PM Benchtime Duration

[Grinder]

3½ months on the bench for me & counting. 5 interviews (3 of which were withdrawn due to budget re-think, 2 I didn't have the right experience / interview technique).

I agree with what was said earlier - 600 applicants 90% of which will be first timers hitting 'Apply' without any real hope. A case in point, I applied for one in my sector yesterday, agent said there was 400 CVs and they're not looking at any others. I asked how many were in the required sector and he answered '12'. So they will submit me to the client if the first batch of CVs doesn't do the job.

I only apply for a job where I think I can do it, but my CV is being drowned in a sea of no hopers who arbitrarily see 'project manager' and click 'Apply'.

By the way, all the interviews I got were due to an agent finding me! Not me applying. So get your CVs onto Monster etc..

[SallyAnne]

I'm in a specialised market within PM work and so I am getting the occasional call. Lucky me.

Last week I followed up one role I had applied for where I was a close match. The agent kindly spent 15 minutes on the phone - I think he needed a gossip 'cos he was knackered. We generally put the world to rights and as part of his whinge he said he had a number of exact matches for this specialist, Senior Project Manager role so I would not be being put forward. He had had 600 applications; 150 of these in the first hour.

I haven't heard of numbers like that applying for PM roles since the market was awful in 2001.

Unless you have something special to offer, my experience of 2000-2002 and my gut reaction says a generic PM can now expect to be on the bench for 12 to 24 months.

But if you have specific skills and a good CV and a matching role comes up, you might get a gig this afternoon. Then you just need it to be in the right location, to accept a lower rate, to have a good interview, to be the best on the day, for your face to fit, for the budget to be approved and for the agency not screw it up for you. Easy peasy.

Bloody hell, you're a right barrel of laughs!

[BrowneIssue]

Bloody hell, you're a right barrel of laughs!

Not like my Evil Usenet Twin. Or his brother. They're right miserable buggers.

Anyway, look on the bright side. The depression will only get you if the Swine 'Flu don't.

[SallyAnne]

Not like my Evil Usenet Twin. Or his brother. They're right miserable buggers.

Anyway, look on the bright side. The depression will only get you if the Swine 'Flu don't.

Always a silver lining

[dozer]

http://www.google.com/finance?q=tig

http://www.google.com/finance?q=lon%3ACHi

£2k for both, ca-ching.

im finding that all the calls i get are for roles not advertised. seems they are getting my cv from jobserve and appear genuine as theres no talk of references.

[Alf W]

I've always found that. I don't think I've ever got a gig that was advertised.

[BrowneIssue]

watched chi and thg skyrocket today, maybe we should setup a benched pm share tip thread for those with some spare time.

Ooooooh. Now I see.

A "thread to give tips on share dealing"

as opposed to

a "thread for benched PMs to share tips on getting gigs". As in somewhere where we can tell you how to get the gigs we're trying to get.

I thought "Chi and Thg Skyrocket" was one of those dodgy day-time, cable channel, kids' cartoons from Japan!

I cheerfully assumed you spent all day on your arse watching TV and then came on here to get us to tell you how to find a contract!


If only I had capital to go investing in shares...

[Tensai]

I thought "Chi and Thg Skyrocket" was one of those dodgy day-time, cable channel, kids' cartoons from Japan!

They could never compete with Charlie and Lola, In the Night Garden, Dora the Explorer, or Peppa Pig (according to my eldest.)

I can't believe I'm *this* clued up about kid's TV...

[Tensai]

(Stating the bleeding obvious....) PMs are amongst the first to get kicked out when money's tight - canning projects delivering new stuff is the easy way to save money. And there's not much need for PM's in "keeping the lights on" IT.

BUT, being positive, when things pick up there'll be be a big backlog of projects in need of doing... kerching And the longer the downturn, the bigger the backlog.

[TykeMerc]

(Stating the bleeding obvious....) PMs are amongst the first to get kicked out when money's tight - canning projects delivering new stuff is the easy way to save money. And there's not much need for PM's in "keeping the lights on" IT.

BUT, being positive, when things pick up there'll be be a big backlog of projects in need of doing... kerching And the longer the downturn, the bigger the backlog.

Absolutely spot on on both points.

The market's pretty pants at the moment, fortunately I've had a couple of little things to keep me busy since my last big gig finished. Over the years just about every contract I've had has come from contacts or an Agent finding my CV on a job site, in fact I think I've only ever got 1 role off Jobserve and that was very minor.