PMO/ PM Questions from a Newbie

[Slinky]

Hi,

Another permie here considering whether to take the plunge into the lucrative contracting world. I technically have 4 years PMO experience in IT infrastructure according to my job title. However I also project manage independently what the business consider 'smaller projects' includes national and international office setups, upgrades, expansions, decommissioning's. My salary is 32K, office is 30 mins outside London.


My questions:
I'm not sure how to explain above on CV or in interviews, whether to angle my CV as a PMO/Junior PM or to simply say I am a project manager?

PMO roles - What are those who work as PM's/ PMO's experience of job availability, have you found yourself in steady work or are there long periods of being benched? I would hope to earn £350 a day initially is this realistic?

I have a friend who has successfully contracted as a PM analyst for 10 years in London within retail banking sector. They are going to suggest me to their contacts and also invite me on nights out with her colleagues to help with networking when i'm ready so that is a bonus but no guarantee.

Contractors in London what have you found are your standard office hours? My current are 40 a week so any better than that is a bonus as my commute will be longer. Have you found it quite easy to WFH when situation allows?


Thanks

[kaiser78]

Hi,

Another permie here considering whether to take the plunge into the lucrative contracting world. I technically have 4 years PMO experience in IT infrastructure according to my job title. However I also project manage independently what the business consider 'smaller projects' includes national and international office setups, upgrades, expansions, decommissioning's. My salary is 32K, office is 30 mins outside London.


My questions:
I'm not sure how to explain above on CV or in interviews, whether to angle my CV as a PMO/Junior PM or to simply say I am a project manager?

PMO roles - What are those who work as PM's/ PMO's experience of job availability, have you found yourself in steady work or are there long periods of being benched? I would hope to earn £350 a day initially is this realistic?

I have a friend who has successfully contracted as a PM analyst for 10 years in London within retail banking sector. They are going to suggest me to their contacts and also invite me on nights out with her colleagues to help with networking when i'm ready so that is a bonus but no guarantee.

Contractors in London what have you found are your standard office hours? My current are 40 a week so any better than that is a bonus as my commute will be longer. Have you found it quite easy to WFH when situation allows?


Thanks

You would need to badge yourself as either a PMO person or a PM, not joint. Contract roles require one or the other from what I have seen in the main. I would say 4 years experience would not be enough to enter into contracting, especially at the day rate you have quoted initially.

You are competing with some experienced PMO and PM contractors, so how would you stand out ahead of them, ie what is your usp against someone with say 10+ years PMO or PM experience ?

Do you have PRINCE2 / Agile Practitioner qualifications ? These are needed on your CV just to stop being thrown in the bin at first sight when compared against a CV that does show this.

Get networking through your contacts as this may be the best way to get your first contract...and keep trying and trying.

[kaiser78]

And someone will come along to say that the second contract is often the hardest to secure...

[Slinky]

Thanks that's interesting, so maybe sit tight until 5 year mark. My friend walked into contracting after a 9 month temp role covering maternity so I assumed my 4 years would have been ok.

I guess I should tailor my CV to adapt to specific role so I could switch between PMO/ PM as the roles come up.

I have foundation prince 2 qualification, no official agile qualification but we do use agile here and have had internal training.

I think you are right, my first step is to get networking. I'd have to hand my notice in before securing a role (I have a 3 month notice period) so I need to be sure something will come up.

[malvolio]

Thanks that's interesting, so maybe sit tight until 5 year mark. My friend walked into contracting after a 9 month temp role covering maternity so I assumed my 4 years would have been ok.

I guess I should tailor my CV to adapt to specific role so I could switch between PMO/ PM as the roles come up.

I have foundation prince 2 qualification, no official agile qualification but we do use agile here and have had internal training.

I think you are right, my first step is to get networking. I'd have to hand my notice in before securing a role (I have a 3 month notice period) so I need to be sure something will come up.

The problem you haven't really got hold of is that contracts are given to people based on experience in a fairly specific set of requirements and history. Since PMO and PM are radically different roles, you need to decide which one you are (and it sounds like PMO to me) and focus on that.

Clients hire permies on potential, but hire contractors on hard experience. If you don't have that real experience (ignore qualifications, they're to keep the agency happy) you are going nowhere. So decide where your saleable skills are and head in that direction.

ps. Think like an independent business. "We" don't use agile, your "current employer" does...

[simes]

I personally think four years' experience would be enough to have a dabble and see what is out there.

I agree that the CV message should be consistent, so perhaps;

1. Make two CVs. One for PMO, the other for PM.
2. Pop them both up on all the usual CV sites, Jobserve, Jobsite, CW, Monster, etc and see if you get any bites.

To my mind, only that will tell you whether the competition out there renders your offering redundant.

Good luck.

[northernladuk]

And someone will come along to say that the second contract is often the hardest to secure...

Which is generally correct and a very good point to make in this instance. Do you not think so?

[northernladuk]

Thanks that's interesting, so maybe sit tight until 5 year mark. My friend walked into contracting after a 9 month temp role covering maternity so I assumed my 4 years would have been ok.

Ignore what your friends do. You'll be on your own when you go contracting so it's irrelevant what they did. There will be a lot more to your friends story you are probably missing. Temp roles to cover maternity are not a good example. Ask him if he knows anything about IR35 cause I suspect he's got a problem he doesn't realise.

I guess I should tailor my CV to adapt to specific role so I could switch between PMO/ PM as the roles come up.

Nope. As has been said you are one not the other. You sell specialised skills as a contractor. There isn't much space for generals that can do a bit of this and a bit of that. No way will you get solid PM roles with PMO smattered around. There is a glut of highly qualified PM's with years of experience coming out of their ears as well as qualifications the length of their arm. You being able to dabble will be no use what so ever.

What do you expect to get PM wise if you've just done a few small projects? There are very few contracts for 'Junior PMs' so you've no marketable skills in that area.

I personally don't think it's that interchangeable either. A good PMO can make a project, as can a good PM. Dabblers don't do either.

I have foundation prince 2 qualification, no official agile qualification but we do use agile here and have had internal training.

Doesn't differentiate you from almost anyone in a project office let alone an industry specialist.

I think you are right, my first step is to get networking. I'd have to hand my notice in before securing a role (I have a 3 month notice period) so I need to be sure something will come up.

And I think from what you've said you are going to be relying on a very big dose of luck. Would I be right in assuming you've 4 years at the same company? Straight from uni or something? I think you are very borderline if that's the case. You aren't bringing any industry experience and only a few years experience above the first period of learning on the job.

There is also the fact there are plenty of contractors on the bench with much more experience and qualifications.

Personally I think you are on the path but aren't there yet but that's just MHO.

[Slinky]

Which is generally correct. Do you not think so?

I wonder why that is? My contact has always been extended only ever worked for 2 employers though I know that must throw up IR35 implications.

I will make sure I have enough savings to cover bills for a few months incase.

[Lance]

I also project manage independently what the business consider 'smaller projects' includes national and international office setups, upgrades, expansions, decommissioning's.

reading that suggest to me that you might be best to sell yourself as a facilities PM. That'll get more money than PMO. And bluntly £350 a day is a lot for a PMO.
As you've mostly done smaller projects then your experience is going to be the problem so you could start out looking for £250 a day to build experience.

Also. You should consider putting each smaller project into it's own section of a CV to make it look like you do a project, then another, and another, rather than a whole bunch in parallel. That will make you appear more experienced to a casual glance (which is all agencies do).

Good luck.