When you are applying for project management consulting positions it is important to be very clear to your prospective employer what it is about you that makes you stand out from the rest of applicants. This should be done in your resume. You are selling yourself and you need to be clear about who you are and what you can do for the company. When you apply for project management systems and positions you need to have a clear understanding of the job’s responsibilities.
As a project management professional you will be required to manage countless projects from the beginning to the end. You will be required to sit down and write the requirements for the project and to set milestones and expected due dates. It will be your responsibility to assign tasks to people you think are capable of performing duties. You are in charge of the project and the staff. If the staff screws up or misses a deadline it is your fault, not theirs.
When you work in project management consulting positions you will be required to work with clients one on one. This will require a professional appearance and demeanor, along with the ability to communicate very well. A client needs to be impressed with you, not disappointed. If a company loses a client because of you they will get rid of you. You are responsible for maintaining a good working relationship with clients and for making them happy. This means meeting their needs and expectations, and more. Not only are you working for the company that hired you as their project management professional; you are also working for the client.
In this line of work you will be required to use various project management systems and software. If you work in the technology field you may need to use programming software to verify if code is appropriate and if it is written properly. You will need to use software systems to look for bugs in the solutions you build. Your team will use different software to determine if your build meets the requirements by providing appropriate quality assurance testing. You are responsible for any mistakes or errors with the software solution you build as a project manager.
When you work in project management consulting you must be able to get along well with people. The technology world is vast, but it is still a small world out there. Word often gets around if you are not an easy person to work with. You may be consulting for many different companies and your name will be known for better or ill. When you get along well with people you are more likely to get an extension on a project or have a client less upset with you than if you are not easy to get along with. You can get much further in your position when you are friendly and easy to work with.
As a project management professional you need to be a very humble person. If you are grateful and professional you will get much further in your career than if you expect too much and are rude. You will be required to manage a team. You will be required to manage the amount of hours spent on a project so you do not go over budget. You will have to manage the entire budget. If you go over budget your team may be working for free for a week or so. The last thing you want to do is give a bad estimate on a project or sign on a definite price and have it be inaccurate. You will have to watch the hours of the staff closely to meet the budget as close as you can. This means as little over time as possible and efficiency every step of the way.
Managing a technology project is very difficult when you are building Web sites and code. You will be required to work with many different departments and people to ensure the project is running smoothly. Your communication skills need to be outstanding. You will have to work with all of the staff members to know exactly if deadlines and milestones are being met. While you work with staff members to ensure they are being productive you also need to be sure you do not slow the process with your inquiries.
If you would like to do project management consulting you will need to have an outstanding resume that sets you apart. You need to provide proof that you can manage a project on your own and do a fantastic job. You will need to work well with people and have amazing management skills with a project and the ability to run a project on time and on budget while still meeting the requirements set forth by the client.
