Your project manager resume must demonstrate an ability to plan and oversee complex projects using your industry knowledge, organizational strategies, and leadership skills. But how do you do that effectively? Let’s look at how you can craft a resume highlighting the most compelling parts of your project management career.
Key takeaways:
- Highlight areas of expertise: In the profile section of your resume, emphasize your strengths as a leader, whether it’s specific industry knowledge or a management method.
- Quantify your success: Using numbers helps demonstrate your impact and value as a manager. For example, you can measure project timeline reductions or budget savings increases.
- Optimize for Applicant Tracking Systems: Include keywords from the project manager job description to successfully pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) used by many employers today.
Most Popular Project Manager Resumes
Construction Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Alex’s resume highlights strong leadership and quantifiable achievements, such as reducing costs and improving safety. Learn how to tailor your resume for impactful results here.
Marketing Project Manager Hybrid Sample Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Jamie’s resume demonstrates expertise in marketing and quantifiable impact, like a 30% ROI increase. Learn more about marketing skills here.
Creative Agency Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Taylor’s resume shows leadership in high-stakes campaigns and quantifiable gains in client satisfaction. See how to refine your resume here.
IT Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Jordan’s resume highlights technical proficiency and IT leadership, making it impactful for hiring managers in his industry. Learn more here.
Entry-Level Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Riley’s resume leverages educational credentials and internship experiences to present a solid foundation for growth. Find out how to build your first resume here.
Senior IT Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Cameron’s resume demonstrates expertise in managing large-scale IT projects with quantifiable successes, making it appealing to senior leadership. Explore more tips here.
Technical Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Dakota’s resume excels by blending technical expertise with proven project management results, which appeals to tech-centric roles. See more here.
Entry-Level IT Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Avery’s resume effectively showcases relevant academic projects and internship experience, positioning them for entry-level opportunities. Learn how to highlight your first roles here.
Senior Construction Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Casey’s resume illustrates leadership, long-term achievements, and expertise in compliance and mentoring. Learn how to tailor senior resumes here.
Agile Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Morgan’s resume highlights Agile-specific achievements and certifications, making them an excellent fit for tech-driven environments. Explore Agile tips here.
Construction Site Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Blake’s resume emphasizes on-site expertise and safety achievements, showcasing tangible results for construction employers. Learn how to build a tailored resume here.
Hybrid Marketing and IT Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Sydney’s resume uniquely blends IT and marketing expertise, demonstrating campaign and technology integration versatility. Learn how to highlight hybrid skills here.
Senior Agile Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Taylor’s resume demonstrates expertise in Agile transformations and team development, backed by tangible results. See Agile career tips here.
Senior Technical Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Jordan’s resume effectively emphasizes their ability to manage high-stakes IT projects while driving cost savings and efficiency. Discover how to showcase leadership here.
Junior Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Casey’s resume highlights the foundational skills and experience needed for a growing career in project management. Explore resume-building tips here.
Creative Hybrid Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Riley’s resume balances creative expertise with technical proficiency, showcasing adaptability in hybrid roles. Learn how to emphasize diverse skills here.
Entry-Level Construction Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Taylor’s resume effectively leverages education and internship experience to showcase potential in construction management. Learn how to craft entry-level resumes here.
Senior Creative Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Jamie’s resume demonstrates extensive leadership in creative campaigns and quantifiable client successes. Discover how to showcase your creativity here.
Hybrid IT and Construction Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Alex’s resume showcases a rare skill set, seamlessly integrating IT expertise with construction management. Learn more about hybrid roles here.
International Project Manager Resume Example
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Why This Resume Works
Cameron’s resume highlights unique international experience and expertise in managing large-scale global projects. Discover how to build a global career here.
Project Manager Text-Only Resume Examples and Templates
How To Write a Project Manager Resume Example
Your portfolio includes many achievements, metrics, and valuable data you can use to build an engaging project manager resume. As you put together your resume, remember to include the following sections:
- Contact information
- Profile
- Key skills
- Professional experience
- Education and certifications
1. Share your contact information
Your contact information should be the first thing on your resume, situated prominently at the top of the page. Start with your full name followed by your phone number, email address, and location. If you have a LinkedIn profile or an online portfolio of projects, you can include links to those here as well.
Example
Your Name
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
City, State Abbreviation Zip Code
LinkedIn | Portfolio
2. Create a profile by summarizing your project manager qualifications
Introduce yourself to employers with a concise summary of your most significant qualities as a project manager. Mention your job title and how many years you’ve been leading teams. This paragraph sets up your resume and gives readers a good idea of who you are as a professional.
The goal is to immediately draw the reader in with key details that will pique their interest. For example, suppose a tech company is looking for a project manager with experience developing consumer mobile applications. If you’ve managed the end-to-end development and launch of successful apps, highlight that here.
Senior-Level Profile Example
Strategic senior project manager with over 10 years of leadership experience and nearly two decades in the information technology (IT) industry. Background in technology companies and higher education. Certified Scrum Master and Certified Project Manager passionate about upholding industry standards and driving professional accountability.
Entry-Level Profile Example
Creative project manager with a background in visual merchandising and nearly two years in project management. Leader who drives successful retail initiatives and creates engaging visual displays. Excel in a team environment. Hold a four-year digital design degree and recently received a Project Management Professional certification.
3. Outline your project manager experience in a compelling list
Arguably the most important part of your resume is the work history. This is where you’ll show your direct experiences and impact on projects you’ve led. Describe your role in the project lifecycle and what you accomplished. Include details on specific methodologies and metrics to help hiring managers visualize your contribution.
As a leader, discussing your ability to work with cross-functional teams to accomplish your client’s or employer’s goals is vital. Describe areas like negotiation, leadership, conflict resolution, and finding solutions in a team setting.
Senior-Level Professional Experience Example
Senior Project Manager, Deloitte Technology, Sunnyvale, CA
November 2018 – present
- Direct cross-functional teams across service areas to deliver complex internal technology programs
- Led over 20 high-risk projects with budgets exceeding $2 million
- Conduct regular audits of IT projects to ensure compliance with company and industry regulations
- Increased operational efficiency by 25% through a strategic cloud migration project for Deloitte’s internal IT services
- Trained more than 50 staff in SAFe Agile practices to improve team capability and project outcomes
Entry-Level Professional Experience Example
Creative Project Manager, Nordstrom, Philadelphia, PA
October 2022 – present
- Develop and carry out visual merchandising strategies to enhance the customer experience and strengthen brand identity
- Spearhead at least 40 visual merchandising projects each year across all departments of 20 regional stores
- Lead a team of 15 visual merchandising staff to provide ongoing training
- Maintain communication with external vendors on project expectations and deliverables
- Reduced reporting errors by 40% after creating a new tracking system with the help of the IT department
Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience
Demonstrate your ability to deliver results by using real numbers in your professional experience section. Pull data and metrics like monetary figures, improvement rates, or percentages to prove your achievements. This helps hiring managers understand the level of work they can expect if their organization employed you. Here’s an example:
Do
- “Raised project efficiency 20% by implementing Lean Six Sigma methodologies to continually streamline project workflows and reduce waste”
Don’t
- “Improved efficiency of project workflows”
Resume writer’s tip: Tailor your resume for each application
A generalized, one-size-fits-all resume just won’t do for project managers. Your document must be tailored to the organization you’re applying for with keywords and language from the job posting. You play a vital part in any project, and employers need to know you’re aligned with their vision and role requirements.
Incorporate specific terms and phrases used in the job posting throughout your resume. Match your skills, experience, and qualifications with the company’s needs.
What if you don’t have experience?
You can write an engaging resume even if you haven’t held an official project manager job yet. The key is to pull from experiences where you’ve gained transferable skills. Use these strategies to make up for any lack of experience:
- Highlight your education. Instead of a work history, bring your academic achievements front and center. Discuss related coursework, projects, or academic awards.
- Include project management internships. Any exposure to the realm of project management is priceless. Call upon what you achieved in your time as an intern.
- Create a volunteer work section if the experience helped build your project management skills.
4. List any education and certifications relevant to project management
Depending on the job, employers may desire that you hold a four-year degree in business, project management, or your industry (i.e., computer science, engineering). When listing your academic history, start with your highest level of education first. Provide the degree name, school name, location, and graduation date.
If you’ve been a project manager for a while, you may hold a special certification, such as Project Management Professional. Listing this on your resume will help you stand out from other leaders. Or, if you happen to have an industry-specific credential, this can help show that you’re well-informed and ready to handle the nuances of the position.
Education
Template:
[Degree Name]
[School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
Example:
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Construction Management
Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA | 2016
Certifications
Template:
[Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
Example:
Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute, 2019
5. List pertinent key skills
A project manager must have a well-rounded skill set. You should have deep knowledge of your industry and management methodologies while leading a diverse team. It’s a delicate balance best represented by both hard and soft skills. Check out our table below for some ideas.
Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
---|---|
Budgeting and financial management | Leadership |
Quality assurance and control | Risk management |
Software (Trello, Asana, JIRA) | Stakeholder management |
Targeted resource allocation |
Resume writer’s tip: Use strong action verbs
Regarding resume writing, action verbs help convey a sense of proactivity and accomplishment. Use these words to start bullet points and bring an active voice to your writing, especially in your professional experience section. Include verbs like these on your project manager resume:
Action Verbs | |
---|---|
Achieved | Allocated |
Coordinated | Created |
Delegated | Directed |
Enhanced | Facilitated |
Implemented | Improved |
Led | Managed |
Optimized | Organized |
Oversaw | Performance-managed |
Prevented | Project-managed |
Ranked | Resolved |
Streamlined | Supervised |
Won |
How To Pick the Best Project Manager Resume Template
As a project manager, you have a range of skills, successful projects, and career achievements to cover on your resume. You’ll need a well-structured framework that allows these features to shine.
The best template choice will prioritize readability and organization. Hiring managers should be able to scan your resume and understand your professional background easily. Look for a simple, minimalistic design with limited colors. Graphics and images may look nice, but your content should be the focus.
Frequently Asked Questions: Project Manager Resume Examples and Advice
Project management is a fast-growing occupation, with a 6% increase in new employment opportunities projected over the next decade. Demand is expected to be especially strong within the IT field. Although there will be a need within the market, competition will be tough, as it is for most leadership positions. Your resume must be aligned with potential employers' needs and expectations.
Pay attention to the skills and qualifications mentioned in the job description. Identify what the employer values most in their ideal candidate and demonstrate how you meet those expectations. For example, if the position requires expertise in risk management, highlight times when you successfully mitigated risks on projects, and describe what the positive outcome was.
To stand out in a competitive market, a combination format is a good choice for your project manager resume. Pulling inspiration from both the functional and chronological resume styles, your skills list and professional experience section are the main focus. Readers will come away with a clear understanding of your leadership abilities and career timeline.
Include a cover letter with your resume
A well-crafted cover letter is the best way to round out your application. Once you’ve finished your project manager resume, create a cover letter that details your most relevant career experience. This is your chance to address the hiring manager directly and explain why you’re the perfect person to lead their next project.
Check Out Related Examples
Resume Templates offers free, HR approved resume templates to help you create a professional resume in minutes. Choose from several template options and even pre-populate a resume from your profile.