Project Manager Resume: Sample, Templates & Writing Guide

You've just learned about a great job opportunity. Fantastic!

However, your old project manager resume has stayed in the backlog for a long time.

You might feel tempted to send it anyway. After all, it’s not like a thousand other candidates want to apply for this position, right?

Right?

I hate to break that to you, but It's time to get your ducks in a row. Without an up-to-date, professional, and attention-grabbing resume for a project manager, your chances of moving to the interview stage are nearing zero.

It’s time to back to square one and get down to writing. Need a helping hand? Don’t worry, we will guide you through the process of writing a resume of project manager, just like you guide the stakeholders through project updates.

This guide will show you: 

• A project manager resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a project manager resume that will land you more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a project manager resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for a project manager to get any job you want.

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Project Manager Resume Sample

Here’s a comprehensive guide for creating a project manager resume that will start the next milestone of your career:

1. Use a Proper Project Manager Resume Format

You know how to comply with ISO 10006 standards, but do you know the best standards of resume writing?

When it comes to writing a project manager resume, it's best to go by the book. Follow the proper resume format to ensure it looks professional and reads as easily as a progress roadmap.

These are proven ways to ensure a resume of a project manager looks great:

• Resume fonts: Use popular ones such as Arial, Verdana, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
• Font size: 11-12 points, and 13-14 points for resume headings.
• Line spacing: 1 to 1.15 is fine
• Resume margins: It’s best to use 1 inch on all sides.
• Format: Use the reverse-chronological resume format that guarantees your achievements stay on top of everything else.
• File type: Save your project manager resume in PDF format.

Just like a neat process flowchart, the elements of your resume layout must be logically arranged. That’s why it’s best to block the information in clear sections.

These are the most important parts of your resume:

• Header: Add your full name, date of birth, marital status, and contact information. Use a recent, professional-looking photo in your resume.
• Summary or Objective: Combine your qualifications and accomplishments in a short introduction.
• Work Experience: Present the deliverables of your previous positions.
• Education: Your degree and academic achievements
• Skills: Scan the job advertisement for keywords and match them with your strengths.
• Other sections: You can list additional information such as certifications, membership in professional associations, volunteer experience, languages, and even hobbies.

If you'd rather cut corners and not spend 5 hours in Word on creating a neat layout, you can use one of our resume templates.

2. Describe Project Manager Roles and Responsibilities in Your Resume

You might have heard that by 2027, there will be over 20 million project management jobs in India. It means that there will always be job opportunities for project managers like you.

However, it doesn’t mean that all of those positions are equally great. You need to be ahead of the pack to land the best jobs on the market.

To do that, start by describing your previous jobs. Think of your professional experience in terms of KPIs—what were your biggest accomplishments? How did you achieve them? How did you measure your success? Turn your professional expertise into a report for stakeholders—in this case, they’re the hiring managers at your favourite companies.

How to list your job experience in your resume:

• Start with the most recent position
• List the company name
• Put the months and years of employment next
• Mention most important duties and accomplishments
• Show achievements with the Problem-Action-Result formula
• Sum everything up in up to six bullet points

Have a look at this example from an Agile project manager resume:

Sample Project Manager Resume: Work Experience

What makes this great? Facts. Numbers. Proven achievements. This is what makes the hiring manager grab the phone and call the candidate.

Is this bad? No. Is this jaw-dropping awesome? Definitely not. It’s just bland. There’s nothing suggesting that this candidate actually did a good job. The hiring manager doesn’t have time to guess. They will simply move on to the next application.

These examples come from experienced project managers. But what to do when you’re just putting your first steps in business? Don’t worry, even interns and junior project managers can create impressive resumes.

See examples from an entry-level project manager resume below:

Work Experience on Entry-Level Project Manager Resume

These are specific accomplishments. They show that even a candidate without extensive work experience can handle project management.

This doesn’t put the candidate ahead of the pack. It’s easy to imagine hundreds of other applicants listing something very similar in their resumes.

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3. Write About Your Education

A resume without the education section is like a project without a defined schedule. Make sure to list your credentials and most impressive academic achievements.

• Are you an experienced candidate? Mention your highest degree, the academic institution, and years of education.
• Are you a fresher? Feel free to also mention relevant coursework, academic awards, and extracurricular activities.

The examples below show the difference between experienced and junior candidates:

Education in Senior Project Manager Resume

Education In Junior Project Manager Resume

Pro tip: You don’t have to be a business studies graduate to apply to project management jobs. Many fields such as IT, software development, construction, or manufacturing prefer candidates with industry-related education. You can learn the fundamentals of project management in post-graduate courses.

4. Show Off Your Project Manager Skills

Do you know that performing a SWOT analysis can help you in the recruitment process?

It’s an easy way to find your strengths and weaknesses—and those are needed to create a great skill section on your resume.

Perform a SWOT analysis of yourself. What can you do really well? What project management methodologies have you mastered? Do you have specific computer skills? Make a list of all the things that make your candidature shine bright.

Project Manager Resume Skills

• Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Lean Methodologies
• Risk Management
• Budget Control
• Analytical Skills
• Leadership
• Team Management
• Strategic Planning
• Scheduling
• Report Writing
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Problem Solving
• MS Office
• Asana, JIRA, Trello, Zenkit

Wow, that’s impressive. So now you can just copy-paste it onto your resume, right?

NO! Don’t do that!

Using the above list without any selection will not get you far. Here’s what you should do instead:

1. Take a look at the job ad that caught your attention.
2. Scan the requirements for keywords—what are the key skills they are looking for?
3. Make a list of the keywords and compare them with your own areas of expertise.
4. Create a tailored list of up to 10 hard and soft skills that match the job posting.

Here’s what your list might look like:

Project Manager Skills: Resume Example

A curated list like this makes a much better impression than just random skills thrown in your resume.

5. Select Other Sections to Add to Your Project Manager Resume

Feeling like your resume lacks something important? Don’t worry! Now is the time to add some extra info to your application.

But as always, remember to be selective.

Think of certifications, awards, or other credentials that can back up your candidature. Your target outcome is not just a fancy resume—your target outcome is a resume that lands jobs.

Select some of those:

1. Licences and Certifications on Resume

These are the things that people love bragging about. And they can truly make a difference! Especially for candidates with no formal business education.

There are many types of project management certifications to choose from:

• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
• Certified ScrumMaster
• PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner
• CompTIA Project+
• RINCE2 Foundation/PRINCE2 Practitioner
• Master Project Manager (MPM)

2. Resume Volunteer Work

Many types of volunteer work are essentially projects! They not only show that you are empathetic, but they also prove you can successfully manage activities from start to finish. List projects such as fundraising campaigns, planning charity events, finding sponsors, and anything else that shows your skills.

3. Languages on a Resume

They’re especially valuable if you want to work for an international company. Always mention the proficiency level, going from beginner, communicative, advanced, fluent, to a native speaker.

4. Memberships and Associations

Joining a professional association can help to build business relationships. Some popular project management associations are:

• International Project Management Association (IPMA)
• International Association of Project Managers (IAPM)
• Project Management Associates (PMA)

5. Conferences

Attending conferences shows a potential employer that you care about expanding your knowledge. However, being a speaker at a conference is even better—it shows you’re an expert in your field.

See these examples from a technical project manager resume:

Other Sections in Technical Project Manager Resume Sample

These extra pieces of information show that you are a true pro—they are closely connected to project management. Getting the professional certification is a sign that you want to continue developing yourself. And using your knowledge to support others shows that you know what your strengths are.

Being a passionate yogi is great, but it’s not related to project management. Nondescript work awards are not very valuable. This type of info is of no use for the potential employer.

6. Add Project Manager Resume Summary or Objective

So you’ve done your due diligence. You mentioned your work experience, education, skills, and extra information.

Now it’s time to write a project manager resume objective or summary that will show the hiring manager you’re the best in class.

Why should you do it now and not at the beginning of the writing process? Because you will use all the info you’ve already gathered! This makes it much easier—just synergize the best parts and voilà!

How to write a project manager resume summary or objective:

• Choose a strong adjective like success-driven or experienced
• Add your title
• List the years of experience
• Mention your professional goal
• Tell about your biggest accomplishment
• Use third-person narrative

Have a look at these resume summary examples:

Project Manager Resume Summary

This is too vague. It will not convince a hiring manager that this candidate can handle complex projects.

Now, what about junior project managers? Or candidates in the middle of a career change?

They should go for a resume objective. It allows them to present themselves as well as mention their professional goals.

Check these resume objective examples:

Objective for Project Manager Resume

Though this candidate doesn’t own decades of experience, it’s easy to see that they already know the ropes of project management.

Don’t write what you want to get from work—write about what the company can get from you. Also, don’t use first-person narrative.

Are you a fresher candidate? Do you need extra support with typing out that first resume? Have a look at this helpful guide on writing a resume for freshers.

7. Write a Cover Letter for Project Manager

You might feel that a cover letter is just another type of red tape.

Well, you’re wrong!

The hiring manager at your dream company will receive hundreds of applications. Even if just 20 of these have a cover letter attached, they will make your bare resume just blend in with the rest.

Don’t let your application go down the drain after spending so much time polishing your resume. Just get to writing. Think of your cover letter as a project pitch—would stakeholders fund your ambitious project without a convincing pitch from you? Definitely not!

This is how you can easily write a project manager cover letter:

1. Follow the right format for a cover letter.
2. Use the hiring manager’s name.
3. Grab the attention of the reader with the opening sentence.
4. Show off your achievements, credentials, and experience in the next paragraph.
5. Name your key project management skills.
6. Make a promise they cannot refuse at the end of the cover letter.

Now your cover letter is ready! Don’t forget to use a matching cover letter template to make it look professional.

A great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaways

A lazy resume can be a serious roadblock on your way to a great job. That’s why you need to tailor your resume to the job you want.

Make sure you remember all the steps for writing a great project manager resume:

• Format your resume to look professional.
• Present relevant work experience and your biggest achievements.
• Add your degree and academic achievements.
• Make a list of your best project management skills.
• Select extra info such as certificates and languages.
• Finish off with an attention-grabbing resume summary or objective statement.
• Create a cover letter that matches your resume.

This is how you can write a resume for a project manager. Now, it’s time for you to share your thoughts! I’d love to hear from you:

• What are the biggest challenges of writing a project manager resume? 
• What part do you struggle with the most? 

Let me know. Let’s get the discussion started!

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