Green Shoots of Recovery?

Maybe the jobs market really is beginning to look up. I'm at least finding more appropriate contracts to apply for this month.

I'm waiting for the result of an interview I had yesterday, and expect to hear today if I have been selected for interview for a second role.

Both opportunities are roles I would relish.

Having said that, I'm not easing up on my search for an assignment; competition is too tough out there to take anything for granted.

When I'm not job hunting I'm now busy working on the Stakeholder Management section of the APM's next edition of the Body of Knowledge (BoK), so at least I'm keeping my brain ticking over.

Association for Project Management

Another good day with the APM last Friday - a feedback session for all those involved in the work we've been doing lately.

Everyone was very positive and things are moving forward at a good pace.

I'm hoping to be involved with the rewrite of the Body of Knowledge, and I should hear about that next month.

I enjoy my work with the APM; everyone is so professional and committed. I'm really looking forward to our project going public towards the end of this year.

The Budget

All things considered, yesterday's budget seems to be a wise one to me.

It's a refreshing change to hear a long-term budget instead of one crafted to garner short-term support for the governing party.

Many of the things the Chancellor addressed are things most people have been aware of for years, but nothing has ever been done.

Hopefully now the public sector will reign in its spending on multi-national accountancy consultancies and taxpayers' money will be spent prudently. Other changes should stimulate the economy for everyone's benefit.

It's likely to be a rocky ride, but let's hang in there and hope for the best!

MSP Advanced Practitioner Exam

I'm sitting the MSP Advanced Practitioner Re-registration Exam today.

It doesn't seem like five years since I first attained the qualification, but in these hard times I think it's important to keep your core qualifications current.

The public sector in particular insists on freelance programme managers being MSP qualified, and it's also a useful addition to my Continuing Professional Development Log to maintain my standing within the Association for Project Managers (APM).

I'm confident the exam will go well; I've used MSP in practice solidly since before I qualified, so if I don't know about it by now I never will!

Government Spending Cuts

It's good to see the new Government act so quickly to reduce the UK's budget deficit.

What will the changes mean for interims like me?

In the short term it will probably reduce our options, as government departments adjust to the changes and opportunities offered via agencies handling public sector areas diminish.

However, in the medium to long term, it's probably good news; the private sector will grow in confidence in response to this decisive action and the public sector will replace "Big name" consultancies with interims to reduce overhead. Interims also do not appear on headcount, so we tend to benefit from recruitment freezes.

So far so good - here's hoping my optimism is justified.