So you have decided to become a project manager

Hurray! So you have decided to become a project manager and looking for a job to get your foot in?

You have tried calling up recruiters, sending resumes and browsing through the job sites 4 hours a day and yet nothing? No calls, no emails for job interview and just when you are feeling all down and want to hide yourself in the gloom of the television screen- I have some news for you.

Yes and its good. The traditional job finding days are gone. Today, knowing the right person is all you need. Social media has made it pretty easy for all of us and thats great news.

So, stop goofing around the job sites and start meeting people. Online and offline .

Here’s what you can do-

· Plan – You should know what you want. List out your goals and stick it up right in your mind, soul and your board/wall in front of your desk. Seeing it often will help you remind yourself of your goal. Don’t trash your dreams in some over stuffed “new year resolutions” kit. Remember your plan this time is here to stay.

· Find you- Google search yourself; see what it comes up with. Now you know what people will see when they do it; you will be much better prepared to face the questions/interviews and better make sure the right content shows up.

· Where are you- Are you in the right place? Are you on the social networks? If you would like to be a project manager, are you following the ones in the profession in Twitter, PPMNG, Linkedin or their blogs/sites? Following allows you to understand the profession better, get real situation knowledge that can only help you grow.

· Brand building- Why should someone hire you? What do you bring to the table that no one else has?

Once you have answered these, you know your value. It’s not enough knowing them; it is equally important to let people know about it. Once you have chalked it out try doing something about it. Define yourself through your e-book, blog, social media profiles, and status messages and don’t sound mechanical while doing it. Be genuine, be nice, help others learn. Meet Dan Schawbel and learn from his self branding methods

· Blog- Haven’t we talked about this before? If you’re still thinking about starting a blog, please do so. When I started it; little did I know how much I will learn through this experience and meet so many wonderful people? Just commit to the cause of blogging and hold on to it. Write at least once a week and read other blogs on the same topic. You will not only learn faster, you get to know so much more from people in the industry that you can’t find in books.

If you have noticed, you can see I started reviewing project management software recently. Someone with 5 years of experience can do it better than me but I’m learning through it. Downloading free versions doesn’t cost me anything, but I can learn by trying them out, may be one new software a month. See what Alec (Satin) is doing with his blog.

· Be Bold- Doing videos (coming soon) was a bold decision. Don't hold back on some ideas that you have been eyeing for a long time. I’ve not done videos before and yes, I’m nervous of how things will turn out. I still wanted to do it because 1) I want to and 2) it will help me evolve better in trying to communicate to people. Remember, project management is about working with people and getting your ideas/scope transmitted.

My podcasts will help me be more focused on the clarity since they will be 5-7 mints videos. It will also help me critic myself and see what interviewers will see me as and get feedback from my readers, mentors and well wishers and improve. See what Jamie did to get interviewed by CNN

· Have fun – Enjoy what you do. We all have our problems and think no one has ever faced a situation like me. Wrong!

Grab this moment and start something new, something positive that you will enjoy and learn at the same time. New challenges are good for you, it speeds up your learning process, increases your focus and gets you a job or better contacts.

If you would like to know how social media can get you a job, read some of my favorite post here:

You can also let me know how you got your current job- was it through someone you knew or was it through job portals? Leave comments or better message me at twitter

Times are changing so should you; get your social media account today!

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