You're a trained project manager, not a resume writer. Yet, your resume is a crucial tool in landing your dream job. At Pscyence, we understand this challenge and are dedicated to providing expert resume help. In this comprehensive project manager resume guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to build a standout resume that impresses the hiring manager, getting you a greater chance at landing an interview and ultimately a job!
There are 5 core sections to every great resume.
Let's break down each, with tailored strategies for project managers:
If you think you already know how to write a strong resume and are just looking for a new template, click here to download our ATS optimized resume template for project managers.
This section is self explanatory so I will not waste much of your time on it. You need to write out a few crucial details about yourself so the hiring manager can contact you if they are interested in interviewing you. These are your:
Name: Jordan Smith
Email: jordan.smith@email.com
Phone Number: (555) 123-4567
A few optional sections of this section of your resume are:
LinkedIn URL: linkedin.com/in/jordansmith
Address: [Optional, especially if seeking a local role]
Remember, 67% of hiring managers review a candidate's LinkedIn profile, so adding your URL is a smart move. For those seeking an in-person role, including your address can give you an edge. Many hiring managers will prioritize local candidates to avoid the logistics of relocation and the additional company expenses associated with it.
Once you get your contact information out of the way, it is time for the first section that requires your critical thought. This section is very important, as 72% of hiring managers prefer to hire candidates with summary statements. The issue is, this process of personalization is very time consuming. That is why we have created ResumeAI, a software that optimizes your resume for the specific job you are applying to, in less than 30 seconds. Simply upload your resume, paste the job description, type out the company name + job title, and you will have a customized summary statement that includes the company name, job title, and relevant keywords! This feature will catch the eye of the hiring manager and keep them engaged to read the next section of your resume, your work experience.
A summary statement is a concise summary of your goals, values, and aspirations. It should be 3 or less sentences.
The best summary statements include these 3 elements:
"Highly motivated and dedicated Project Manager with a passion for innovative technology solutions. Proven track record in leading cross-functional teams to deliver complex projects on time and within budget. Eager to bring my expertise in agile methodologies and stakeholder management to [Company Name] as a [Job Title]."
Your work experience is arguably the most important section of your resume. Having relevant experience to the job you are after is crucial for being considered. Your experience should be presented using the STAR method, highlighting your achievements in a clear and quantifiable manner.
The STAR method is a staple in the world of resume optimization. I get into far more detail on how to make the most out of the STAR method in this article, so go check that out if you need more support in writing this section.
The 4 aspects of the STAR method you need to know are:
Situation: Give context to the problem
Managed a project team for a software development project at TechCorp.
Task: What was your understanding of the task given to you?
The task involved coordinating between software engineers, designers, and stakeholders.
Action: What action did you specifically make to solve the problem?
Implemented agile methodologies and streamlined communication processes.
Results: As a consequence of your action, what outcome occurred?
Successfully delivered the project two weeks ahead of schedule, enhancing customer satisfaction by 20%.
On a separate document to your resume, write 1 sentence for each of these 4 prompts, for a total of 4 sentences. They should all relate to 1 project from your prior work experience. You must then find a way to condense the information from 4 sentences into 1.
"Led a software development team using agile methodologies at TechCorp, resulting in project completion two weeks early and a 20% increase in customer satisfaction."
This is best done by starting with an action verb, and ending with a quantifiable impact. For action verbs, I like to refer to this guide from The Muse or simply ask ChatGPT for inspiration. Your quantifiable impact will show that you not only show up to work, but move the needle.
Writing a strong work experience section is not easy, but is certainly worth the effort.
Once you have finished your work experience, the next most valuable section is to display your skills.
As a project manager, it is important that you have some of the following skills:
If you are struggling to identify your skills and if they align with what a hiring manager would deem as valuable, I highly recommend you check out this article by Julia Martins for her top 25 project management skills.
Technical: Proficient in Jira, Trello, Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets
Communication: Experienced with Microsoft Teams, Slack
Soft Skills: Strong leadership, time management, and organizational skills
Although education is important, I recommend it to be placed at the end of your resume. There is not much to this section except for ensuring you have spelled out your college degree. The only piece of potentially controversial advice I have on this section is that you should not include your GPA on your resume. That is, unless you have an exceptional one. The reason is that employers do not care about what you did in school, they want to know what value you have brought to other organizations, and what value you can then bring to them. If your GPA was above a 3.5, then go ahead and show it. If not, it is okay to leave it off.
Bachelor of Science in Project Management, ABC University
[Optional: GPA if above 3.5]
There are a few other tips to share on writing a strong resume. These tips are make or break for the readability of your resume by the applicant tracking system, or ATS for short. If you want a more in depth guide on how to beat the ATS, I recommend you check out my recent article that breaks down 4 tips that will give you a competitive advantage.
My top 2 ATS-friendly optimization tips are:
Tables are a nightmare for the ATS. It makes it difficult to pull relevant information from your resume, so you are often thrown in the garbage and never get into the hands of a hiring manager.
Although there are many keywords that are standard to include for every project manager job, there will be many that are custom to the specific job you are applying to. The best tip I have for landing more interviews is to optimize every application with keywords that you find in the job description. To save you time through this difficult process, our ResumeAI software will do this for you, adding 10 or more keywords to your resume automatically.
Once you have a draft of your resume ready to go, find an application you desire to submit it to, and use ResumeAI for free to see just how many keywords could be added.
If you are ready to build your resume and want our proven, ATS friendly Project Manager resume template, click this link to download an editable DOCX file!
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