are expecting pay increases in the next 12 months. Likewise, confidence around project professionals’ own economic prospects has also grown, rising to 56 percent this year from the 43 percent who rated it as excellent or good in 2017. Positively 49 percent of respondents cited that their organization is growing and bringing in new staff â€" great news for recruiters. More than a third of respondents also stated that they are likely to change employer within the next year. There’s good news for employers too, with job satisfaction levels markedly high. 81 percent of project professionals stated they are satisfied in their current roles, compared to 77 percent in 2015. So, positive news so far, however, there’s still room for improvement. Together, we need to increase the visibility of the project profession as a viable and positive career choice across businesses and promote its sustainability and financial rewards. We need to work harder to increase the perception of the value project management brings to a business and develop clearer career paths to encourage more into the profession. Closing the gap in gendered pay will help to attract more women to project management and ensure that those who remain in the profession feel valued. Our survey reveals that men are now earning 24 percent more than women in 2018, compared to 30 percent in 2017. Certainly not an even balance, but a positive trend that we’re keen to help continue. Projecting the future Perhaps the most heartening of our survey findings though are the perceptions held by the next-generation. Among younger project professionals there is a particularly positive sentiment about the future with 78 percent of 18-24s rating their own economic prospects as either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. This same group was also the most positive that there would be a good supply of jobs in project management over the next five years. It is this encouraging outlook that could help our profession ride out any uncertainty faced by the UK in the months and years to come. While also fuelling innovation in many different sectors and offering new or existing project professionals the chance of an attractive and sustainable career path full of increased learning opportunities and rewarding professional development. After all, let’s remember that nurturing talent remains crucial, whatever the weather. About the author: Debbie Dore is Chief Executive of the Association for Project Management (APM), having been previously Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Operating Officer.  Prior to joining  APM, Debbie served as a senior executive at Oxford University Press and on the board at Swets Information Services delivering global transformation projects across sales, IT and customer service.   Having had responsibility for teams in 25 countries, Debbie has extensive international experience and has a proven track record in delivering significant business change programmes, driving growth and increasing profitability.  Debbie has also served as a non-executive director for UKSG, a membership organization connecting the knowledge community, and as a volunteer for Inspiring Future Careers.  

3 Things My Best Friend Taught Me About Women in Business - Classy Career Girl

3 Things My Best Friend Taught Me About Women in Business If this were the 50s, Id be what youd call a career gal. My inner monologue is a female version of Don Draper pitching the rest of my brain on business and marketing ideas throughout the day. See this typical pair of baby pajamas with the illogical design? Imagine instead.. Because we all tend to see things through our own lens, I started to spout a specific brand of female empowerment. Of course women should be in business! Were powerful, pantsuit-wearing workaholics! What is this nonsense about feelings anyways? That is, until I started a company with my best friend. In contrast to my lean in beliefs that I attributed to my first company’s success, my best friend Melinda is driven by her intuitive and emotional intelligence. She is also the best business partner I’ve ever had. Here are three things Ive learned to admire about those of us who tend to be more John Lennon than Sheryl Sandberg. 3 Things My Best Friend Taught Me About Women in Business 1. Passion is Powerful My idea of passion in business is a combination of extreme drive, a competitive spirit, and commitment to an idea or project. Melinda has redefined that for me. She exudes true passion in a way that can only come from feeling emotionally involved in an idea. When we first came up with the idea for The Relievery, she wanted to create products that would empower women to use ancient practices like reflexology and aromatherapy in the comfort of their own home. I focused solely on our product reflexology socks. Melindas real passion drove her to take the socks we created and make them into more. She refused to compromise on the quality of our products and sought out peer reviews of each design we created for maximum effectiveness. Then she threw herself into creating supporting educational materials for clients. What I clung to as a product she built into so much more with her passion. True emotional attachment to ideas can cause us to view those ideas as living, breathing things that we must nurture. That view fosters a deeper commitment to the quality and growth of an idea or product. 2. Networking Isnt All Business Caring about relationships more than dollar signs can create more dollar signs. When I go to a networking event, I network. I start conversations and covertly uncover who a person is, what they do and how they can benefit me and how I can benefit them within the first few sentences. Melinda is different. When she meets people in a networking setting, she talks to them as friends. She chats about her dog or the persons family. She builds a bond that is much stronger than one formed over business alone. By the time she naturally falls into a conversation related to work, shes already so familiar with the person (and vice versa) that she knows their true strengths and weaknesses. She knows them well enough she can figure out how to truly benefit that person and how they can enrich her professional life. Those personal relationships lead to partnerships and those people provide sources of valuable feedback. Since they are committed to the success of their personal friend,  they are more committed to the success of a company. [RELATED: 4 Personality Traits That Make Women Successful In Business] 3. Indecisiveness Isnt Always Bad Ive always clung to the fact that my quick decision-making ability helped me beat my competition to new markets and features. However, Melinda has shown me the alternative letting ideas fully sink in logically, and emotionally, before committing. While we were discussing names for an essential oil blend, we came up with a name I was entirely satisfied with. Melinda refused to commit. She needed to sleep on it before giving an opinion. A week later, we talked it out. It turned out she didnt like the name because it solely focused on the discomforts/symptoms related to the blend and might evoke negative feelings for clients rather than a sense of relief from those symptoms. We polled several friends and it turned out she was right.   Because she refused to make a decision until her gut agreed, we prevented ourselves from having to go back and relabel 500 essential oil bottles. Indecisiveness can be a mental/emotional warning that an idea may not be good enough. Its our intuitive way of understanding we need to do better before our logical brains have figured out why. Overall, I think its about time we recognize the successful women in our lives who do not fit the stereotype. The intensely intelligent, emotionally aware humans that truly make the world (and our businesses) a better place.

The Impact of Visual Marketing for Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The Impact of Visual Marketing for Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Your brand image is important to building your audience and increasing sales. Both professional images and videos will not only increase engagement, but will also improve your brand visibility online. Visual marketing allows you to present a personalized persona to your marketplace that builds trust.   Eye-catching videos, infographics, and photos or memes can be fun and informative, and helps you present your message in a unique way. The Elements of Visual Content Visual marketing is on the rise when it comes to publishing content, and can greatly increase your leads and growth, especially through social media. The best types of element include: Factual infographics These should include eye-catching graphics that clearly project what your topic is about. This can be done through re-purposing old content with the use of free graphics tools online. Infographics can be interactive as well with clickable graphics that take the reader through an enjoyable learning process. Targeted Videos This is one of the most popular methods to use to build a larger audience and can be both informative and appealing in a way that speaks to your audiences needs and desires. Native video directly uploaded to your website and on social media will especially be more visible and garner the most interactions. Live Video One of the best ways to introduce your brands offerings and draw in a whole new audience is through live events. This can help your brand better connect with your community and show a personalized side to your operations. Great Images Professional photos and memes can be shared on places like Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook and should not be overlooked in your overall marketing strategy. These sill gain a lot of attention, especially when they speak directly to your community. Be sure to include some humor along the way and include high quality images in your posts. We process images faster than text this means your brand’s message should be communicated in a much more immediate way, especially with the increased use of mobile.   Grab your readers attention with a unique, fun and shareable format that will encourage sharing in their network. Its important that your brand has a consistent image and matching message in order to stand out from the rest. This needs to be easily recognizable on all platforms including your website and social networks. Video especially is a great tool to use to build your brand story and can help establish you as an expert in your industry. Make a plan to include visual marketing in order to connect your audience in a compelling way. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different messages and formats until you learn what your audience responds to the most.

Occupy Your Brand Capture The Right Attention - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Occupy Your Brand Capture The Right Attention - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career What started in New York as a demonstration against Wall Street has become an international protest movement primarily directed against social and economic inequality. I’ve had the honor of getting up close and personal with protesters in New York, Chicago and Denver â€" all of whom I found to be non-violent and simply attempting to visibly voice their frustrations with the economic conditions. Whether you’re a protester, passerby or passively aware of the Occupy Movement from seeing it covered by the media, there’s a way you can get involved on a personal level â€" without having to hold a picket sign or walk to park. Occupy your brand Taking a stand for what you believe and occupying it wholly is an empowering feeling and state of being. The Occupy protesters stand strong saying “We are the 99%” referring to the difference in wealth between the Top 1% and the remaining citizens in the U.S. It’s a definition, a statement and a way to empower each other in the group and Occupy movements across the country. The same philosophy applies to your personal brand. Define it, make a clear statement and allow yourself the permission to feel empowered. Let it occupy your professional life. Capturing attention If the Occupy Movement intended to get attention, it gets an A+. Take this lesson and learn from their successes. From ABC and CNN to CNBC, BBC, top media outlets worldwide have covered the movement. To capture attention your message has to be relevant, personal, clear and concise. Occupy Wall Street was the primary movement until they branded themselves with “we are the 99%”. Viola! Their brand was now clear, concise and given that their cause, jobs and the economic disparity, was already relevant and personal, the attention came quick. To capture attention with your personal brand, make it relevant to your audience (e.g. hiring managers), personal to you and keep it under 15 words to ensure it’s concise and clear. Make it personal How does a movement that started in New York spread to 95 cities in 82 countries and get response from 5 Presidents and Prime Ministers? They make it highly personal to their needs. From Brazil, Italy, Ireland, Germany, France, Mongolia and the U.K. to cities across the U.S., each one has personalized their Occupy Movement to their needs. Seek out ways to make your brand personal. What adjectives can you include that describe your personality? What short phrase describes you and your brand without sounding canned? Connecting with your audience Can you imagine getting 5 job offers in the next 30 days? Crafting a personal brand, that’s clear, which you embody and connects with your audience will have the type of results the Occupy Movement has experienced. These can’t be planned or foreseen; they happen as a result of being relevant. Today’s hiring managers are in dire need of highly qualified, professionals and executives and spend hours interviewing and sourcing for the top talent. When you deliver a relevant, personally branded statement to them, you will capture your audience â€" and possibly a new job. Author: Adriana Llames is a master career coach and acclaimed author of Career Sudoku: 9 Ways to Win the Job Search Game, released with top book seller Amazon.com. She is the chief engagement officer at adrianallames communications and a highly sought after keynote speaker motivating and inspiring audiences with her high energy, focused programs on personal branding, social media and networking. For more information, visit www.adrianallames.com.

5 Simple Tips For Using A Professional Resume Template

5 Simple Tips For Using A Professional Resume TemplateWhether you're a young person looking for a job or an older worker looking to get ahead, it can be useful to have a professional resume template. Having the right information on your resume can make all the difference in how quickly and easily you land that new job. The following tips will help you create the perfect resume in no time flat.First, you should find a professional resume template that focuses on the type of job you're seeking. This includes industries, skill sets, positions held, or any other information that might be helpful in outlining exactly what you do and why you should be hired. You can find this information on the resume template website itself or by reviewing your employer's official job description and reading over the details of the position.It is also important things to consider the style of resume you want to use. Since there are different types of templates, they are constructed differently. For exampl e, a business resume would look a lot different than a technical resume, but both can have a lot of information included in the form.Next, when you're looking for a professional resume template you should be aware of the most common types of resume formats. Because different employers may have very different standards, you want to look for the format that is the most representative of your skills and experiences. Common formats include bullet points, paragraph-format sections, and direct contact information. While most employers will use these formats for the resume they review, you may wish to look at one with a style that is more to your liking.Finally, the professional resume template you choose should be well organized. This includes using the correct formats as well as a clear and concise section heading and information within the template. The heading and body of the resume need to be visible throughout the entire document so that the reader is able to understand the main poin ts of the information. Inaddition, you want to avoid using many sentences or too many words to fill up the template.When it comes to formatting, the first key elements of a resume are the header and the body. These should be clear and concise enough to grab the reader's attention, and not leave any questions unanswered. Since the header and body are the most important parts of a resume, you should make sure they are structurally sound enough to last through the process of the application process.Once you've figured out the way to better format your resume, your next step is to focus on the content of the resume. Make sure you know exactly what you have to say about yourself and why you should be hired. The information on your resume should be presented in the most informative manner possible.Using a professional resume template that contains the information you need is the best way to create the perfect resume. The first step is to select a template that's a good match for your need s, then choose the format that works best for you. Finally, provide the most accurate and comprehensive information you can so that your resume stands out and gets the attention it deserves.

What are the Most Dangerous Jobs

What are the Most Dangerous Jobs Most people don’t have to think about how safe they are when they go to work. It’s just a given that there’s no great threat lurking around the corner. This is the default thought process for people who work in offices, which is most people. But this isn’t true for all jobs. Some bring with them a hint of danger, while some can be considered outright dangerous. Below, we take a look at some jobs that contain an element of risk. If you like to live life on the edge (and get paid), then you should consider one of the below. Exploring the World The world is mostly safe for people who live and spend the majority of their time in urban areas. Of course, there are risks, but they mostly come from other humans: the things that contribute to basic survival are taken care of. This isn’t true, however, of the whole world. Once you’re out in the wild, things get a lot more dangerous. If you’re an explorer, then this is just the chance that you take. Of course, the world is pretty well mapped at this stage, and there’s not all that much “exploring” in the original sense going on. But people are still leading groups up Everest and other dangerous zones, where the chance of death is relatively high. At Sea You can never be sure what the ocean is going to throw at you. While you might have a calm blue sea one day, the next might bring a ferocious storm. And make no mistake, no matter what type of vessel you’re in, this brings with it danger. There’s a reason why many first-time fishermen end up requiring the services of maritime accident lawyers: there’s a high chance of injury when you’re working out at sea (thankfully there are laws to protect these workers). Jobs on ships are often well-paying, especially fishing-related jobs, but the reason workers are so well compensated is because there’s great risk involved. On the Front Line Imagine getting called to a job, and having no idea what was waiting for you when you arrived. And not only that, but that you knew that what was waiting for you wasn’t going to be a positive surprise, but a negative one. This is life, more or less, for people who are on the front line of the emergency services. While they’ll have the basic information about what’s going on, there’s always an element of danger, especially when talking about police officers and firefighters. Those are two professions where workers have to throw themselves into dangerous positions just as part and parcel of their work. Into Deep Space Many jobs are dangerous, but at least there’s some sort of precedence that’ll guide the way, and offer some sort of framework of expectations. In the case of astronauts, there’s sometimes not much to go off. They throw themselves in the unknown and hope that everything works out. Definitely a job for the brave hearted!

Cocktailparty - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Cocktailparty - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog We had our second fantastic open space, open source cocktail party in october. It was a great evening and here are the pictures to prove it. Want to do an open space cocktailparty yourself? Heres how: 1: Invite a lot of nice people 2: Figure out what youll need to make lots of different cocktails our list is here (in danish) 3: Let each guest decide what they want to bring 4: When guests arrive put everything in the kitchen 5: Let each guest decide what cocktail to make and when 6: Have a blast We didnt serve any food but we did arrange for plenty of chips and snacks. We had the party on the same day we moved in to the appartment, and while it worked great for us Im not sure Id recommend that particular solution to everyone. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related