The market for project management jobs and other leadership roles is booming. According to the Project Management Institute, 25 million new project management professionals will need to enter the economy by 2030 to keep up with current demand. PMI characterizes the high demand coupled with the scarcity of qualified employees as a global talent gap — a gap that employers are eager to fill. That’s why you need to learn how to write the best resume for Project Management and other leadership roles.
The reason for the high demand is clear: Every major industry has to develop new projects, and those projects have to be managed by someone. Improper management results in missed deadlines, bloated budgets, and frustrated stakeholders. Hiring a skilled project manager saves businesses time and money.
To write a professional project management resume that stands out to hiring teams, you need to know the essentials that help your resume stand out from the masses and the resume review services available that can ensure yours catches the attention of hiring managers.
Essential Features of a Project Management Resume
- When applying for a project manager job, include your past project management experience in your resume.
- Describe specific projects you worked on and how they aligned with your business’s objectives.
- If you previously managed a project similar to the kind of projects you will be working on in the new job, include that.
- If you’re unsure how to write the perfect resume, resume review services like Capstone are here to help. Capstone conducts one-on-one consultations with job seekers, then turns that information into a professional resume.
Capstone founder Amy Gies recently shared insight on how to write a project manager resume. In her interview, she explained that “Having technical chops is an asset” because of the big role technology plays in project management. Follow her advice and add your technical knowledge to your resume.
That said, don’t lean too hard on your tech background, and be sure to emphasize your leadership and management skills. Too much tech and not enough leadership may make you seem better suited for a job in development or engineering. Capstone’s professional resume writers will help you strike the right balance between tech skills and management skills for your project management resume.
Key Aspects of a Successful Project Management Resume
It’s not just the past experience and knowledge necessary for project management that employers are looking for. Applicants for project managers also need to demonstrate core qualities important to the role.
There are a few important skills that show project managers hiring teams you’ve got what it takes to lead your team to success:
Leadership Skills
Project managers are skilled leaders, so when you write a project management resume, include all leadership roles that you have held. Be sure to list the major successes of your leadership. Good examples of success include things like:
- Increasing the number of clients
- Completing projects ahead of schedule
- Finishing a task under budget
People Skills
Project managers also need to be team players. List your people skills in your resume. Provide examples of great synergy with coworkers, experience working in customer service, negotiating with vendors, or talking to clients. Show your prospective employer that you are comfortable working with many different people.
Industry-Specific Experience
Next, add some examples of industry-specific experience. If you’re going to manage a project, you need to understand the background of that project. Demonstrate that you are familiar with the needs and challenges of the business. For best results, do some research on the specific company you apply to.
Proof of Results
Proof of results on your project management resume is exactly what it sounds like: results that prove your ideas are feasible. Describe a calculated risk you took that paid off or explain how implementing a business strategy you suggested led to higher profits. If the job application asks for professional references, use those who can vouch for your ability to achieve good results.
Once you have assembled all the information you need for your resume, it’s time for the last step: contacting a resume writing service.
Benefits of a Resume Writing Service like Capstone Resume Services
Having the right experience for a job and having the resume to prove it are two different things. A lot of resumes these days are filtered through software that scans for keywords. Only people whose resumes contain the right keywords will progress to the interview stage. If you don’t know the specific keywords the employer is looking for, your resume might be rejected.
A resume review team like Capstone creates resumes that are:
- Scannable: Resumes should be easily scanned by computers while still being readable to humans. They will optimize your resume to include the top keywords and qualities for your desired job, so you’re sure to get noticed.
- Compatible: In line with Capstone founder Amy Gies’s recommendation, they will also format your resume as a PDF or .docx file, since these formats tend to be compatible with applicant tracking systems.
- Adjustable: If you plan to send out multiple applications at once, the best resume writers will create a template that can be adjusted to each job application. Capstone’s writers will identify the aspects of your resume that apply to any project management job versus those that must be individualized to capture the attention of a specific person or computer reading the resume.
Amy Gies’s Interview and Advice on Project Management’s Resumes
More insight into building the best project management resume was shared in Amy Gies’s recent interview, conducted by the job board Dice. Dice is a leading career destination for tech jobs. They post thousands of job openings — including jobs from major companies like Amazon Web Services and Boeing — and offer career development resources.
Dice interviewed Gies because they know how successful her company is and how many people have landed jobs with the help of Capstone’s expert resume writing services.
During the interview, Gies proved that Capstone’s reputation as a top resume writing service is well-earned. She provided plenty of advice, such as including a profile summary with “the five takeaways that you want the reviewer to know about you” and an accomplishment summary of your biggest achievements.
Additionally, Gies shared a sample of an ideal professional experience summary for a project manager job. Read the full Dice interview and review the professional experience section to get an idea of what employers are looking for as you apply for your own project manager roles.
Create Your Project Management Resume with Capstone Resume Services
Project managers know how to take charge and inspire people. Take charge of your career by creating a great project management resume. Remember, you don’t have to tackle your job search alone. Capstone’s experienced resume writers will happily work with you to design the best possible resume. Request a FREE personal consultation to take the next steps towards your dream career in project management. It all starts with learning how to write the best resume for Project Management roles!
