How to Create a Project Manager Resume (with Example)

Resumes are a critical aspect of a recruitment process and give candidates the chance to show why they're suitable for a role. Aspiring project managers who produce strong resumes may increase their chances of securing an interview by including all relevant skills, certifications and qualifications. Learning how to create a strong resume can help you pursue a career in project management. In this article, we define what a project manager resume is, explore the skills required to excel in this role, outline how to create a resume for this role, provide tips and show an example resume.

What is a project manager resume?

A project manager resume is a professional document that illustrates a candidate's previous experience, education, certification and skills when applying for a job in project management. There are several types of project managers, but what they have in common is their ability to effectively lead teams, ensure they meet all key milestone projections and contribute to overall business development. A professional resume is typically the first example of a candidate's ability to write and condense their points, so producing a well-structured and effective resume is important.

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Resumes benefit both the hiring manager and the candidate. With a resume, a candidate can efficiently identify the key points that make them fit for a specific role, while providing the hiring manager with an accessible document that they can quickly read to make their short-listing process easier. Resumes are typically the minimum expectation for most job applications, although some may require professional references, a portfolio for those in the creative industry or other such important documentation that supports the candidate's application.

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Project manager resume skills

Resumes typically act as an opportunity to showcase a candidate's skills, to give the hiring manager a more comprehensive understanding of the potential contributions a candidate can offer. Below is a guide to the skills you can include on a resume for a project manager position:

• Communication: Project managers interact with their teams constantly by delegating tasks, providing feedback and brainstorming ideas. This means that communication skills are a top priority and during the application process it's important to reassure hiring managers that a candidate has excellent communication skills.

• Problem-solving: These professionals may confront setbacks or feedback from customers that necessitate changes to their project plan. This requires strong problem-solving skills to ensure they can deliver the project within the designated time frame, while remaining positive.

• Leadership: Project managers are typically in charge of a team of project administrators. As such, they require basic leadership skills, including empathy, motivation, organisation and transparency.

• Collaborative: When working as part of a team, project managers may rely on their team to help brainstorm project ideas or new ways of meeting project milestones. This requires collaborative skills to ensure that every team member feels valued and appreciated while working.

• Administration: Project managers perform a variety of general administrative duties such as emailing, reporting and organising meetings with customers. This requires strong administration skills to ensure that managers complete these tasks alongside their other responsibilities.

Relevant: How to Be a Successful Project Manager: Skills and Qualifications

How to write a project manager resume

Depending on the type of project management position you're applying for, the steps and what to include in your resume may differ. Candidates looking for work in specific industries, like education, sciences or humanities may require additional resume sections for professional accreditation or certification. Below is a guide to creating a general project management resume:

1. Select relevant skills

A professional resume outlines how your skills make you a good fit for the job. It's important to add the relevant skills for the role so the hiring manager can match you efficiently. To do this, study the project manager job advertisement and description to ensure you include most of the outlined hard and soft skills. Doing this can substantially increase your chances of success, as hiring managers may view you as an ideal candidate.

2. Choose the correct formatting

Formatting is an important part of creating a professional resume, as different formats foreground different things for a candidate. There are three different types of resume formatting options:

• Chronological: Chronological resumes focus on a candidate's experience instead of their skills. They may start from their oldest example of experience and outline core responsibilities. Some people may elect to also outline the impact they had on the business.

• Functional: This resume example emphasises a candidate's skills instead of their experience. This may be particularly useful for candidates who lack extensive experience or who have developed an extended number of relevant skills for the role.

• Combination: This resume combines the emphasis from both your skills and employment history that are most suited for the role being applied for. This may be useful for candidates with several years of experience relevant to their application.

3. Provide contact information

Contact information is a very important part of your professional resume. It is standard to provide contact details such as an email address, phone number and a link to your professional social media account. This information enables the recruiter to contact you for further information. Sometimes hiring managers may wish to discuss your skills and experience in more depth before a formal interview to understand if you're a suitable candidate to short-list. Providing multiple forms of contact information ensures hiring managers can reach you and potentially offer you a second stage interview later in the process.

4. Include education

Education is important to add to a project manager's resume. This also includes any professional project management certifications. Providing this information is important, as it's the hiring manager's first indication of your professional level and performance ability. Displaying additional certification may reassure employers you have expertise and can be a vital asset to their business progression. It also demonstrates that you are willing to remain up-to-date with new project management methodologies and approaches. List qualifications in order of the most recent first.

Relevant: Certification for Project Managers: 15 Qualifications

5. Write a personal statement

A personal statement comprises a few short sentences, traditionally at the beginning of a resume, which outline your personal career objectives. This part explains how your skills have helped your career progression so far and what you hope to achieve in your future role. For project managers, you may explain how your team leadership has contributed to business progression through successful projects or explain how your leadership made a difference to key projects.

Tips for writing a resume

A strong resume can significantly increase a candidate's chance of securing an interview. As such, it's important to ensure your resume is at a professional standard and exemplifies your possible contributions to your potential employer. Here are some tips to help you write a strong resume as an aspiring project manager:

• Customise for each application: Tailoring your resume for each application is a good way to ensure you select only the relevant skills and experience for the role. This may help the hiring manager in their selection process.

• Ensure proper formatting: A resume is a professional document, so good formatting is essential. Check for clear margins and use the basic fonts and sizes.

Example resume for a project manager

Below is an example of a project management resume:

Sarah Wilson
Carlton, Melbourne
+61 3 7825 6954
swilson@email.com

Thank you for taking the time to consider my application and reading my resume. The skills I have developed over a decade of experience in project-related roles make me an exemplary candidate for this project management role. My personal career objectives have always involved entering a senior project management position, as I firmly believe I can make a real difference to a team environment, effectively manage team members and improve overall business development as a result.

Work experience

BCorp, Carlton, Melbourne

Team manager December 2012–Present

• Oversee the general operations of the project team and ensure that staff complete all tasks to a strict deadline

• Delegate workloads and decide which parts of the project to target next

• Liaise with senior leadership to identify new gaps in the market and devise project briefs accordingly

Project executive June 2010–2012

• Carry out project tasks delegated by the project manager

• Interact with customers to gain feedback and appraisal

• Perform general administrative duties for the project

• Work with team members to meet deadlines and project milestones

• Provide regular reports to senior management

Education
Master of Business
The University of Sydney 2009–2010

Bachelor of Business and Economics
The University of Sydney, 2006–2009

Skills

• People management

• Project brief design

• Written and verbal communication

• Task delegation

• Time management

• Creativity

• Client interaction

• Customer service

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