Part 5: Starting the Job Search
"The Great Uncertainty" Series: Preparing for your program's cancellation
A glaring factor in preparing for the cancellation of your program is the subsequent, often dreaded job search. With the recent flood of layoffs and buyouts, program management professionals (PgMPs) who built careers in the non-profit and government sectors face an employer-driven market, with more qualified job seekers than available positions. A job search will be gritty, and while the fundamentals of applying and interviewing remain consistent, the tools you use to complete the work are rapidly evolving. Between these two obstacles – competition and change – prepare yourself for a different job search than you’ve known in the past.
The Great Uncertainty Series
Over the last several months, the changes in and around the United States government have caused great uncertainty. Given that much of the work under fire is administrative, program management professionals (PgMPs) and project management professionals (PMPs) are part of the workforce severely impacted by the upheaval.
This series, “The Great Uncertainty,” offers advice on preparing your program and career for the prospect of cancellation. These insights come from a mixture of my experiences with program decline, as well as what I hear from the news and my network around Boston.
Be sure to check out the previous installments in this series, which cover topics such as challenges, advocacy, preservation, and resource negotiation, specifically for project and program management professionals.
Also, a special thank you to Rachel Levine, MS, my friend and outstanding project management professional, whom I spoke to in preparing this article.
Economic Considerations
With a down economy in non-profit sectors, there’s heavy competition for any open position in the field. Finding a job, much less one that elevates your career, will be an uphill battle. Here are bright spots to consider in developing your job search strategy:
Change industries
A glass-half-full look at current economic conditions is that not all industries are experiencing the same decline. These conditions likely have you considering jobs in new industries. While transitioning sectors is intimidating, a core advantage for project and program management professionals is that your skill set is transferable. In any industry, you bring value in your experiences managing projects and programs, as well as a core passion for the work.
The key challenge is that hiring managers prioritize finding PgMPs and PMPs with expertise in their industry. It is consequently easy to be overlooked. In shifting sectors, how can you reframe your resume and LinkedIn profile to showcase your skills and adaptability? In networking, who do you know in that industry who can speak up on your behalf? For the interview, what stories showcase your skill set without overselling a commitment to your original job sector?
Anticipate New Opportunities
Currently, many organizations’ strategic plans are publicly on ice as committing to a new direction is difficult amidst the market turbulence. A few organizations have started to make long-term shifts. For example, General Motors announced a significant investment in developing its V-8 engine at a plant in New York State that had previously been slated to focus on electric motors. This is one signal of more significant strategic changes to come across industries. Behind the scenes, executives are crafting new plans, and when those strategies go public, they will need PgMPs and PMPs to make it happen. Despite being heavily impacted by current conditions, I also include non-profit organizations in this trend. Think long term in your networking: how can you position yourself as a go-to resource when new initiatives start shifting into their implementation phase?
Be Ready for the Unknown
A consideration for the industries targeted for retraction is how far they can actually decline, given that demand for the services has not decreased. There are no fewer people needing healthcare services or interested in going to a top-tier college than there were last year. A question for a good economist to answer is, if a retraction is “artificially enforced”, what curveballs can come up? My point is that you should be ready for the unexpected, as these can lead to job opportunities that you can’t foresee today.
Job Search and Artificial Intelligence
To age myself, I got my first full-time job by mailing a paper packet with a generic cover letter and writing samples to twenty market research companies. One called me back, and "Voilà," I had a job. Within the following year, mailed resumes became outdated as job searches went online and LinkedIn bloomed. Like the shift to online applications, we are experiencing another massive technological change due to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Computer Screening Makes Networking Non-Optional
Job providers commonly use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), where the computer screens the resume. Consequently, you need to design your resume for both human and computer readers. Keywords are in and fancy formatting is out. Further, if you are from a non-traditional background, it is exceedingly difficult for your resume to reach a more open-minded human. As a result, NETWORKING, particularly for those in industry transition, is more essential than ever before.
Get Creative with AI
AI provides a powerful assistant to the driven job seeker, but demands creativity and mindfulness on how to leverage the tools best. Recall that most job searches depend on your ability to gather, analyze, and apply information, both to effectively connect to your network and create persuasive arguments for why you are the best person for the job. An AI assistant can significantly speed up the information gathering and assessment process.
For example, I uploaded five related job descriptions and asked about the commonalities and differences between the roles. An excellent summary appeared.
It can enhance the quality of your submitted materials. Regarding writing, I lean towards writing cover letters yourself, but encourage you to use AI to assist in grammar checks, generate smoother sentences, and give feedback on areas for improvement.
It can even provide career coaching. Try uploading your resume and asking for suggestions on ideal career paths.
Remember the Fundamentals Remain Unchanged
Despite the glitz of new tools, the foundation for a successful job search remains the same. You are looking for positions that will be financially and professionally fulfilling, and your goal is to convince the hiring manager that you are the best person for the job. How you tactically find that job and prep for the interview has changed, but the human side of the work remains strong as ever. You still need to leverage your network and formulate your stories to convince another person to hire you.
Job Search Resource Recommendations
A bright spot in the job search marketplace is that the guidance has become remarkably better - or at least more palatable - over the last decade. In the mid-2010s, I recall attempting to read the dense “Job Hunting for Dummies” to little actionable benefit. Now, there are any number of job search podcasts, career coaches, and resume writing services offering high-quality support on the technicalities of the process. I share several recommendations below of job search resources I’ve used, but the important part is not to go it alone. It is well worth following a thought leader to keep up-to-date on new tools and trends as the discipline of job searching rapidly evolves.
Podcast
The Career Warrior Podcast: Chris Villanueva runs a resume writing service with his brother. I have regularly listened to his podcast for years, regardless of whether I’m actively job searching. On the podcast, he discusses the intricacies of crafting a resume and interviews career coaches. Unlike many smaller podcast operations, the sound quality and formatting are excellent. I also appreciate Mr. Villanueva’s interview style, which keeps interviewees on topic while still bringing out complex ideas of what it takes to communicate your value in the modern world.
Book
I Hate Job Interviews by Sam Owens: Unlike many job search books, Mr. Owens approaches the topic with many personal stories to keep you engaged. He shares his initial struggles with job interviewing and his innate response to obsessively break the interview down to its elements to master the discipline. I related to his stories due to my own hungry ambition to do the same for managing programs at non-profits. The guidance and material are not necessarily unique compared to the next job interview book. Still, he communicates the material more intentionally, giving more depth to the purpose of interview questions and the prep needed to succeed.
Career Coaching Alternative
Mission Collaborative: If you need a deeper mental dive to plan your next career move, consider Mission Collaborative's “Career Design Program” as an affordable alternative to career coaching. I participated in this program in 2021 as part of an alumni offering through my university and had an appreciably positive experience. It is a rapid, month-long set of activities split between worksheets and structured peer-to-peer discussions. If you respond well to coaching and feel driven to find a better career fit, this is a solid option to quickly and affordably get set up in a more focused direction.
“Replay”
As a PgMP or PMP, you are uniquely situated to excel in a competitive job hunt that demands new tools. These skills are literally the day job. Remember to project manage yourself: set goals, timelines, and project plans. Use your analytical abilities to assess the best opportunities for success. Leverage your relationship-building skills to get your resume before the hiring manager. A job search may be the opposite of where you want to be, but you are starting from a place of enormous strengths compared to most other career fields.
As a final note of encouragement, this week’s song is “Replay” by Cynthia Erivo (i.e. Elphaba from the movie “Wicked”). The underlying music, with its whistles and a peppy down beat, reminds me of the inside of a clock and how you feel when you’re having a good run at writing—something you’ll need for the job search.
This is the last article I have planned for “The Great Uncertainty” series. Still, it won’t be the last as there’s plenty to discuss about navigating this topsy-turvy world of turbulence across the non-profit and government sectors. The Innovative Program will return in two weeks with a new article on non-profit program management. Thank you for joining me, and good luck out there.