8 Essential Elements To Build Your Project Manager Resume
The “Great Resignation” of 2021 saw nearly 48 million people leave their jobs – an average of four million every month. Some of those quit to become freelancers, while others simply moved to a career that offered a better work-life balance.
Some just quit completely.
Regardless of your motivation, whenever you quit your job to actually pursue a new one, you have to undertake the unenviable task of updating your resume. Chances are your skills have developed and your relevant experience has narrowed too. You’re much better able to demonstrate your proficiency for a position because of what you did in your most recent position.
It doesn’t really matter whether you’re angling for a senior-level project manager position or one that’s more entry-level – there are still certain elements that are unique to this career path.
Many of them are outlined below. Make sure you include them on your next resume if you want to stand out from the crowd.
1. Structure your resume to highlight value
Since project managers need to be able to deliver value on the job every day, your resume is a great way to show the value you can bring right off the bat. Highlight your biggest wins – your greatest accomplishment as an employee – and move backwards chronologically with your experience. Your future employer wants to see who you are now, so start with your most recent applicable job and move backwards down the resume.
Certain elements need to be included, like contact information, education, and skills. But take advantage of space by adding a few more sections that will really stand out. A career objective at the front can tell the hiring manager what your long-term goals are, while a summary statement can demonstrate the “X factor” you bring to the table.
Structurally, don’t be afraid of the white space on a page. You may look at it as wasted surface area, but your hiring manager wants to see a resume that looks good – both technically and aesthetically. White space accomplishes that, as can contrasting colors and bold fonts. Look for templates online that you can add a personal touch to with a paraphrase generator or content writing service.
2. Be concise with your experience
This is where you can really sell yourself. Most people just list their previous employment history (sometimes even listing the experience that is completely irrelevant to what they’re applying for), but employers want to see more than just where you’ve worked. They want to see what you’ve done, what projects you undertook, or what experience you’ve gained in different jobs.
They’re also looking at your length of history for each job, so if you have a streak of short stints at employers, find a way to explain that in the description. If you left a job involuntarily, mention it. Talk about what you contributed to the company so that the prospective manager knows you delivered some value.
Beyond this, there are a few things that every job you list should demonstrate in some way. Instead of droning on and on about every little thing you did at every position, speak to the below points as concisely as possible.
3. Demonstrate your ability to lead
Project managers lead projects. It’s literally what they do every single day.
As such, you should seize the opportunity in your resume to demonstrate the soft skills that apply to this position. Things like public speaking experience, times where you had to use extensive problem solving to handle a challenge, or coach someone through a task. Any time you had to resolve conflicts in the workplace – all of these demonstrate your ability to carry a team through a project with minimal hiccups.
4. Demonstrate your ability to organize
Managing workflows and project timelines take an extra level of thought when you move to a manager position rather than simply a team member. The success or failure of a project can largely depend on whether or not the manager can see the big picture.
In your resume, highlight the times when you had to take a lot of input from different areas and compartmentalize it into a single output. Sometimes, the software can handle this; if you have experience with SaaS like Trello, Google Suite, or Agile, mention it. The same goes for any CRMs you’ve worked with and programming languages like Python.
5. Demonstrate your ability to stay on budget
If there’s one thing senior management hates, it’s going over budget. Not only does it cost them precious time and resources that could be spent on other activities, but it impacts their ability to bid on future projects. If you’re not able to handle your job with what you’re given, they’ll look for someone that can.
Most managers understand that there’s some leeway to the projects they oversee, but continually running expenses over budget is a surefire way to get your resume placed firmly in the discard pile.
You obviously wouldn’t want to mention it if you are someone who runs over budget consistently, but if you pride yourself on getting jobs done in a cost-effective manner, it’s definitely something to include.
6. Detail your coursework
Does it really matter where you went to school? If you ask most hiring managers, the answer is “yes.” According to one recent poll, nearly 80% of hiring managers said that the choice of higher institution was at least important to them.
It should be mentioned though that the age of the hiring manager played a big part in that as well. The percentage of hiring managers who valued educational background dropped precipitously for hiring managers older than 45, possibly because they had developed sufficient experience in evaluating the candidate holistically.
Nevertheless, it’s still a good idea to list your education on your resume (and be proud of it), but it shouldn’t be the only thing that you talk about. Instead, mention the coursework and projects you completed that are relevant to your position. This applies double if you’re an entry-level candidate; more senior positions will require on-the-job experience.
Additionally, any extracurricular activities may help the hiring manager get a better understanding of who you are. Any opportunities to travel abroad, special online internships that were undertaken, or clubs and memberships can be highlighted as well. If you graduated with honors or were on the Dean’s list, list it as well.
Your education section is also a great place to list the different certifications or continuing education you’ve completed also. Project managers that continue to work on their skills after graduation show their desire to continually improve, which makes them even more attractive to senior management.
7. Add a “why”
Although your experience is where you can demonstrate your expertise in different areas, the “extra” section is where you can talk about what really sets you apart.
What is a resume summary? It’s a place where you can list your skills – or summarize them in a single paragraph – as to what makes you special. If you’ve ever spoken at a conference, done volunteer work separately from the company, or learned any languages that might be helpful to the prospective company, put them here.
This isn’t a place for you to brag about yourself, nor is it a way to simply list your hobbies (gardening or vanity awards don’t count), but it is a way to highlight your unique contribution. Someone who may be passed over because their resume looks exactly the same as anyone else’s may get a second look because the hiring manager notices relevant skills that can’t be listed anywhere else on the page.
Here’s a pro tip: Social media can be a great way to connect with others in your field, too. While Linkedin is the obvious choice, putting an Instagram logo vector on your bio with a link to your profile will help you become more memorable to your contacts.
8. Don’t forget the cover letter!
The jury is still out as to whether or not hiring managers even read a cover letter, but one thing’s for sure: Hiring managers tend to ignore resumes that don’t include them. Including one – even one that is bare bones – will set you apart.
That being said, you should never shortchange any part of the hiring process. Take the time to craft a well-thought-out, persuasive letter as to why you’re the ideal choice. Connect with the hiring manager at the beginning, show that you know what the job consists of in the middle, and provide your unique value near the end. It doesn’t have to be long, but it should be comprehensive enough for the hiring manager to feel confident in you.
Another thing to include in your cover letter is your willingness to change locations for this position (if that’s something you’re actually willing to do). The cost of moving to a new city can be too prohibitive for some people, so it might make you stand out a little bit more.
Your resume is your first shot at landing a job. Make it count.
Despite what you may think, a resume isn’t the only chance you have of getting your dream job, but it is the first step. If you blow it off, the manager might notice and assume this is how all of your future production will be handled.
Take a few extra minutes to review your resume, polish it with a few keywords, and submit it with confidence. With any luck, you’ll be hearing a reply in no time.
About The Author
Vikas Kalwani is a product-led growth marketer and B2B Marketing Specialist skilled in SEO, Content Marketing, and Social Media Marketing. He manages partnerships at uSERP and is a mentor at 500 Global and Techstars.
