Breaking into the Project Management roles
Hi, a little about me, I work in the business solutions and development space. Primarily, I staff for companies, but I offer other services as well. This isn’t a promotion, just a reflection.
Recently, someone reached out via my sales and company lines, not our recruiting side.
They were asking about project management opportunities and how we might be able to help. I gave them a call and let them know I don’t currently have those kinds of roles available. However, I offered to ask around within my network and potentially share their information. Part of that was to connect with more diverse clients, but also because I genuinely appreciated their energy and felt their candidacy was strong. It seemed worthwhile to present them to a few contacts and see if anyone would be open to a conversation.
They have a degree in architecture, years of experience as a project manager in the architecture space, and they come across very well. They’re also honest about their skill set, which is something I really value when placing someone.
Here’s where I’m struggling and could use some guidance. I reached out to several hiring managers and decision-makers in relevant fields. Despite recent job postings, I’ve been hearing things like: “We’re not hiring right now,” “We’re just collecting candidates,” or “We’re not actually hiring for that role.”
Since I haven’t worked much on the project management side of recruiting, I’m trying to understand if a lot of these roles are essentially ghost jobs? And more importantly, how do I support candidates who are asking for help when I don’t have direct openings, and many of the roles posted online don’t seem to be real or active? Is this what the market has been dealing with, ghost jobs and gatekeepers? I don't know if you post a job 3 days ago and then say the position isn't available despite multiple postings. Why spend the money on advertising a role you aren't hiring for?
ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS NOT ME TRYING TO ADVERTISE ANY OF MY SERVICES. I WILL NOT PROMOTE MY COMPANY. I just need advice if someone can weigh in and give me some pointers.