Aspiring DM

So, here we are, a whole year after my last post!

I had to take some time out for personal reasons and that year has absolutely flown by. Anyway, time to get back in the saddle and continue this journey.

Way back in 2023, in the dark early hours of a September morning my government contact messaged me.

‘He’s agreed to meet you’

‘That’s great I replied, let me know where and when’

And so it was set, a high stakes clandestine meeting with a very knowledgeable chap called M. A few days later, I readied my passport and set of from my safe house to make the journey to Pimlico.

M had worked with Carlos quite extensively back in the day and was only too willing to advise an aspiring DM. We had a casual meeting in a small coffee shop accompanied by coffee and cake, not clandestine at all but I wanted to add a small element of suspense for you.

It was really interesting to finally be able to talk to someone, in person, who had a very broad depth of knowledge on, and history in, the field I’m looking to join. Agile, transformational delivery, coaching, to name a few. Also very open to answering any questions, however silly I felt they were.

As I brought him up to speed on where I was with things, he agreed that the Scrum master certification was a good idea, also the blogging and attending meetups, good start.

We spoke about the type of character that is very useful for a DM position. Approachable, understanding and patient, but not a pushover. The need for empathy, self awareness and the desire for continual self improvement.

M was a thoroughly nice and engaging person to talk to, totally put me at ease and is so indicative of many of the people of I have had the pleasure of meeting in this field so far. Approachable, personable and wanting you to succeed. It’s incredible and refreshing.

We also spoke about my CV and personal statement. He kindly suggested that I send a copy for him to look at and would suggest any changes as he saw fit. And there were changes aplenty.

After a while we said our goodbyes and, with a bellyful of coffee and cake, I made my way home. They weren’t the only things I had to digest however as my head was now saturated with new information and insights to put into practice. All great stuff and most appreciated.

As I slipped back into the shadows I felt great, it was all coming together.

Over the next week or two there was quite a back and forth between M and myself about my CV and personal statement. My CV, at the time, was written as if I was applying for the job I currently had, not at all relevant really. There followed a complete overhaul, extruding any and all useful skills that have accrued over many years of work. Highlighting old skills that I thought would be irrelevant along with rewriting, then distilling, my personal statement into something concise and eye catching.

I’ve always been somewhat shy and tend to downplay/under appreciate my abilities, never sold myself or blown my own trumpet. Now, however, I have come to realise that it really is very important. Not in an arrogant egotistical way, just a calm self assuredness and confidence in ones ability.

A while ago, as I was starting all this, I had asked some friends to let me know what special or stand out skills they thought I had. It was really eye opening, in a good way, to discover that I was quite well regarded in terms of my attitude and approachability, conversation and listening among other things. All the every day soft skills that I just took for granted, actually do make a very big impact on people, nice!

M also mentioned Manual of Me, a really interesting site where you can explain who you are, your ideal working conditions, likes and dislikes. You can then share it with your team/co-workers and you all get a nice understanding of who you are working with. Worth checking out.