On most any list of life stressors one will find job loss, job search and/or job change. For Project Managers, who generally strive for planning and control, the job search can be particularly stressful. Methods of putting structure to the job search will be discussed. The goal, to make the job search more manageable.

1. From Initiate to Closeout
Gene Waldenmaier, PMP
A Project
Management
Approach to the Job
Search

2. • On most any list of life stressors one will
find job loss, job search and/or job
change.
• For PMs, who generally strive for
planning and control, the job search can
be particularly stressful.
Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale
• Score of 300+: At risk of illness.
• Score of 150-299: Risk of illness is
moderate (reduced by 30% from the above
risk).
• Score <150: Only have a slight risk of
illness.
The Job Search 
Order Life event
Life change
units
1 Death of a spouse 100
2 Divorce 73
8 Dismissal from work 47
12 Pregnancy 40
13 Sexual difficulties 39
14 Gain a new family member 39
15 Business readjustment 39
16 Change in financial state 38
17 Death of a close friend 37
18 Change to different line of work 36
21 Foreclosure of mortgage or loan 30
24 Change in responsibilities at work 29
25 Outstanding personal achievement 28
26 Spouse starts or stops work 26
28 Change in living conditions 25
Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale

3. • Project management is the application of processes, methods,
knowledge, skills and experience to achieve the project objectives.
• A project is a unique, transient endeavor, undertaken to achieve planned
objectives, which could be defined in terms of outputs, outcomes or
benefits.
• Project Management should be ideally suited for the job search…
Then why all the stress?
The Job Search Project

4. • Well….. A Project Manager generally manages and leads a group…
• Initiate – SoW? Charter?
• Plan - What are the processes and methods?
• Execute - Who has the knowledge, skills and experience?
• Monitoring – What are we measuring?
• Close out – Ahhh, Negotiations and New Job….
Why all the Stress?

6. • What is the Charter?
• Who is the sponsor?
• Who generates the SoW?
• Who are the Stakeholders?
• Obvious – The Job Searcher and family
• How about
• Head hunters?
• Perspective Employers?
• Employment coaches?
• Network?
• Extended Network?
Initiate

7. • As with every project, planning is the difference between success and
failure.
• Some Inputs, Tools, Techniques and Outputs (ITTOs) are obvious.
Others need to be thought through.
• Many tools are available – Web Based
• Many job boards provide site-specific tools for tracking
• These tools are only as good as the Processes and Discipline of the Project
Manager
Planning – When the rubber meets the
road…

8. • WBS and WBS Definition are derived from the
SoW/Requirements:
• Type of work – Project Management vs Technical vs Logistical vs
Sales vs…
• Skills assessment - PMP necessary? ITILv3? Security Clearance?
• Geography – Relocation?
• Pay grade – What is the market paying?
• As with any project, the better you can define the
requirements, the easier execution will become.
• Don’t waste your time pursuing, “why not? that may be
interesting…”
• Focus, focus, focus…
• If you do not know what you want, how do you know if you got it?
• WBS Definition will drive the:
• Job Description
• Elevator Speech
• Resume
Planning – Scope Management

9. • Finding work is an exercise of Marketing. Product Mix
aka, The 4 P’s
• Product – what you have to offer to employer – Resume,
Elevator Speech, Cover Letter
• Placement – where, when, with whom and how you want to
work
• Promotion –Networking, Networking, Networking
• Price - Negotiations
• The WBS and WBS dictionary breaks down the 4P’s into
the work packages with Milestones defined in “Planning
- Time Management”
• To guide Scope WBS Definition/Work Packages, one
should keep in mind some milestones…
Planning – Scope Management

10. • Time Management is difficult in the job search – project completion is open
ended, isn’t it?
• Milestones associated with a process can be put in place:
1. Professional Environment: Know where your profession and industry are
heading, what trends are shaping the future, and how those trends impact your
job search.
2. Professional Objective: You can clearly tell people what you're looking for, in
one sentence.
3. Communications Strategy: You can promote yourself to potential employers
and others, using your resume, online profiles and more.
4. Target Market: You know who you're going to go after to seek suitable
employment, where, and why.
5. Marketplace Information: You accelerate your industry and prospect
intelligence efforts, and you're applying the results to your search.
Planning – Time Management

11. 6. Get Message Out: At this point, you're having conversations or exchanging
emails useful to your search (e.g. 20 to 30 people per week).
7. Talk With Hiring Managers: Now you're having meaningful conversations
with at least hiring managers (e.g. 2 per week), and you're asking and
answering questions well.
8. Other Methods of Search: In addition to direct approaches, you respond to
online postings, job boards and other ads. You also work your program with
recruiters.
9. Interview, Offers and Negotiate: You have located, negotiated, and accepted
the position that you want.
10. Transition into a New Position: You close out your search, get off to a good
start in your new position, and retain your network for future use.
Planning – Time Management (Cont’d)

12. • Costs consist of direct and indirect.
• Direct costs for a job search are generally rather low
• Outplacement services?
• Professional coach?
• Lunches?
• Miscellaneous
• Indirect costs for a job search can be huge, if unemployed.
• “The electric company does not care if you have a job”
• Life goes on
• It is imperative to have a budget in place
Cost Management

13. • How will Quality be measured?
• What are the KPIs?
• The Raw Search
• Viewed Jobs
• Saved Jobs
• Jobs Applied For
• . . .
• Networking
• Number of people to hear Elevator Speech
• Number of Hiring Managers Talked to
• . . .
• Results
• Number of Interviews
• Number of Offers
• . . .
Planning – Quality Management

14. • Generally speaking, the Job Search is a one person project
• Help from outplacement services (if applicable) are more in-line with
Procurement Management
• Support of the Home Front is very helpful
Human Resource Management

15. • Network, Network, Network!
• If you are out of work, get the word out!
• Men’s Groups, Church Groups, Professional Groups, Civic Groups,
Charities, Gyms, Alumni Associations
• Wherever there are people, let them know you are looking
• Volunteer, if possible
• You may have some time, make your presence known.
• Evaluate your contacts (LinkedIn), affiliations and wherever you
meet people
• Develop the Communications Plan!
Communications Management

16. • Risk Management?
• Are there risks that need to be mitigated in the job search?
• Fall back plans?
• What are they? Do you need them?
• If so, what are the triggers?
Planning – Risk Management

17. • Outplacement Services (if applicable)
• Manage these services as if they are services that your
project is procuring
• Because they are services that the project is procuring!
• Other services to be procured? If so, treat them as a
contractor!
• Resume and Collateral Development
• Professional Coaching
• Outsourced Contact Management
Procurement Management

18. • Stakeholders consist of:
• The Job Searcher and family
• Head hunters?
• Perspective Employers?
• Employment coaches?
• Network?
• Extended Network?
• As with all Stakeholder management, each stakeholder has
different needs and requirements for information.
• Proper management of each stakeholder group is critical.
Stakeholders

19. • I know of no single integrated on-line Job Search Planning Tool
• Keeping track of emails, job boards, contacts, etc is currently fractured without
any form of central Job Seeker “ERP”
• What is needed is a “Trivago” for job seekers
• What are the Tools?
• Customer Resource Management (e.g. Insightly, Salesforce, etc)
• The job boards (e.g. Indeed, Dice, careerhq.pmi.org, etc) all have good tracking tools
for the jobs on their boards…
• But who uses only one board?
• What about other contacts?
• Email reminders (e.g. Boomerang)
• Miscellaneous Spread Sheets
Planning – Note on Tools

20. • Now it is time to manage the Human Resources (ahm, you)!
• Scope Management
• Validate the Scope (Resume, Elevator Speech)
• Control the Scope (Job Description)
• Control Schedule
• Daily/weekly/monthly metrics
• Track and Control Contacts
• Social Media
• CRM
• Communications
• How many contacts? How many Face-2-Face?
Execute and Monitor!

21. • Congratulations! You have your new job!
• Do not forget to document your lessons learned
• Close out the procurements (recurring costs, if any, are a
drag)
• But, is the job search ever really done?
• By definition of the project and customer sign-off, Yes!
• It may go into a new phase!
• Once again, Congratulations!
Closing