Project Manager Resume Example

Project manager jobs are projected to grow 33% from 2021 through 2027. But if you’re looking to find a job in project management, you’ll first have to write an excellent resume and a matching project manager cover letter.

These writing tips will help you assemble an effective project manager resume that employers will love:

Table of contents

1. Write a powerful career objective
2. Specify your professional project management experience with hard numbers
3. Include some industry-specific action verbs
4. Mention your awards and certifications
5. Showcase your educational background
6. Highlight your project management skills

1. Write a powerful resume objective

Start your resume with a strong resume objective. A resume objective is a two to four sentence summary of your professional background and skill set, and it helps you quickly reinforce the idea that you’re qualified for the project manager role you’re applying for.

Hiring managers will quickly glance over your objective to determine if you’re a strong candidate, so mention your top work experiences and skills in this section (which is located at the top of your resume for the reader to notice immediately).

The candidate who provided us with the project manager resume sample above hits the following points in their career objective, all of which demonstrate their immense potential as a project manager.

Project Manager with 5+ years of experience managing multi-million dollar construction projects, coordinating a team of 90+ subcontractors, and performing budget allocation and analysis. PMI Agile Certified Practitioner aiming to apply my experience and expertise as [Company Name]’s newest project manager. Possess a B.A. in Construction Management and knowledge of BIM Software, AutoCAD, and Revit.

Follow this candidate’s example by including these details in your resume objective:

• Immediately describe your current position and years of experience
• Reveal your expertise by including project milestones and using hard numbers to provide context
• Demonstrate the size of your current and past projects
• Show you can coordinate a massive workforce and be trusted to manage people
• Tell the hiring manager which role you wish to fill
• Reveal that you have the required degrees and software skills to be successful

Our project manager candidate successfully conveyed this much relevant information in only three sentences.

By writing a concise yet detailed resume objective, hiring managers will quickly recognize your potential as a project manager, and want to read the rest of your resume.

2.  Specify your professional project management experience with hard numbers

Project manager positions are achievement oriented, so your resume also needs to reflect your achievements — and most of all, be quantified with hard numbers.

Our sample candidate adds hard numbers to their resume accomplishments in several places throughout their project management resume — here’s one quick example:

• Manage project budget of $325M+ and ensure company obtains the best possible pricing; determine and minimize risk in buyout processes, reducing costs by 15%

By listing the size of the budget and specific cost reductions, this candidate quickly provides numeric context to what they can achieve in a professional setting.

Here’s another example from their resume’s work experience section:

• Overhauled sales process and systems to achieve revenue goals, hitting targets of 17% revenue increase annually

In this bullet point, the applicant shows how they increased revenue and by exactly how much percentage-wise — which is more likely to impress a hiring manager than simply saying “increased annual revenue”. So, include successful team goals and targets when possible, and add numbers whenever you can.

3. Include some industry-specific action verbs

Remember to use resume action verbs on your project manager resume to make a bigger impact on hiring managers. Starting your powerful resume bullet points with action verbs like “overhauled,” “managed,” and “directed”:

• adds context and purpose to your resume
• gives employers a positive first impression of you
• makes you look like a confident candidate

Additionally, you should always use resume keywords that directly relate to the job description. Employers use applicant tracking software (ATS) to filter applicants, so find specific keywords that they’re looking for and mention them throughout your resume.

4. Showcase your educational background

Your resume education section is an effective way to show employers you’re consistently developing your project management skills and will learn quickly on the job.

For instance, if you’re a mid-level professional with proven working experience, add your education section below your professional experience. After employers first see that you have a rich work history, they’ll want to look at the rest of your resume sections.

By contrast, if you’re writing an entry-level resume (as someone who recently graduate or has little work experience), place your education section closer to the top of your resume. Then, employers will notice your education section first, so highlight this section by listing these details:

• Name of school
• School location
• Type of degree/field of study
• Graduation year
• GPA (if above 3.5/4.0)
• Dean’s list status (if you were on it)

5. Mention your awards and certifications

Hiring managers look for project managers who are results-driven, so if you have any awards, add them to your project manager resume. Here’s an example of what you can write:

Project Manager of the Year Award, Angel Builders, 2019

There are also many project management certifications that showcase your knowledge and boost your resume, so include them as part of your resume certifications. Some companies require you to be certified before applying for certain roles. List your certifications using this method:

• Name of the certification
• Name of the organization that awarded it
• Date earned
• If completed in-person, the location (city, state)
• If completed online, write “Online Course”

Take a look at our candidate’s PMP certification course:

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Certified: April 2, 2016, Online Course

List your awards and certifications in its own section, or separate them if you’re trying to save space. For instance, you can mention your award as a bullet point in your work experience section, and list your certifications in your skills section if necessary.

6. Highlight your project management skills

You need a variety of project management skills to enjoy a long, fulfilling career as a project manager. Our sample candidate worked in a construction company and a gym, so they acquired skills for using software such as CMIC, Revit, BIM software, and AutoCAD.

Your specialized skills will depend on your company, but all project managers generally work with budgets, deadlines, and team members, so your resume skills section should include relevant hard and soft skills that fully demonstrate these capabilities. Before applying, study the job descriptions carefully and find out what skills you’ll need.

Standard project management hard skills are learned from practical training, schooling, or work experience. For example, you’ll need to pick up on technical skills quickly and learn how to use project management software like Salesforce or Kanban to improve workflow processes. You should also be comfortable with using performance tracking tools (Wrike, ProofHub) and work with spreadsheet and databases tools (Airtable, Jira).

Let’s look at other hard skills for project managers:

Below is an example of project manager applicant’s well-written skills section:

By contrast, soft skills are character traits that relate to how you interact with others in a workplace setting. You need excellent management skills and people skills so your colleagues will feel supported and empowered while working on their specific projects.

You’ll also need to juggle multiple deadlines and give reminders to your staff members, so refine your time management skills.

Here are some other soft skills that employers look for in project managers:

Finally, don’t forget to provide direct examples that explain how the soft skills you possess would be helpful for your ideal project management role.

For instance, this applicant’s work experience bullet point highlights their effective time management skills:

Below is a quick recap of how to write a professional project manager resume:

• Begin with a compelling project manager resume objective.
• Quantify your project manager resume with hard numbers.
• Include action verbs and job-specific keywords that are directly related to project management.
• Emphasize your resume’s education section regardless of your level of experience.
• Highlight your top awards and certifications.
• Showcase your hard and soft skills related to project management.