how to become a project manager (2024 Guide)

Project Manager Resume Examples

BrainStation’s Project Management career guide is intended to help you take the first steps toward a lucrative career in project management. Read on for a guide for creating a great Project Manager resume, with samples and a project management resume template.

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What Are Project Manager Resumes?


Project Manager resumes summarize your work experience, education and project management skills. This track record should highlight your most important and relevant accomplishments throughout your career. Resumes are important documents submitted during the job application process. A well-written resume will give employers insight into your achievements and what you can bring to their company as a qualified candidate.

Project Manager Resumes – A Step-by-Step Guide


To write a standout Project Manager resume, follow these steps:

  • Write a compelling summary
  • Detail your relevant professional experience and achievements
  • List your project management skills
  • Add your education and certifications
  • List awards and activities

Project Managers know that planning is an essential first step with any project. Similarly, you’ll want to do some initial planning and preparation before you begin writing your resume, this way you’ll be setting yourself up for success when showcasing your career path.

  • Review the job posting. Highlight the top skills and qualifications needed for the role. You’ll want to emphasize these throughout your resume.
  • Research the company. Resumes, just like cover letters, need to be tailored to the position. Gain a solid understanding of the company’s products or services, as well as the type of work you will be performing as a Project Manager.
  • Create a master resume. A master resume is a comprehensive document of your work history. The master resume is just for you—it’s a collection of all your projects, skills and achievements. When you’re ready to write your resume, you can refer to your master resume to easily pull information and details.

Once you’re ready to start writing, keep these best practices in mind:

Be concise

Keep the length to one page maximum. Resumes are meant to be focused, not comprehensive.

Make it scannable

Use headings to divide your resume into sections (such as experience, education and skills), and use bullet points for descriptions. Headings and bullets make your resume more organized and easy for someone to read.

Choose a clean layout

A simple design tends to work best. Use one or two fonts, incorporate color sparingly and include ample white space. Make use of a sample template to simplify the process.

Use action verbs

Action verbs—for example, coordinated, implemented, reduced, accelerated and communicated—describe and create impact around your successes and achievements.

Quantify your achievements

A Project Manager regularly measure outcomes, so you likely already know the impact of your work. Include key numbers and metrics as evidence of your success from past deliverables.

Write accomplishment statements

Use accomplishment statements in the form of action verb + task + result. An example of an accomplishment statement is, “Implemented new expense tracking software across 5 departments, achieving 100% adoption rate in two months, and a cost savings of 15%”.

Proofread

Review for any spelling or grammar mistakes. Set your resume aside for a day and come back to see if you catch any additional errors. You can also ask a friend or colleague for feedback.

Getting Started – What Is the Purpose of the Resume?


The resume is your chance to market your skills and qualifications to potential employers. Resumes tell your story. Through describing major successes and past experiences, the employer should get a sense of who you are and what you have done.

Your resume is a document for the employer, so it’s important to frame your achievements around what they need. Consider the company’s goals and objectives. Your resume should show why hiring you as a Project Manager will help their company succeed.

How to Create an Outline for a Project Manager Resume


For a strong, well-organized Project Manager resume, follow this general format:

  1. Header with contact information
  2. Profile/summary statement
  3. Work experience and accomplishments
  4. Education
  5. Skills
  6. Additional sections (conferences, training, awards, etc.)

What to Include in Your Project Manager Resume

Include a profile/summary, experience, education, skills and additional information in your Project Manager resume.

Profile/Summary

In two to four sentences, introduce yourself and the value you can bring. Include your most successful work and strongest skills.

Project management experience

Describe and quantify your most relevant and impressive achievements. List these in reverse chronological order. Include the job title, company, location and dates employed. Highlight the results you produced. For example, “Led monthly meetings with different teams” doesn’t explain the impact of your work. Instead, you could rewrite it as, “Led monthly meetings with 5 project teams to identify challenges and successfully resolve development issues”.

Education

This section should be short and to the point. Include university/college degrees, as well as any certifications or diplomas. State the title of the degree/certificate, the name of the university/organization and dates attended.

Skills

Refer back to the job listing to identify what skills to highlight. Focus on tools/software, technical skills and methodologies.

Other

Add in additional information that might aid you in standing out. This may include awards, volunteer work, languages or conferences.

What Skills Should You Put on a Project Manager Resume?


Common skills that employers seek in a Project Manager include: project development, budgeting, scheduling, data processing, risk management, project management methodologies (Waterfall, Scrum, Agile), cost control and leadership.

Some of the project management software that you may be expected to know are: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Project, PowerPoint, Visio), ProjectLink, Asana, Jira, SharePoint, Trello, Oracle Project Accounting, Clarity and ServiceNow.

While there are common skills and tools for Project Managers, remember that the specific skills you include in your resume will depend on the job you are applying to. Only include skills that are relevant to the role.

Project Manager Resume Template


[NAME]
[Phone Number]
[Email]
[LinkedIn]
[Portfolio]

PROFILE
Dedicated Project Manager with experience in [areas of expertise]. Successfully [project management accomplishment or project]. Passionate about [project management interests].

EXPERIENCE
[Job title, Company]
[Month, Year – Month, Year]

  • [Action word] [skill/task] [result/impact]
  • [Action word] [skill/task] [result/impact]
  • [Action word] [skill/task] [result/impact]

[Job title, Company]
[Month, Year – Month, Year]

  • [Action word] [skill/task] [result/impact]
  • [Action word] [skill/task] [result/impact]
  • [Action word] [skill/task] [result/impact]

EDUCATION
[Degree or certificate earned, School name]
[Graduation date]

  • [Relevant courses]
  • [Academic achievements]

SKILLS

  • [Skills]
  • [Tools]

AWARDS AND ACTIVITIES

  • [Award]
  • [Volunteer]
  • [Languages]

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