Using Indeed.com, identify three current positions in Project Management that interest you. Then, use
Careeronestop.org and/or BLS.gov to conduct research on the three positions you are interested in and answer the
following questions.
1.
What are the job titles you found in your research of job descriptions?
2.
Briefly summarize what employers are asking for in terms of experience, education and other
qualifications.
3.
How do you match up with what employers say they need? What qualifications do you have that align?
4.
What are the gaps between what you currently have to offer and what the employer expects?
5.
What will you do to overcome those gaps? (Please note: Few people will have everything an employer
advertises, so aim to have about 60-70% of the stated qualifications. If you find that you have less than
that and you are not qualified for the jobs you identified, then go back again and search for new jobs for
which you are qualified. You might need to look for more entry-level jobs. If you don’t have experience in
your field, where do you need to start to get experience?)
6.
Look for themes among the job ads. List at least three core competencies that someone needs to do that
job effectively. In other words, what are the skills, characteristics and abilities a successful candidate must
have (e.g., analysis, forecasting, budgeting, complex decision making, ethics/compliance, persistence,
number orientation, communication, specific software knowledge, etc.)?
7.
For each of the three core competencies do the following:
8.
a.
Think about how you can demonstrate that you have proven that you possess that competency.
In other words, think about times when you have demonstrated those skills and characteristics.
What did you do? How well did you do it? What was the result? What specific, detailed, concrete
examples can you provide to your future employer that demonstrates your value? As you think
about how you demonstrate these skills, consider this a personal success “story” you can tell to
prove your ability. Your stories can come from your work experience, education, volunteer work,
even personal life (if those stories are professional and relevant). See examples of stories in
Resources.
b.
For each competency, condense the story into one powerful accomplishment action bullet that
you can use on your resume. See examples of action bullets in Resources.
If you had to describe the value you gained from this course to your future employer in an interview, how
would you do that? What story would you tell about this educational experience? What have you learned
from running your own simulated business that will help you add value to your future employer? Write an
answer for how you might tell that story on your next interview?
