From Fast-Food to a Fast-Tracked Career in Project Management
From a fast-food restaurant to a fast-tracked career, Ezra signed up to the Project Management Job Programme with ITonlinelearning in February 2021. Within 12 months she gained 4 in-demand certifications and was invited to 20 job interviews before securing the perfect role for her.
“I really wanted to get into project management, that was one thing that interested me,” says Ezra, who found herself at a crossroad in her journey towards career satisfaction. “I really wanted to get some sort of qualifications or training in this field, and I thought that this programme was the right choice for me.”
With support from her tutors, Ezra successfully passed all the courses in the Project Management Career Programme, including;
- PRINCE2 Foundation
- Change Management Foundation
- AgilePM Foundation
- PRINCE2 Practitioner
“All throughout your course you get lots of mentor support. I thought my mentor was professional, very helpful and supportive in what he does. I did struggle quite a lot in the beginning with trying to understand a lot of things, but my mentor had some notes to give out which I thought was really great,” recalls Ezra.
The Recruitment Phase
After passing her exams and completing the Simulated Project Management Assignment, Ezra was transferred to the recruitment team. The first step in the recruitment phase was a complete CV review by one of the experienced recruitment advisors, “My CV looked stunning and impeccable!” exclaims Ezra. “I began sending out roughly 20-30 job applications per week and 60% of the applications included a cover letter. I only have tweaked my CV 5% of the time, but since I was applying for similar roles (Junior Project Manager, Project Administrator, Project Coordinator, Project Support) I didn’t really have to change much.”
Within 2 months, Ezra accepted her first job offer as a Project Administrator. However, she soon realised that the hours expected from her were unsuitable, therefore she kindly declined the offer. Equipped with the interview and job-hunting advice from her recruitment advisor, she continued to send upwards of 20 job applications per week.
During the four months that Ezra was job-hunting, she sent a total of 275 job applications and received 20 job interviews before accepting a position that was ideal for her, a Graduate Scheme Continuous Improvement Coordinator. Ezra explains, “I decided to accept the position due to the fact that it is a graduate scheme which I think suits my current experiences and skills. There are also incentive schemes that I could do for bonuses, and permanently increase my salary if I complete and pass a certification. I thought this was the one! Also, the office is located in London which is only an hour away by train.”
Catching up with Ezra
After catching up with Ezra since she started her employment as a Continuous Improvement Coordinator, she says “I’m looking forward to getting settled, at the moment I’m currently being trained. So there is a lot of information, a little bit stressful due to the change, but very thankful! The Graduate Scheme role is also in a rotation which will allow me to enter each of the company’s departments every 4 months, to allow me to learn more and eventually find out which department I like the most! Currently we only go to the office once a week, and so far it’s going well!”
Taking the project management courses with ITonlinelearning has undoubtedly paved the way for Ezra to follow her desired career journey and continue to build a rewarding career within the project management sector. When asked what she thought of her experience as a whole with ITonlinelearning she exclaims, “It’s been a wonderful ride, and no regrets at all with ITonlinelearning. Everything has just been wonderful, from the initial consultation to the mentorship, and especially the recruitment process. I’ll be sure to spread the good word about ITonlinelearning!”
Has Ezra’s story inspired you to pursue a career in the Project Management sector?
If the answer is yes, then contact our Course and Career Advisors today to get started.
