Project Manager Resume: Essential Tips

Are you a project manager searching for a new job opportunity? Crafting an impressive project manager resume is the first step to showcasing your skills and grabbing the attention of potential employers.

As a project manager, your resume is your first impression on potential employers. However, if your resume doesn’t effectively communicate your skills and experience, it may be getting lost in the pile of other applicants.

In this competitive job market, it’s crucial to have a well-crafted project manager resume that stands out and captures the attention of hiring managers. So, let’s dive into how you can create a winning project manager resume that will land you the job you deserve.

Here are some essential tips to help you craft a powerful project manager resume that stands out from the competition.

Highlight Your Soft Skills in the Skills Section

While technical skills are important, soft skills are equally critical for a project manager’s success. Therefore, in the skills section, include a list of your soft skills, such as leadership, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management.

For example, 

rather than stating, 

❌  "Led a team to complete a project on time," 

you could write, 

✅ "Demonstrated strong leadership skills to lead and motivate a team of ten members, resulting in the completion of a project on time and within budget."

Pro tip:

Resumes should be written in the third person and should not contain personal pronouns. 

Use Action Verbs and Bullet Points

When describing your work experience, use action verbs and bullet points to make it easy to read and understand.
Start each bullet point with an action verb that describes the task you performed, followed by a result.

For instance, 

Instead of writing

❌ "Responsible for planning and executing projects," 

Write below:

✅ "Planned and executed multiple projects, resulting in a 25% increase in revenue for the company."

Tailor Your Project Manager Resume to the Project Management Job Description

Every project management job has specific requirements, and it’s essential to tailor your resume to fit the job description. Carefully read the job posting, identify the required skills and experience, and ensure that your resume highlights your relevant skills and experience.

Include Relevant Project Management Experience

List your project management experience and highlight the relevant experience that matches the job description. You can also include your years of experience in project management and your level of expertise, such as a senior project manager or project management professional.
For example;

 ✅  "Managed cross-functional teams to deliver complex projects, including project planning, budgeting, and risk management, with over 10 years of project management experience."

Include a Project Manager Resume Summary

Include a project manager resume summary at the top of your resume that briefly highlights your skills, experience, and accomplishments. It should be a brief paragraph that summarizes your qualifications and experience.

For instance,

✅ "Proven project manager with ten years of experience managing multimillion-dollar projects across various industries. Demonstrated expertise in leading teams, project planning, risk management, and successful project delivery." 

Tips for Writing a Project Management Resume

1. Identify important skills and requirements mentioned in the job description.

• Read job descriptions carefully and note the skills mentioned
• Look at multiple job descriptions for the same type of role
• Highlight skills using similar terms on your resume

2. Create a master project management resume and tailor it to each job application.

• Order skills and qualifications to match the job description
• Put the most important things at the top of the resume

3. Match language used in the job description

• Use keywords from the job description in your resume
• Employers may use automation software to filter resumes

4. Use project management terminology.

• Make it clear how ‘past experience’ is relevant to project management
• Help the person reading your resume understand your experience

5. Decide what not to include on your project manager resume

• Leave out skills that may confuse or distract the hiring manager

6. Highlight relevant experience and skills

• Point out how your ‘past experience’ and skills will benefit the employer
• Show how your skills can be applied to a project management position.

Click here to get the full list: 50 buzzwords and skills to use in your project manager resume.

One important tip for job seekers looking for their first or next project management position is to use relevant keywords when conducting their job search.

This means searching for skills you have learned or acquired in your current or past roles, and including them in your search terms. It can also help you tailor your project manager resume to highlight these skills.

If you’re a fresh graduate and starting your project management career, don’t let the requirement for direct project management experience hold you back from applying for related roles.

Even if the job title doesn’t explicitly mention project management, you may still have transferable skills that would make you a good fit for the position.

Taking a project management certification course can also be a great way to identify and showcase your existing skills.
In this link you can find some free e-learning materials by PMI

By learning about project management best practices and terminology, you’ll be better equipped to translate your previous experience into relevant qualifications for a project management role. Be sure to update your project manager resume accordingly to reflect your newly acquired knowledge and skills.

In conclusion, a well-crafted project manager resume is essential to showcase your skills and experience to potential employers. Highlight your soft skills, use action verbs and bullet points, tailor your resume to the job description, include relevant experience, and add a project manager resume summary. Follow these tips, and you’ll have a powerful resume that stands out and catches the eye of hiring managers.

If you don’t know where to start, here is a free template to work on.