Project Manager Resume: Templates, Examples, & Essential Skills

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As a Project Manager, you are most likely great at leading, and exceptional at organizing. But are those skills of yours not transferring to resume writing? If that’s the case, take advantage of our resume templates, and make sure your resume is as well organized as your daily tasks.

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ResumeGiants » Examples » Project Manager Resume

Being a project manager requires extensive knowledge and refined leadership skills. 

The position comes with huge responsibilities since it’s the project manager’s job to integrate, strategically plan, and control both the company team and its projects’ progress. 

Demanding as the job of a project manager may be, crafting a suitable resume for a related position can be even more daunting.

Competition, professional competence, related achievements, and experience—all these and more can make or break a project manager resume. 

No matter how good you might be at project management, it will ultimately be your resume that will speak on your behalf and paint a whole picture of you as a professional before your hirers. 

Dread not, for we have compiled a detailed guide on how to write a resume for a project manager position, and get the job you applied for—no questions asked.

Since the best way to understand how to write a resume for a project manager is through an example, here is what a full project manager resume ought to look like:

Resume Example

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[Jennifer Decker]

[Product Manager]

[88 Northland Street, OH 45205   |   513-555-1204   |   jennifer.decker@example.com]

Summary

Detail-oriented project manager with 15+ years of experience executing multi-function management and business analysis for a variety of projects. Excellent organizational, planning, time-management, and problem-solving abilities. For 5 years in a row, I met all project deadlines and improved Fever Productions market share by 12% through effective branding projects.

Experience

Product Manager

Fever Productions, Cincinnati, OH

08/2010 to Current

• Led the company’s software development project
• Analyzed and strategically planned the business goals, budget, schedules, and team member coordination
• In control of the project’s team and communicating about problems to improve overall interaction between team members

Product Manager

Venus Flytrap Printworks, Cincinnati, OH

01/2007 to 07/2010

• Managed telephone interaction, and offered issues to potential clients
• Helped chief project manager in handling multiple projects at once, prioritized them and efficiently solved them
• In control of expense reporting, risk management, budget, and execution

Education

Master’s Degree in Business Administration 

From the University of Pennsylvania

2006 – 2007

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration

From the Monte Ahuja College of Business

2001 – 2005

Certification

Project Manager Professional Certification 

From the Project Management Institute

2012

Skills

• Database management
• Web development
• Microsoft Office
• Marketing
• Accounting
• Project management software
• Documentation

There are a few project manager resume formats available, with the ever-favorite being the reverse-chronological resume format. 

As the name itself suggests, a resume with a reverse-chronological format serves to describe your previous work experiences, starting from the most recent and moving backward.

Some studies have shown that this type of resume format is most appealing to a big number of employers since it is fairly easy to read—almost like a story. 

At the top of the resume, candidates should include a short summary or objective, to catch the attention of the hiring agent.

The reverse-chronological format starts with the professional experience and then moves on to the personal life, education, and other talents and hobbies of the candidate. 

Some of the best skills should also be mentioned here, both characteristic skills and job position-related skills. It’s also important to mention some certificates or awards, because they may bring extra credit.

Other Project Manager Resume Formats

The second most commonly used format is the functional resume format. Here, the summary or objective of the candidate comes first. And, unlike the previous format, in a functional resume format, all the attention will fall on your skills section.

For applicants who don’t have a rich work experience section (or any experience for that matter), the functional format is ideal since its main aim is to highlight your personal skills and show the employer that you’re capable of doing the job flawlessly—even without the professional background. 

Finally, there is also the combined resume format, whose name is self-explanatory. 

This format is a combination of both previous resume formats. In the combined resume format, the main focus will fall on both the candidate’s previous work experiences as well as their professional skills. 

Both sections are equally highlighted, which makes the combined format ideal for applicants who want to change their profession or include the best of both worlds – skills plus experience. 

To make the resume even more professional, you can always use a project manager resume template tailored just for your needs.

Another required section that makes your resume stand out is the project manager resume summary. 

For those unfamiliar with it, a resume summary should include a brief overview, no more than 3 sentences long, of all your professional experiences.

In this short section, the candidate should highlight their most significant achievements, thus allowing the employer to quickly determine if the candidate is qualified for the position. 

A resume summary can also be useful when creating longer resumes, and you can always boost it with relevant keywords and thus make it more relevant. 

On the other hand, a project manager’s resume objective is a statement included at the beginning of the resume and serves to describe the candidate’s key goals. 

Similar to the resume summary, the resume objective serves to inform the employer if the candidate is a good fit for the company.

The section should be short and precise, and briefly clarify the candidate’s goals and ambitions in the long run.

Both the summary and objective are similar to one another, with the difference that the summary is more commonly used by people seeking employment in the same profession, and the objective for those looking to change industry fields.

Project Manager Resume Summary Example

An exceptional project manager resume summary should include the following:

• Description of the candidate’s top professional accomplishments 
• The candidate’s professional title 
• The applicant’s most relevant project management skills
• Number of years of professional experience

Below is an example of what a resume summary should look like:

To compare, you should also see an example of a poorly written summary section:

How to Write an Entry-Level Project Manager Resume Objective

To create an appealing entry-level project manager resume objective, you must first understand what the recruiter is looking for. 

All in all, the objective’s aim is to demonstrate to the employer that you’re the perfect choice for the job at hand.

In order to show that you deserve the position – even without the experience – you can emphasize a few of your greatest abilities. It’s very useful for entry-level project managers to point out the education and degrees they have, along with some certification if they possess any.

Here are some tricks in how to write a good-looking entry-level objective:

• Keep the objective as brief as possible. Don’t include any irrelevant information that won’t do anything well. You only need a few well-structured sentences and make certain that each word is thoughtful and necessary.
• Be specific and precise about the work position you seek, in this case, project manager. Discuss your objectives simply and make them relatable to the position you are applying for. Keep the sentences well-written and use professional terminology to grab the attention of the recruiter.
• Draw attention to some extra project or activities you’ve been a part of while studying. This way, you will fill any gaps you have in the experience section.
• Explain what you’re willing to do for the company and how you will contribute to its overall success and further accomplishments. Take your objectives a step further and outline how they align with the demands of the organization, all the while relying on the job description as your guide. 

Entry-Level Project Manager Resume Objective Sample

There are many diverse ways to structure an entry-level project manager resume objective:

Take a look at this example of what an objective shouldn’t look like. 

When writing an objective, it’s important to see both right and wrong examples and compare them to help you fully understand what employees are looking for.

Even though the objective should be simple and brief, that doesn’t mean that it should be void of its primary essence. Being eloquent and using professional lingo will always make you seem better for the position and more versed.

Since you will be lacking professional experience in your entry-level project manager resume, pay more attention to your top skills, and include any respective degrees and certificates you have to support your professional readiness for the job. 

Before becoming professionals in the project management industry, most project managers first worked as an IT employees. 

Interestingly, this part of the candidate’s previous work experience is rather important for the employer, so do your best to feature it in your resume and describe it in detail at that. 

It might be best to write down what your previous professional title was, alongside the purpose you served at the company as a front end employee. 

Mentioning any viable IT-related skills is also a plus, as it helps the hiring agent to, in a way, filter out the unripe fruits from the ripe ones. 

To explain your level of expertise in this area, you first need to include your level of knowledge. You will also need to describe your professional comprehension of popular operating systems, including debugging software issues. 

Also, you can mention that you are able to assist clients with minimal IT knowledge who need a professional’s helping hand to sort a related issue. 

Any certifications and publications that describe your solid proficiency in hardware and software, among other IT areas, should have a place in your resume since it gives the employer a clearer picture of your skills and accomplishments. 

If you also have finished any professional courses or did training in the field of software and IT management, add these to your professional resume strengths.

The experience section is the most significant to craft, since hiring agents are most interested in a candidate’s prior projects.

The project manager resume experience section should ideally look like this:

Below are some tips and tricks that might come in handy when writing an experience section for a project manager resume:

• To explain your accomplishments and duties, use action verbs such as managed, spearheaded, resolved, executed, and so on.
• Include only relevant information regarding your previous experience. It’s recommended to provide information about previous jobs that are similar or at least in the same branch as the job position you are seeking. The employer won’t be impressed to read about your high school part-time jobs or non-related tasks.
• Make your accomplishments measurable, and provide percentages when talking about certain things. For example, try using “Consistently delivered projects up to 12% under budget” rather than “Consistently delivered projects under budget.”

Entry-Level Project Manager Resume: Experience Section

The work experience portion of your project manager resume for entry-level candidates should be formatted as follows:

• Follow the functional resume format. This helps you point out your top work-related as well as your soft skills and assure the employer that you’re the right fit for the position even with no significant experience.
• Write a well-structured education section. For candidates with no previous work experience, education comes as one of the most important factors. Include the name of the college, university, or course, along with the years of attendance.
• Point out any internships, college projects, and activities you partook in. Even though entry-level candidates don’t have real job experience, working on college-related projects will make up for the lack of professional practice.
• Include the name of the company in which you had your internship, especially if it’s a major business. Add a few sentences to elaborate on your responsibilities there, and detail your contributions to the company projects.
• Mention voluntary projects that you might have been a part of, and explain how you gained the relevant experience.
• Write a short objective at the top of your resume to state why you want the job
• Create a list of accomplishments and obligations. 5 to 6 bullet points will do. 

If you want your project manager resume to stand out and strike the attention of the employer, you need to make it unique. 

And, whilst you may be lacking the professional experience to get the job, your skills, additional accomplishments, and most of all—your adequate experience—can often be just enough to land you the position you applied for.

Even though project management knowledge can be gained without college, having a degree of some sort will more likely get you the job faster. 

Every major company in this industry seeks candidates who have at least a Bachelor’s degree. Two degrees, or even better—a major’s degree—heighten your chances of scoring the job you seek. 

The education section on a resume is just as necessary to include in a resume as other sections. 

If you have a high-quality education, but somehow, the hiring agents reject your resume after a single glance, the issue might be your poorly described education section or choosing the wrong resume format. 

Alterations are a great way to showcase your project manager education section. 

If you are having trouble determining what a quality education section in a resume looks like, read on as we elaborate on the details that will make you stand out from the crowd —educationally and otherwise. 

Project Manager Resume Education Section

The education section should be kept short and tight, unless you are an entry-level candidate and have no real experience to show for. 

By default, employers will be more interested in your professional journey; however, without it, your education section is the next big aspect of your resume to polish and write accordingly. 

Arrange your education resume section in the following order, starting with your highest degree:

• Title of the degree
• University, college, academy, or other educational institution
• Years of attendance
• Location (optional)

A project manager applicant should not pile up information regarding their education, but neatly organize it, so it’s readable, precise and relevant. 

If you just throw information here and there, your resume will look chaotic, and it might cost you getting the job altogether. 

As mentioned earlier, a project manager position does not always demand that candidates have a professional degree. If you don’t have a degree but have the experience, you can pay more attention to the latter and put your professional skills to the test. 

In a project manager resume, the skills section should showcase your best hard and soft skills for the job, and offer a brief explanation on how you plan on putting these into practice. 

Again, the best way to organize this section is to start listing your top hard skills first, and then move on to your soft skills.

Soft skills are worth mentioning; however, the recruiter will ultimately be more eager to see what skills you can immediately bring to the table in your project manager role. 

Remember, try to subtly intertwine these skills within other areas of your project manager resume and not just list them at the end.

Picture these words as magic keywords—employees are scanning hundreds of resumes looking for these skills, so your resume will jump out at them if you have cleverly included them throughout.

If you’re under the impression that the project manager resume is still not fully written, that there are gaps in your content, or that you are lacking sufficient experience, adding other sections can help make up for the shortcomings and still make you a viable candidate for the job. 

Here are some of the most commonly used additional sections in a professional resume:

• Publications such as research, interviews, and other forms of media. If some of your works have been published in the media, make sure you bring that up in the resume.
• Conferences, on both project management topics and industry-related topics.
  If any of these are relevant and connected to project management, they should be considered for your resume.
• Partaking in any associations and organizations and details on your level of involvement in each. Explain briefly what your job was and how you contributed to those organizations.
• Language skills are always advantageous, no matter if you’re applying for a position in a domestic or an international company. Especially for international positions, mentioning your polyglot skills will be highly appreciated. 

Project Manager Resume Sample “Other” Sections

As many other sections as you might want to include in your resume, sticking to the relevant ones only will do a better job at representing you professionally. 

If some of your achievements are more impactful than others, include them first, and leave out the information that serves you no purpose in getting a project manager’s job. 

However, if you possess both language skills and have relevant publications, or you have attended respective conferences, all sections need to be included in your resume for better effect. Ambition counts, so use it. 

Here’s a sample of a well-written additional section on a project manager resume:

You’ve reached the end of this ResumeGiants guide and hopefully, we’ve helped you answer how to write the perfect job-winning project manager resume. 

Before you go and nail that resume like a pro, here’s a nifty checklist to keep in mind and refer back to when needed: 

• Use a reverse-chronological resume format to highlight your project management job expertise.
• To pique the employer’s interest when reading the resume, create an attention-grabbing resume summary or objective.
• When explaining your work history, emphasize your accomplishments above your obligations.
• Only include relevant talents and skills in your sector 
• Include other professional information, like awards and affiliations, to provide a complete picture of your professional profile.

If you are still having trouble composing a suitable project manager resume, use our free resume builder available online.

All the best with your job hunt!