Project Management Resume Tips

Here are 5 tips for crafting a top-notch project management resume that showcases your value proposition to employers so you can land your next role faster.

You might be surprised, or not, to learn that employers or recruiters take, on average, six to seven seconds to scan resumes, according to Indeed. You got it, just six to seven seconds, much less than the time you took to write it. 

What can you do to garner more interest in your project management resume? As a Project Management Professional (PMP) who’s hired project managers, I've got some resume tips to help you craft a winning one, stand out, and get hired faster. 

With so little time and many resumes, recruiters or hiring managers will look for some critical aspects.

Aside from making sure you have your contact information, including your LinkedIn profile link, it’s a good idea to ensure these sections and details appear.

• Skills section
• Professional project management work experience section 
• Your job title
• Years of experience that highlights how you lead project team members and meet stakeholder needs 

Also, ensure you know what matters to recruiters and that your project management resume hits the mark on these key items.

Project Management Resume Tips

Plan and Select the Right Resume Layout

Your resume is the first place a recruiter can gauge your effectiveness in planning and organization. A disorganized resume will give the impression of a disorganized project manager. 

But before your resume gets in front of a real, live human for that six-second scan, it has to get past a computer.

Believe it or not, 98% of employers, especially Fortune 500 companies, use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to read and understand your resume. An ATS is a software that organizes job seeker information throughout the application and hiring process. It uses algorithms to help employers search jobseeker data to determine which applicants might be the best suited for roles.

More importantly, ATS weeds out applicants based on factors set by the employer. 

Your resume needs to be well laid out and use the relevant keywords a recruiter is looking for, or an ATS could automatically bypass your resume. Weigh the pros and cons of each of these common resume layouts with your objectives.

Common Resume Layouts

• Chronological resumes list your work history from the most recent to the least. This is suited for more general roles where a hiring manager may be looking to see continuity in work experience and longevity, as well as the progression of role responsibilities.  
• Functional resumes focus on your skill sets and accomplishments. This type of resume helps hiring managers quickly identify specific types of skills needed to match roles. A functional resume cuts to the chase by ensuring an ATS can rapidly identify the keywords related to the project management skills, training, and capabilities required for the role. 
• Hybrid resumes list your skill sets, capabilities, and achievements before your work history. Hybrid resumes can provide the perfect balance of the chronological and functional resume by first honing in on specific skills and competencies near the top, while still showing the career timeline and progression of a candidate below.

There are many resume builders out there that can help you create some fantastic resumes.

Focus On The Top Third Of the Page

Did you know that recruiters spend the vast majority of their time scanning the top third of your resume? 

In a sea of applicants, recruiters want to quickly see what makes you unique to their specific project manager position and company. Highlight exactly what you can and will do using a summary statement, skills section, or combination of both. 

Think of your project manager's resume summary statement as your elevator pitch to a recruiter about what you can do for them. 

Summary statement example

Strategic and effective construction project manager with 10+ years leading commercial projects. Exceptional planning, communication skills, organizational, and problem-solving skills. 

Completed over 30 projects on time and budget and improved ROI for investors for five years running.  

Skills section example

A skills section is exactly what it sounds like a simple, scannable section that makes it easy for the ATS and recruiters to see if your skills match what they’re looking for. Tip: It’s wise to invest the time to customize this section for every application you send out. Make sure you’re using the same terminology that appears in the project manager job ad.

This section should be a simple list of keywords. HR experts caution against using any special formatting beyond bullet points, as tables and columns may trip up the ATS.

Here’s an example:

Skills

• Budgeting and forecasting
• Product management
• Risk management
• Conflict resolution
• Project management software evaluation
• Strategic project planning
• Key performance indicators (KPI) formulation
• Resource management
• Time management

HINT:

Making it easier for recruiters to quickly identify what matters to them is crucial when it comes to getting your job application noticed. By creating a profile at A.I. Jobs, we can assist you in optimizing your resume and increase your chances of being seen by numerous employers.